Insulation and air-tightness

Levels of insulation within a building are of key importance for heat pump systems, as the better insulated the house, the more efficient and cost-effective to run the heat pump and its associated heating system will be. In practice even a building insulated to well above the building regulation requirement will always need some level of heating; first, because there has to be some passage of air from the outside to maintain freshness and second, because insulation does not itself create warmth, it simply helps to retain it.

All new homes are built to strict guidelines on air-tightness to help retain heat but it is important to consider this aspect when refurbishing an older home with potentially high heat losses. If you have a project that may have high losses please contact Nu-Heat for advice.

At its most efficient the heat pump can supply hot water at a temperature of 35˚C – 45˚C; this can easily be increased to as much as 65˚C but the efficiency of the heat pump may be reduced, which is why it is essential that the proposed heating system is taken into account alongside predicted heat losses when the heat pump is specified.

It is inevitable that the cost of energy will continue to rise – air-tightness and insulation measures are just one way of limiting the amount of energy needed to heat the UK’s homes.