Gas-Fired Heat Pumps as a Replacement for the Condensing Boiler

Abstract

There have been many attempts to commercialise and introduce heat-driven (particularly gas-fired) heat pumps over three decades. There are now two domestic systems on the market from Robur with others under development. The different types are reviewed, the markets assessed, and the barriers to wider uptake are discussed. Other options for future heating systems proposed within the UK are a range of electric heat pump developments and fuel cell/micro CHP units. Moving to an all-electric decarbonised electricity grid is shown to require a vast investment to perhaps triple the capacity of the electricity infrastructure and whilst possible in the long term cannot secure the emission reductions essential in the medium term. The case is proposed for a mixed heating solution with both gas-fired and electric heat pumps, also hybrids being used well into the 2040s. New-built houses will be almost exclusively electric and will need integration with advanced storage to supply domestic hot water. Older properties with higher heat loads will either use hybrid electric heat pumps, gas boiler systems, or gas-fired heat pumps. The proposed mix, whilst not being the minimal emission route, is much more affordable and a pragmatic solution to domestic heating.

In addition, the research on a low-cost compact carbon-ammonia adsorption heat pump being carried out at the University of Warwick is described and the latest results discussed.