Today we want to talk to you about aerothermal energy , a new technology that interests you if you are thinking about how to heat your home, have heat available in winter, cold in summer, and domestic hot water (DHW), in an efficient and economic way, and if you are also concerned about the environment. We are going to tell you what it is, how it works and what benefits it has for a home or business.

 

What is aerothermal energy?

Aerothermal energy is a renewable energy obtained from the environment and allows you to meet your heating, cooling and hot water needs in an economical and environmentally friendly way. In other words, it is a technology that allows you to take advantage of the energy stored in the form of heat in the outside air to produce heat, or to take advantage of its absence to obtain cooling; that is, to heat your home or business.

 

How does aerothermal energy work?

Using heat/cold pumps, this technology, based on well-established thermodynamic principles, takes cold air from outside and transfers it to the interior of the home, generating heating and hot water in winter and cooling in summer, with very low electricity consumption. In other words, aerothermal heat pumps are capable of capturing energy from the air, available in nature and inexhaustible (renewable), allowing it to be used for air conditioning the spaces occupied by people. The system consumes electricity, but in a small percentage. For each kW of electricity consumed, it provides between 3 and 4 thermal kW. With the same electrical consumption, an aerothermal system has a performance of up to 5 times higher than other systems, such as an electric radiator. Therefore, the savings we achieve by using aerothermal systems reach 75 or 80% reduction in energy consumption, depending on the power source we have used previously.

They are also capable of producing energy even at low temperatures.

There are different aerothermal systems, which are air-to-air and air-to-water . In both cases, the operation is based on the absorption of energy from the air and its transformation into heat or cold. The difference is in how this air is transformed and that in the case of air-to-water systems, in addition to air conditioning, they also promote hot water. What is common to both systems is that the temperature pump , the central part of an aerothermal system, must be reversible in order to also be able to cool your home or business in summer. In this case, the cooling circuit is reversed, expelling the hot air to the outside and injecting the low-temperature air inside, thus achieving cooling in the environment.

 

Does aerothermal energy work in different seasons of the year?

The answer is yes, because in winter the heat pump can operate in heating mode , extracting thermal energy from the outside air, even if it is cold, and transferring it to the interior of the house. And in summer the process is reversed and it acts in cooling mode . The heat pump extracts heat from inside the house and transfers it to the outside, thus cooling the interior environment.

In cases of very low temperatures, it is logical to think that the greater the difference in temperature between the inside and the outside, the greater the power required by the aerothermal heat pump to ensure its correct operation. Therefore, the power required by the pump will be greater depending on the area in which we live and the quality of the insulation in our home.

But it seems like an impossible paradox to resolve that a system that extracts temperature from the environment produces cold in summer and heat in winter. How does it do this?

As we have said, we can solve this problem by studying thermodynamic physics. Let us consider that, according to scientists, absolute zero, that is, the total absence of energy, and therefore of thermal resources, is around -273.15º C, which means that, for example, at -8º C there is a lot of usable energy. The same occurs with the production of cold in hot weather, although here the “theoretical” limit is almost infinite.

 

Is aerothermal energy 100% renewable?

This technology is powered by clean and renewable energy such as air, which helps reduce CO2 emissions, but the temperature pump needs electricity to operate. Therefore, although it is considered renewable energy by the regulations of the countries of the European Union, countries that include it in their promotion policies, tax incentives and subsidies to promote its installation and use, it is not entirely renewable .

To completely reduce CO2 consumption and install a completely environmentally friendly aerothermal system, we recommend combining this technology with the installation of solar panels that generate the energy necessary for the operation of the pump.

Furthermore, if you combine both types of installations, aerothermal energy and photovoltaic solar panels, you will be able to maximize savings when heating and cooling your home, since the electricity generated by the panels during the day will be used both to operate the aerothermal temperature pump and for the rest of the appliances and consumption in your home, or the equipment and machinery of a company, and your monthly energy bill will be minimal.

 

 

If you are thinking of installing an aerothermal system because you want to have a more sustainable home or business and save on your bills, do not hesitate to contact us. We are experts in the installation of aerothermal systems and in the installation of solar panels in Lleida, Huesca and the rest of Catalonia and Aragon.

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