Sep 6 2008
Mitsubishi Electric has extended the range of Ecodan® water and space heating products with the addition of two new models to offer UK households a viable and sustainable low carbon system that is ready to match the growing demand for low cost, low energy heating.
The Ecodan series will now work with a wider variety of tank sizes and specifications and is also available as a stand-alone unit for situations where a packaged solution is not required. This last development gives installers more choice and flexibility and allows Ecodan to be used with a greater array of pumps, valves, controls and tanks.
As energy prices continue to rise, more households are struggling with bills and the number falling into fuel poverty is increasing. With the UK now a net importer of gas, the environmental, economic and political situation means that as a country, we have to find more long-term, sustainable ways of heating our homes.
This is where the greater use of air source heat pumps such as Ecodan can provide an answer by helping reduce the nation’s energy consumption whilst matching the ease of gas heating for the homeowner and cutting monthly fuel bills.
Mitsubishi Electric’s award-winning Ecodan uses an advanced air source heat pump to extract free, renewable energy from the surrounding air and reduce the amount of primary energy needed.
It can offer savings is running costs of over 30% and cut CO2 emissions by 50% against even the most modern gas condensing boiler. Savings over older gas boilers and oil, LPG or direct electric systems are even greater.
Ecodan is easy to install and needs just a single-phase electricity supply and flow and return water pipes. There is no need for CORGI and no requirement for F-Gas qualification as the refrigerant circuit at the heart of the system is self-contained and factory-sealed.
Ecodan works with both radiators and underfloor heating with the unit sited outside the property to free up valuable internal space normally taken by the boiler.
The two new models offer 5kW, and 14kW power output to join the 8.5kW model that was introduced earlier this year and now mean that in addition to helping new build houses achieve the Code for Sustainable Homes, a wider range of properties from single flats to larger houses can benefit from air source heat pump technology.
Air source heat pumps tick all the right boxes as a renewable alternative to gas. Other alternative technologies cannot reliably supply both heating and hot water and depend on seasonal performance (solar thermal); have installation costs that make them beyond the reach of the mass housing market (ground source heat pumps); or are now part of a bigger political debate and also leave the homeowner with waste to dispose of (biofuels).
However the escalating cost of fuel and the drive towards carbon neutral homes means that both the Government and local authorities are eager to find ways to provide sustainable warmth whilst reducing overall energy consumption.
“Heating and hot water accounts for over 70% of the energy we use in our homes so if we as a nation can cut this consumption, we can make a real difference to both emissions levels and the fuel bills of hard-pressed households,” explained John Kellett, General Manager of the Heating Department.
The Ecodan air source heat pump system is affordable, reliable and now offers a range of models to suit the vast majority of homes in the UK, so it provides an easy way of addressing the needs of both the nation and individual homeowners.
Ecodan works by extracting energy from the ambient air and upgrading this into useful, high temperature energy which is then transferred to the property’s heating and hot water system through a heat exchanger. There is energy in the air all around us and this is a renewable source which hasn’t really factored into people’s thinking until now.
The units supply hot water and heating all year round even if the outdoor temperature should drop to minus 20ºC – something that is highly unlikely to happen in Britain.
Ecodan has been specifically designed to meet the unique demands of the UK and uses proven heat pump technology refined in the commercial sector whilst drawing on years of heat pump use throughout Europe.
Following support during a debate in the House of Lords in June, heat pumps also look likely to be included in the statutory definition of ‘microgeneration’ as the country looks for viable, mass-market ways of achieving a reduction in energy use.
Not all air source heat pumps are equal though and Mitsubishi Electric has deliberately designed the Ecodan range to be as ‘plug and play’ as possible and offers some of the quietest models available.
Some air source heat pumps need a dedicated refrigerant engineer as well as a plumber, whilst others need to be sited carefully to ensure that noise is not an issue.
The viability and mass market appeal of Mitsubishi Electric’s Ecodan system has already been recognised by the judges of the Environmental and Energy Awards 2008.
The unit won The Environmental Energy Product / Service category with the judges praising Mitsubishi Electric for its far sightedness.
Mitsubishi Electric’s 8.5kW Ecodan model has already been installed in a number of new housing projects around the country to help the developments achieve Level 3 and 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
The new models expand this offer to a wider range of properties and make the Ecodan range a serious and viable consideration for housebuilders and housing associations looking to meet the Code, whilst offering a real opportunity for growth for plumbers and heating experts trying to take advantage of mass market interest.
In line with Mitsubishi Electric’s continual drive to improve and raise standards of installation, Ecodan is available through a nationwide network of Accredited Ecodan Installers (AEI’s) and the company continues to look for plumbers and installation companies that share its determination to achieve the highest standards possible.
“With our line up we are confident that we can deliver low carbon heating to the vast majority of UK properties built from the 1970’s onwards,” explained John Kellett, “This expands the market for air source heat pumps and offers a real business opportunity to installers and developers looking to take advantage of growing interest in this area.”