A new animation from Mitsubishi Electric examines the concept of using a single energy loop to deliver energy efficient heating and cooling in a tower block, between neighbouring buildings, or across an entire community.
“We have created this film to explain how the concept of an energy loop can benefit an individual building, a network, or a community,” explains Richard Venga, Specification Engineer at Mitsubishi Electric.
The animation begins by looking at using energy from the sun which is captured in our lakes and rivers, and shows how the Government has supported and advocated this type of application by producing a dedicated heat map and a Code of Practice on surface water source heat pumps.
It then explores how renewable energy harvested from the environment can be used to provide heating and cooling from a single energy loop for a building or a district.
“We need to remember that the by-product of heating is cooling and vice versa, and if we can capture this by-product we can use it elsewhere, in different types of building with varying energy demands” adds Venga.
Heat pumps can then be readily connected to this energy loop, so it can be used to transfer low grade heat from one part of the building – or even one part of the community, and upgraded to deliver the necessary heating or cooling for that individual building, office or room.
“The technology already exists to allow anyone to capitalise on this and there are other advantages for building designers because using an energy loop in this way can significantly reduce the space needed for the building’s services,” explains Venga.
The video can be viewed at the company’s dedicated YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rMNC_WyjnU ) and a CPD Guide to open loop water source heat pump systems can be downloaded at the dedicated digital library: http://library.mitsubishielectric.co.uk/pdf/book/Open-Loop-Water-Source-Heat-Pump-Systems-CPD-Guide