Recently, heat pumps have become increasingly popular for home heating and cooling. That’s right, not only can heat pumps keep your home cool in the Mediterranean heat, but they can also warm it up on cold Cyprus nights. Although they aren’t a recent invention, first created in the 1850s, they are rising to prominence now because of their various economic and environmental benefits.

This article provides an overview of heat pump systems, their costs, and whether they might be right for you. Join us as we review the facts and discover if a heat pump system is right for your home.

What are heat pumps?

Heat pumps are heating and cooling systems that move heat from one location to another through compressors and circulating structures of liquid or gas refrigerants. There are two main types of heat pumps, ground source – or geothermal – and air source. There is a third heat pump type, water-source heat pumps, but they are significantly rarer. Let’s review the two main heat pump types and how they work to provide both heating and cooling.

Air-source heat pumps

Air-to-air heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air and distribute it through your home through a fan-based ventilation system. They can also reverse the process and absorb heat from inside your home to distribute it outside, keeping your house nice and cool in the height of summer. Cyprus summers typically last around 5-6 months, so a cooling system is crucial.

An air-to-air heat pump extracts heat from external air and transfers it to a coolant in an internal coil. The low boiling point of the coolant means the heat turns it into a warm vapour. The compressor increases the temperature of the warm vapour, and it becomes denser. At this point, the hot vapour runs through internal pipes and heats your home. When you change to the cooling mode, the opposite happens.

Ground source heat pumps

A ground-source heat pump absorbs heat from the ground. The underground heat exchanger contains water and antifreeze in a mixture. The consistent temperature of the surrounding earth continually heats the mixture, which is then transferred to a refrigerant and boils to become a gas, similar to the air-to-air heat pump.

Ground source heat pumps transfer heat into wet central heating systems like radiators, showers, and underfloor heating. There are two types of loop systems for ground source heaters; open and closed loops. Open loop systems use clean groundwater to pass into a heat pump and extract the warmth. Closed loop systems draw heat from the earth and use a consistent piping loop to connect to the heat pump.

Ground source heat pumps work best in homes with an internal heating system – like radiators – where the homeowner wants to invest in the energy efficiency of their home. Most heat pump installations are air to air heat pumps. Their installation is easier and less expensive. There are considerable upfront costs for all kinds of heat pumps.

Are heat pumps expensive?

The cost of a heat pump installation varies significantly depending on the model and the required work. Buying an air source model and installing the duct system in your home could cost anywhere from €8,500 to €13,000. Ground source heat pumps are typically more expensive to install because of the excavations needed to place subterranean pipes.

Thankfully, running heat pumps is significantly less expensive than installing them. One of the reasons homeowners choose heat pumps is their ability to reduce their energy bills in the long term. Heat pumps are more energy efficient than gas boilers or other heating systems.

They use electricity rather than gas like many boilers, but their efficiency means they generate substantially more energy than they cost to run. If you’d like to learn what exactly influences the heat pump running costs, check out https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2014/08/the-running-costs-of-heat-pumps.

Despite the high costs associated with purchasing and installing heat pumps, several reasons exist to consider them for your home. Let’s assess some of the most notable benefits of using heat pumps for heating and cooling.

Are heat pumps right for you?

Before you make a decision about heat pumps, review these factors to see what you stand to gain from using them in your house.

Environmentally friendly

Gas boilers and traditional heating methods use fossil fuels to generate energy and heat. Fossil fuels are finite, and using them for energy is detrimental to the planet’s ecosystem. Heat pumps, however, generate clean, renewable energy.

Heat pumps may not be entirely carbon neutral because they rely on electricity, but they produce far fewer carbon emissions than boilers or fireplaces. Heat pumps with solar panels are one way to get closer to a completely carbon-neutral power system.

Long lifespan

Although the installation process for heat pumps is complex, they last long enough to be worth it. The typical heat pump lifespan is 15–20 years, with some systems lasting longer. These well-crafted systems are built to last a long time without significant issues.

Heat pumps also require less maintenance than boilers. They only need professional servicing every 3–5 years, unlike boilers that need annual servicing. Some aspects of heat pump systems need annual checks, but you can easily do them without a professional.

Energy-efficient

The energy efficiency of heat pumps means they have low running costs compared to oil and gas-based heating systems. You can measure the efficiency of a heat pump through its Coefficient of Performance (COP) to understand how effectively it produces energy.

Many heat pumps have a COP of 2.5, meaning they produce heat at two and a half times the rate they consume electricity when in operation. Compare this to natural gas boilers; you’ll see they have a COP of around 0.93.

Government incentives

One big incentive for Cypriots is the government schemes designed to make the nation more environmentally friendly. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supplied Cyprus with a €30 million budget for the Save and Upgrade project, pushing towards climate neutrality.

Cypriots who want to install eco-friendly features in their homes, including solar panels and heat pumps, are eligible for government reimbursements of up to 60% of the installation costs. This also jumps to 80% for lower-income homes, making going green even more appealing.

With Scandinavia leading the way, heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular across Europe. It’s only a matter of time before these environmentally friendly features are in European homes. Cypriots can benefit from the dual heating and cooling function of heat pumps. If you tend to struggle with the colder winter nights, something like a heat pump is a godsend. To learn more about Cyprus’ environmental issues, visit our environment section.

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