Product Description
A heat pump is a device that moves heat from a cold place to a warm place using electricity, and can both heat and cool a building:
- How it works: A heat pump uses a refrigeration cycle to transfer heat. It absorbs heat from the air, ground, or water, then passes it through a heat exchanger to raise the temperature of a refrigerant gas. The gas is then compressed to increase its temperature and pressure. The warmed gas is then moved to a heat exchanger in the indoor space, where it transfers some of its thermal energy to the indoor space. The gas then condenses into a liquid, which flows to an outdoor heat exchanger where it evaporates and cools. The cycle then repeats.
- Benefits: Heat pumps are more energy-efficient than other ways of heating or cooling a home because they transfer heat rather than generating it. They can be used in all climates.
- Types: The most common type of heat pump is the air-to-air heat pump.
- Efficiency: A heat pump's energy performance is quantified by its coefficient of performance (COP). The COP is affected by the ratio of the heat sink and heat source temperatures.