Commercial Heat Pumps
TECHNOLOGY
How they work
Commercial heat pumps are highly efficient, low-carbon heating and cooling systems that transfer ambient heat from the air, ground, or water to provide space heating, cooling, and hot water. By moving existing thermal energy rather than burning fossil fuels, they significantly reduce carbon footprints and deliver major efficiency gains over traditional boilers.
Heat pumps often form part of a combined solution, with solar PV generation used to support the electrical energy requirement of the units. As with any heating system, they work most effectively in well-insulated buildings.
Heat pumps operate on the same principle as a household refrigerator, but in reverse. A refrigerant circulates in a closed loop through four key stages:
Evaporator
Absorbs low-grade heat from the external source (air, ground, or water), causing the liquid refrigerant to boil and turn to gas - ready to carry that energy through the system.
Compressor
Increases the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant gas, raising it to a level where it can deliver useful heat to the building.
Condenser
Transfers the high-temperature heat to the building's heating system or hot water supply, causing the refrigerant to release its energy and condense back into a liquid.
Expansion valve
Reduces the pressure of the liquid refrigerant, cooling it back down and preparing it to absorb heat from the external source again.
A reversing valve allows the entire cycle to run in the opposite direction - removing heat from the building's interior and expelling it outdoors, providing cooling during warmer months.
year-round hot water
Where commercial heat pumps work best
Commercial heat pumps work well in a number of settings:
- Office buildings: Provide zoned heating and cooling and can incorporate heat recovery – transferring excess heat from server rooms or sun-facing areas to colder parts of the building.
- Hotels and leisure centres: Well-suited to managing high, year-round hot water demand alongside comfortable guest room temperatures.
- Schools and hospitals: Deliver reliable, zero-emission heating and cooling without the combustion risks associated with gas boilers.
- Retail parks and warehouses: Packaged rooftop units that combine the simplicity of split systems with flexible air distribution over large open spaces.
harnessing natural energy
Types of commercial heat pump
- Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs): The most common commercial type, extracting heat from outdoor air. Commercial installations often use multiple units working together to meet larger demands, sited at ground level or on rooftops.
- Water Source Heat Pumps (WSHPs): Extract heat from a water loop or nearby body of water. Well-suited to buildings that need simultaneous heating and cooling in different zones.
- Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs): Use the consistent underground temperature via buried pipe loops. They offer the highest efficiency but require significant land or drilling for installation.
all-in-one solution
Advantages
- High efficiency: Heat pumps can deliver up to 300-400% efficiency – producing 3 to 4 units of heat for every 1 unit of electricity consumed.
- Decarbonisation: Eliminates on-site fossil fuel combustion, supporting net-zero and ESG targets.
- All-in-one solution: Can consolidate separate boiler and chiller systems into a single, centralised plant.
assessment
What to consider
Heat pumps operate at lower flow temperatures (typically 50-55°C) than traditional gas boilers (65-80°C), so they perform best in well-insulated buildings with larger heat emitters - underfloor heating or appropriately sized radiators, for example.
Correct sizing is also important. Rather than simply matching the capacity of an existing boiler, sizing should be based on the building's actual heat loss - which is exactly the kind of assessment we carry out as part of our review process.
energy strategy
Is a heat pump right for your business
Whether a heat pump makes sense - and which type - depends on your building's insulation, heating distribution, and your wider energy strategy.
We review your current energy usage, evaluate the costs involved, and model what a heat pump system could realistically deliver - including projected savings, payback, and any building improvements that would help it perform at its best.