Unlocking Efficiency & Comfort: The Many Benefits of Water Source Heat Pumps in Condominiums
Water Source Heat Pumps are the most efficient and easily serviceable solution for heating and air conditioning in high-rise condominiums. This type of HVAC system enables the most simple building system components, ultimately providing the highest return on investment for you and the entire building.
Year-Round Comfort: Harnessing the Power of Water Source Heat Pumps
Heat Pumps are named so because they pump heat from one area to another. The unit in your condo uses a refrigerant cycle to move the heat. Each heat pump in your building connects to a central loop of water that acts as a supplier or accepter of heat. When cooling, the hotter air in the room is blown across a cold coil to remove heat from the air and transfer it to the building water. When heating is necessary, the system pulls heat from the building water loop to heat the coil. As the cold air from the room blows across the coil, it heats the room. The heat pump in your condo and the building system work together to provide year-round comfort.
The building water loop significantly affects the heat pump’s performance. Therefore, it is critical that the building maintains the system to deliver the optimal water temperature.
The figure below shows how a 10-deg swing in building water temperature can add 20% to the heat pump’s efficiency.
Cost-Efficiency Redefined: How Water Source Heat Pumps Cut Condo Energy Bills
Two systems affect efficiency in a water source heat pump: the system in your home and the building. The newest technologies provide the same efficiency as larger commercial chillers.
The refrigeration cycle is highly efficient during heating. While boilers are ~85% efficient and electric heaters have 100% efficiency, heat pumps provide 5x the heating from their energy use.
During the months between seasons, some building units need heating while others need cooling. The shared water loop in the building system allows the units to “share” the heat load, requiring less energy from the building system. No other system choice provides this “free” heat transfer.
After leaving the condo, the building system pumps the water through a cooling tower. The cooling tower rejects or accepts heat from the outside air. A cooling tower is simple and requires less energy than a commercial chiller.
Higher efficiencies reduce your electricity bill and the building costs, ultimately reducing your condo common fees.
What about noise? Are Water Source Heat Pumps louder than other systems?
The main difference between a heat pump and other systems is that the unit in the condo contains the refrigeration cycle. The heart of the cycle is a compressor that uses rotational motion to pump refrigerant through the system, creating vibration and noise.
Knowing this fact, manufacturers provide:
- Vibration isolation of the compressor
- Insulation in the compressor chassis
- Designs to block the noise path into the condominium.
As a result, the compressor noise is only audible when the fan is on the low setting.
Future-Proofing Your Condo: The Long-Term Benefits of Water Source Heat Pump Technology
The vertical stack heat pump is easily serviceable. The refrigeration cycle components are connected to the building via flexible hoses and electrical wiring on a self-contained chassis. Removing the heat pump chassis provides easy access to its components if service issues arise. If the service is more extensive, a temporary chassis can provide conditioning while your unit receives service at the workshop.
When new technology is available, replacing your existing chassis with the latest design is easy without modifying your condo. A service technician can complete a replacement in an hour or less. For more information on heat pump service, read more here.
Home Trade Standards – Condo Heat Pump Specialists
The water-source heat pump system’s simplicity, efficiency, serviceability, and flexibility make it a great choice that benefits both the building and the condo owner. If you have more questions about your system or selecting one for your condominium project, don’t hesitate to contact Home Trade Standards at 416-736-7001.
