Domestic space and water heating contributes to a significant amount of an average home’s CO₂ emissions, therefore reducing these is of paramount importance. In order to reduce CO₂ emissions, we need to seek new, more effective means of heating homes.

The drive to reduce energy consumption and the impact it has on the environment is crucial and should be increasingly important to us all. Energy efficiency has long driven Mitsubishi Electric to spend millions of rand and huge amounts of resource on researching and developing solutions of the future.
The company claims that by simply using it Ecodan air source heat pump to provide domestic space heating and hot water, it is possible to greatly reduce CO₂ emissions and ultimately your home’s running costs. Using proven heat pump technology widely used in the heating and cooling industry, the system upgrades naturally occurring energy from the air and uses this to provide domestic space heating and hot water.

ELECTRICITY COST COMPARISON
Electricity rate R0.89
Number of people Four
Litres/person/day 90
Water temperature in 15⁰C
Water temperature out 55⁰C
ELECTRICAL GEYSER
Input power 3kW
Output power 3kW
Standing loss/24hr 1.96kW
kW/hr per month 569.1
Running cost R506.46
ECODAN HEAT PUMP
Input power* 1.95kW
Output power** 5kW
Standing loss/24hr 1.96kW
kW/hr per month 221.9
Running cost R197.52
Saving/month R308.94 / 61%
*Ambient 7%
**Water 55%

Domestic application
Heat pump technology has been used around the world for decades and Mitsubishi Electric has developed this technology for domestic application to produce Ecodan. Air source heat pumps are easy to install and are suitable for a wide variety of properties from apartments to houses. The air source heat pump system consists of an external box which is fitted to an outside wall – harvesting renewable, low grade energy from the outdoor air and upgrading this into useful heat to supply a home with hot water and heating. For every 1kW of electricity fed into an Ecodan heat pump unit i.e. the outdoor part of the heating system, you could get at least 3kW of heating energy. The overall system efficiency and energy savings will depend on the comparison with a home’s current heating system, satisfactory system design and installation, and operational settings i.e. how the heating system is used. The heat pump unit (the outdoor part of the heating system) can work all year round even if the outdoor temperature should drop as low as -15⁰C. Benefits of the system include a 30% reduction in CO₂ emissions, saving up to 60% on electricity cost of heating water, and a self-contained easy to install unit which only requires water and electrical connections. The system also utilises a closed loop circuit which means less risk of contamination between water and refrigerant as well as a prolonged equipment life expectancy.

Case studies

5 BEDROOM REFURBISHMENT
The Ecodan system installed in a large 5 bedroom house near Newcastle delivered an average winter COP of 3.25 with an average ambient outdoor temperature of 4⁰C. The 14kW Ecodan system has been retrofitted to the property and supplies both combined space heating and all hot water requirements for the detached house, which houses a family of four including two young children. Over the winter period, the owners reported savings in the running costs of between half to two thirds when compared to the previous LPG boiler. Number of bedrooms: 5
Age of property: 1999
Previous heating system: 22kW-rated LPG boiler
Replaced with Ecodan: 14kW unit
Average: COP 3.25
Average outdoor temperature: 4⁰C
Running cost reduction: 50 – 66%
CO₂ reduction: 50%

3 BEDROOM NEW BUILD
5kW Ecodan system installed in this new 3 bedroom end-of-terraced property in Langford, Hertfordshire, achieved an average COP 3.25 over the winter against an average ambient temperature of 7⁰C. The family of three has a new baby and the home is heated by traditional radiators with the smallest of the Ecodan range (5kW) providing all the heating and hot water required. Number of bedrooms: 3
Age of property: 2008
Previous heating system: None
Replaced with Ecodan: 5kW unit
Radiator upgrade: Uncharged
Average: COP 3.25
Average outdoor temperature: 7⁰C