Heat pump for comfort, with added energy savings

摘要

The high-efficiency central heating boiler is about to reach the limits of its potential, so innovative insulation and other energy efficiency solutions are required, even though energy consumption in the Netherlands per household has dropped by 70% since 1986. Now that houses and offices are being fitted with increasingly efficient winter coats, an unexpected new problem has arisen, that of overheating. The savings through insulation are being squandered by air-conditioning units that are kept running all through the summer. According to Professor Ir. Hans Cauberg of the faculty of Architecture at Delft University of Technology, there is an efficient solution to this problem. A heat pump ensures that the cooling and heating processes are much more sustainable, and also more comfortable into the bargain. It will enable us to replace high-grade fossil fuels with sustainable, low-grade sources of energy such as ground water, geothermal energy, and waste heat. This will reduce the energy demand for heating by up to 40%, and for cooling by as much as 90%.