How a heat pump works?
Direct answer
A heat pump draws heat from the outside air, the ground or (ground)water and pumps it up to a higher temperature to warm a building. The device runs on electricity but does not generate heat: it moves existing heat using a refrigerant that evaporates and is then compressed, like a fridge in reverse. As a result, a heat pump delivers more heat than the electricity it consumes.
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How a heat pump works: scattered information versus Energy Intelligence
The Netherlands is gradually moving away from natural gas, and the heat pump is the device that most often replaces the gas boiler. For a building owner or facility manager this changes how heat arrives: no longer through gas combustion, but through electricity that moves heat from the surroundings. That raises practical questions about efficiency, about the supply temperature your heat emitters can handle, and about the electrical connection the device requires.
- A heat pump extracts heat from its surroundings and lifts it to a usable supply temperature through a refrigerant cycle; the source is outside air, ground, water or waste heat.
- According to the Dutch agency RVO, the seasonal efficiency (SCOP) is usually between 300 and 500 percent: with 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity the device delivers roughly 3 to 5 kilowatt-hours of heat.
- The main types are air-to-water, ground/water and air-to-air; hybrid versions that work alongside a gas boiler also exist.
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How does a heat pump work?
A heat pump heats water or spaces by moving heat from the surroundings, not by burning fuel. Inside the device a refrigerant flows: a liquid that evaporates even at low temperature. The cold refrigerant absorbs heat from the source, for example the outside air, and evaporates into gas. A compressor squeezes that gas together, which raises its temperature sharply. The hot gas releases its heat to the heating system and turns liquid again. Then the pressure drops and the cycle starts over. It is essentially a fridge in reverse: a fridge pumps heat outward, a heat pump pumps heat inward. Most devices have an outdoor unit that absorbs the source heat and an indoor unit that releases the heat.
- The source provides low-temperature heat: outside air, ground, (ground)water or waste heat.
- A refrigerant evaporates at the source and is compressed to a high temperature by a compressor.
- The heating system takes over that heat; the refrigerant then condenses and the cycle repeats.
- The pump moves heat rather than generating it; only the compressor and pump use electricity.
Why does a heat pump deliver more heat than it consumes?
Because a heat pump moves heat instead of generating it, more heat comes out than the electricity that goes in. That ratio is called the coefficient of performance (COP): the number of parts of heat per part of electricity. Measured across a full year it is called the SCOP, the seasonal efficiency. According to RVO, the SCOP of a heat pump is usually between 300 and 500 percent, meaning 3 to 5 kilowatt-hours of heat per kilowatt-hour of electricity used. Efficiency is higher when the difference between the source temperature and the desired supply temperature is smaller. That is why a heat pump gives the most benefit with low-temperature heat emitters, such as underfloor heating or generous radiators, in a well-insulated building. Ask for a high supply temperature in a draughty property and the compressor works harder, lowering the efficiency.
- COP is the instantaneous ratio of heat out to electricity in; SCOP is the same ratio across a full heating season.
- A smaller temperature difference between source and emitter means higher efficiency.
- Low-temperature emitters such as underfloor heating let the heat pump run more efficiently than hot radiators.
- Good insulation lowers the heat demand and the required supply temperature, raising efficiency.
What types exist and what does this mean commercially?
The source determines the type of heat pump. An air-to-water heat pump uses outside air as its source and heats water for radiators, underfloor heating and tap water; this is the most common version. A ground or water heat pump draws heat from the ground or groundwater and has a more stable source, which makes its efficiency more even across the year. An air-to-air heat pump blows heated or cooled air straight into the room, comparable to an air conditioner. There is also the hybrid heat pump, which works alongside a gas boiler that covers peak demand. Commercially, every electric heat pump shares one point of attention: heat that used to come from gas now comes from the grid. That often requires extra electrical connection capacity, and in parts of the Netherlands that capacity is scarce because of grid congestion.
- Air-to-water: outside air as the source, heats water; the most chosen version.
- Ground/water: source in the ground or groundwater, more stable efficiency across the year.
- Air-to-air: heats or cools air directly, like an air conditioner, without a water circuit.
- Electrifying heat raises electricity demand and often requires more connection capacity.
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