INDUSTRIAL HEAT PUMPS: CASE STUDIES AND LESSONS LEARNED
Over the last five years a new style of industrial heat pump, using high pressure ammonia to deliver heat efficiently at temperatures up to 90 °C, has been introduced in Europe, with installations in Norway, England, France, Belgium and Switzerland. This was a protracted and difficult birth, with many technical and commercial challenges overcome along the way. The benefits gained from the use of these systems are substantial and it is hoped that the perseverence that has been required in order to deliver efficient and reliable systems will pay off through significant volumes of repeat business now that the concept has been successfully demonstrated over several heating seasons. This paper describes three case study applications, gives details of some of the technical and commercial challenges that have been faced, and considers ways in which the lessons learned can be applied in other market sectors.