In recent years we have seen how interest in making our home a more efficient and healthy space has grown. It is here where systems such as aerothermal energy have begun to be in greater demand, since in addition to being an environmentally friendly technology, it represents significant economic savings.
Under the term of aerothermal includes all the systems that allow energy to be extracted from the air. How? Through a thermodynamic cycle by which the environmental energy contained in the air can be obtained and, what is most interesting, they can later transform it into hot water, heating in winter, or cooling for the whole house in summer. Is about an extremely clean system -compared to other traditional ones that generate pollution and waste in the ecosystem- and highly efficient. In fact, up to 75% of the energy can be extracted from the air.
The way in which aerothermal energy is obtained, in general, is through heat pumps aerothermal and hydrothermal. What they do is extract heat from the natural environment (air or water) through the evaporator and transfer it to the interior of a building, or to industrial processes through the condenser. If they are reversible, the cycle is reversed and the heat inside the building is transferred, driving it into the natural environment.
It’s interesting combine the heat pump with other heating systems that are at a low temperature, such as the ceiling or radiating floor or low temperature radiators, which helps to reduce our monthly bills.
At aerothermia can be installed in a home with a conventional radiator system, but it must be taken into account that a heat pump works with lower temperatures than a gas boiler. With which more elements can be placed in each radiator or more radiators, or replace them with low-temperature radiators. And it is that when working at a lower temperature, the radiators need a greater radiation surface.
At Vivienda Saludable we always bet on clean energy sources and, therefore, we want to talk to you about this method of generating energy and expose its main advantages and disadvantages, in order to make a decision about it.
Aerothermal energy: a clean and efficient system
- great comfort: hardly needs maintenance, since it is not necessary to contract any gas supply, nor to be aware of fuels (storage, cleaning, etc). Although it requires a professional, it is an easy system to install and can be placed in all types of homes, since it takes up little space. In addition, it generates low levels of noise pollutionboth outdoors and indoors.
- High efficiency: aerothermal systems consume less energy than traditional heating systems, which shows on the bill. Even in spite of needing other energy to work -the most common is electricity-, it has been shown that heat pumps are highly efficient. In fact, for every kilowatt of electricity consumed, between 3 and 4 kilowatts of heat or cold can be generated.
- Commitment to sustainability: es a renewable energy and it comes from a free source (which is the air), since there is no smoke, and hardly any waste. Its emissions of NOx (nitrogen oxides) and SOx (sulfur oxides) particles are nil, unlike those that are generated with systems based on combustion boilers.
Disadvantages of aerothermal energy:
- Apparatus: like conventional heat pumps, aerothermal need an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, with what it implies at the level of space and aesthetics. And we must not forget that we may need a permit to install it on the facade or space on the terrace or in the garden for it.
- High initial investment: Compared to other types of energy, aerothermal energy is the highest on the market. According to experts, the outlay to install a system of this type can range between 8,000 and 24,000 euros.
- Not recommended for very cold areas: heat pumps offer lower performance the lower the outside temperature. This means that in extreme temperatures they will need more power and, therefore, they will consume more energy. The greater the difference between the interior and exterior, the more power will be needed by the aerothermal heat pump to ensure its correct operation. Nevertheless, If our home has top-quality insulationwe would not need a heat pump of such power, since the thermal inertia of the house will be greater, so the temperature peaks will drop.
And last but not least, the Government supports the implementation of this energy system with subsidieswhich can be requested throughout 2023. They are intended for cover the investment of an installation of aerothermal technology with underfloor heating or low-temperature radiators.
These aids are promoted with the funds of the Recovery Plan for Europe Next Generation EU, which we already told you about in relation to the possibility of requesting them for the change of windowsand are managed through the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.