Most air conditioning systems these days are heat-pumps which means they are capable of heating and cooling. This has been made more effective with R410a gas which has a higher pressure and the correct heating properties thus producing more air conditioning heating power. Air conditioning heating units these day produce astonishing efficiently with some air conditioning manufactures producing 6x input, usually called COP  Technically the air conditioning unit produces heat by reverse cycle. The condensing unit (outdoor coil) becomes the evaporator taking heat from the outside air and blowing cold air from the coil. The evaporator (inside coil) then takes cold out of the indoor air and blows heat in. Air conditioning heating is by far the most efficient way of heating. Take a look at the cost of each heating system at the base of this page.

• Air conditioning heating using reverse cycle air conditioning

Becoming ever more popular the air conditioning heating / air source heat-pump is ideal for space heating areas where existing water systems are in place such as radiators. They work in the same principle as air conditioning and refrigeration but generally the air source heat-pump is used for air to water heat transfer where air conditioning is air to air transfer. If a air conditioning heating air source heat pump also replaced 10% of the gas boilers sold each year in existing properties, the potential annual saving would increase to over 2 million tonnes of CO2 by 2016. By transforming the energy found naturally in outdoor air and using that to help provide cost effective heating, we’ve already established the efficiency of air conditioning heating systems and the fact that it ‘upgrades’ energy. Take that one step further and consider using air conditioning heating powered by electricity from a renewable energy source such as wind, biomass, solar or tidal and you could have a heating system that is zero carbon rated. Another advantage with air conditioning heating is it’s ease of installation and design flexibility. A perfect answer to those wide areas of the UK that are not perhaps on, or likely to be on the National Gas Grid. This negates the need to consider the more costly options of electricity or oil and removes the need to negotiate the enormous expense and disruption of extending the National Gas Grid. Whatever the location.

• Air conditioning heat pumps verses conventional boilers

• Running and service costs plus CO2 emissions reduced dramatically with some air conditioning heating units

* Information provided by Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning with costing done in 07.

• The Code for Sustainable Homes

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