If you’re thinking about using solar panels to power an air source heat pump at home, you’re on the right track to becoming an energy-efficient household. Pairing heat pumps and solar panels can also slash pounds off your UK energy bill cost. But just how many solar panels do you need to make it all work? In this article, we’ll simplify how these two technologies work together. We’ll also figure out how many solar panels you’ll need to run your air source heat pump to its full potential.
Understanding Solar Panels and Air Source Heat Pumps
To understand how they both work in tandem, we need to understand how solar panels and air source heat pumps work alone.
Solar Panels
Solar panels absorb energy from sunlight and generate it into electricity. It’s a clean and renewable energy source that can help power your home. Commonly, they are placed on your roof and will need to be south-facing.
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Air Source Heat Pumps
Air source heat pumps pull available thermal energy (heat) from the outside air, even when it’s cold. They then use this to warm your home. Amazingly, they can operate in temperatures that drop to –15*, thanks to thermal energy always being present within the air. A solar powered heat pump will cut energy costs even further and make your property more energy efficient.
How do Solar Panels and Heat Pumps Team Up?
People often ask which of these two technologies is the best – heat pumps or solar panels? But it doesn’t need to be a heat pump vs solar panel competition; these pieces of equipment are an energy-efficient dream team, working in perfect harmony!
Here’s how they work together, benefit each other, and create a carbon-friendly environment for your home.
1. Powering the Heat Pump:
When the sun is out in the daytime, your solar panels will generate electricity. This electricity can then be utilised to run your heat pump. You can achieve a drastic change in your energy bills by using your own generated electricity to heat your home. This also creates an energy-efficient home due to not burning fossil fuel as you would with a traditional gas boiler.
2. Extra Electricity:
If your solar panels generate more electricity than your heat pump needs, this extra power can be returned to the grid. You could even benefit from this financially, as you can receive credits or money for surplus electricity generated.
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Determine Your Solar Panel Needs
To figure out how many solar panels you’ll need to run your air source heat pump, consider these factors:
1. How Much Electricity Does the Heat Pump Use?
It will be useful to find out how much electricity your air source heat pump uses. You can usually find this info in the heat pump’s specifications. This will be measured in kilowatts (kW) or watts (W). Knowing this information will help you understand the energy that your solar panels need to generate.
2. How Much Sunlight Do You Get Where You Live?
You need to consider how much sunlight your property area gets in a year. Your property generally needs to get sunlight between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm to generate enough for your home. Ultimately, this will impact the amount of energy your solar panels will generate in the day.
3. How Efficient is the Equipment?
Keep in mind that different solar panels and heat pumps have various efficiency ratings. This will impact the amount of solar energy generated and required to run the heat pump.
4. What is Your Energy Goal?
It’s helpful to know how much of your heat pump’s electricity you want to be generated with solar panels. This way, you can determine your ultimate energy goal and how much you want to save in costs. You can also get an overview of how efficient your home will be.
By taking all of these factors into consideration; you can work out the number of solar panels you’ll need to run your air source heat pump effectively.
Get Professional Advice
Figuring out your solar panel requirements alone can be quite a task. You should always seek professional advice when determining what you need. A solar energy expert or heating and cooling specialist can assist by looking at your specific circumstances, your heat pump’s efficiency, property location and energy goals.
Summary
In summary, solar panels and air source heat pumps work together to give you an eco-friendly and budget-friendly way to heat your home. By understanding how these two technologies compliment each other, and with expert advice, you can choose the right number of solar panels to power your heat pump, reduce your energy bills and improve the energy efficiency of your home.
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