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Heat Pumps – An Introduction

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Heat Pumps have become one of the most if not the best types of energy-efficient alternatives to boilers, industrial washing machines. Heat Pumps work on the principle of heat transfer from heat source like atmospheric air, water bodies, or ground to deliver heat to a heat sink like industrial applications and are proven to reduce energy consumption by 50 percent or more A webinar \”Heat Pumps – An Introduction\” was conducted by Aspiration Energy to impart industrial knowledge and at the same time create awareness regarding the necessity of the world to move towards energy-efficient methods and sustainability. The webinar addresses topics such as the working, types, and industrial applications guaranteed to give a basic level understanding  of heat pumps     Introduction   [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0SowX6OlNs?start=109] Working of Heat Pumps   [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0SowX6OlNs?start=129]   Principle   [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0SowX6OlNs?start=249]   Efficiency   [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0SowX6OlNs?start=618]   Components   [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0SowX6OlNs?start=1010]   Types of heat pumps   [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0SowX6OlNs?start=1218]   Applications   [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0SowX6OlNs?start=1586]   Questions and Answers   [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0SowX6OlNs?start=2318]         Find the link to the full webinar here

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7 Reasons to consider Roof Top Solar Thermal than Solar PV | Part (5/8)

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This post is part of a series of posts highlighting the feasibility of Solar Thermal when compared to Solar Photovoltaic modules.Find the previous post on Mechanical Trackers, here.   An another area where Solar Thermal systems have considerable advantage over Solar PV is the with regard to the load that is exerted on the modules.Due to the various environmental factors like weight, wind and rain two types of load are exerted on the supporting structures of both types of modules – static loads and dynamic loads.   The static loads are usually due to the self weight of the modules whereas dynamic loads are due to winds. Static loads are usually much less dangerous compared to dynamic loads. Dynamic loads being variable in nature tend to cause more damage.   Let us study the various loads that act on the systems based on the design. PV modules being a single plate like structure have more dynamic loads acting on them. Solar Thermal modules donot have this problem as it consists of Evacuated tubes which have gaps in between resulting in low load exertion.    

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Aspiration Energy in the news – Waking of a Sleeping Giant

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\”The numbers might still appear small, but then Aspiration Energy is into the ‘other solar’. These days, when people talk solar, they talk of PV and electricity, but there is another sleeping giant that has been practically forgotten — solar heating. Solar water heaters have been around for some time now, but tapping into the sun for providing heating to industrial process, seems to be, by empirical data, on the cusp of taking off.\”   \”So, what triggered the trend? Industry sources point to a bouquet of answers, the most significant of them being an increased in awareness. It takes one or two success stories to set a precedent. Then the ‘herd mentality’ takes over and everybody else rushes in.\”   Solar Thermal technology systems are making a mark in the sustainable energy sector after staying in the shadow of Solar Photovoltaic systems, and industries have now started to realise its potential. Aspiration Energy has been and still is at the forefront of this realisation with this featured article being testament to this.   Find the link to the featured article on the Hindu business line here        

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7 Reasons to consider Roof Top Solar Thermal than Solar PV | Part (4/8)

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Mechanical Trackers    This post is part of a series of posts highlighting the feasibility of Solar Thermal when compared to Solar Photovoltaic modules.Find the previous post on costs, here.   The third reason on our list of reasons that suggest the pros of using Solar Thermal Instead of Solar Photovoltaic systems is Mechanical Devices that align the modules towards maximum solar irradiation. This is a main criteria when it comes to cost for Solar PV systems.Solar mechanical trackers are costly to integrate and even harder to maintain.Solar Thermal modules do not need these trackers.         Why?   Solar Thermal modules have evacuated tubes that heat water that flow through it.This being circular in cross section absorbs irradiation from all sides, thus effectively capturing the energy with minimal losses. In most cases the solar radiation incident on the Solar Thermal modules is far more than standard commitment that most companies provide   In the next post will look into the various loads that act on both these systems  

Blog, Case Studies, Heat Pumps, Heat Pumps

Electricity can be a clean and green source of heat! 

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Industrial process heating consumes a lot of energy. Of this heat, the low-grade variety (typically < 120 C) is about 3737 kToe (Kilo-tonne of oil equivalent) which is about Rs. 18,400 Crore (US$ 2.8 Billion) annually. Of this, the top 3 consumers are Automotive and ancillaries, Food processing and Textiles, accounting for 44%. While textile and food processing use a mix of input fuels to cater to the need, automotive industries almost exclusively rely on higher grade fuels such as electricity, diesel, LPG etc to satisfy the heating heads. Component washing and pre treatment form the bulk of this need.    If you look at the above chart, it becomes evident that it is better to use electricity for heating rather than diesel. However, there is a better way to use electricity – using heat pumps. Solar heating is obviously cheaper and a great option for reducing the energy cost burden. However, as with solar PV, solar thermal is also infirm, necessitating its use only as a back-up. But with heat-pumps, it is entirely possible to eliminate your fired systems and run on electricity.In a previous post, I had shared how we could achieve a 50% reduction in energy cost for a truck manufacturer using heat pumps, which is reproduced here.     Industrial process heating with temperature requirements up to 90 C can now be addressed using advanced refrigerants and high-temperature heat pump compressors being introduced in the market. Here is a demo unit available at IIT Madras in the Energy and Emissions Lab, developed in collaboration with Aspiration Energy.     

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7 Reasons To Consider Roof Top Solar Thermal Than Solar PV | Part ( 3/8 )

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  Is Cost Everything? This post is part of a series of posts highlighting the feasibility of Solar Thermal when compared to Solar PV modules.Find the previous post here.   The second criteria, when evaluating both  Solar Thermal and Solar PhotoVoltaic system, is the power generated for an effective area.Essentially, output energy generation capacity and form vary in both these systems. A solar thermal system consisting of 50 tubes with dimensions of approximately 2.7 x 3.7 m – with an area of 10 m2 – can produce power in the range of 7 kW.                                                                                  A solar PV module set with 7 Solar PV systems – fitting the same area of utilization of the Solar Thermal Module, on the other hand, can only produce 1.96 kW of Power, with one module producing a power of 280 W.     The reasons for this is are as follows: The efficiency of a solar thermal module is 60 – 65 percent with one tube collecting around 90 – 95 percent of the incident radiation while a Solar PV module has a maximum efficiency of 17 percent. Summing up, a 10-meter sq. area of a Solar thermal module can produce a power of 10630 kWhr whereas a Solar PV module can produce 3000 kW-hr – solar thermal module producing almost 3.5 times the power at half the costs This is without a doubt the aptest solution for applications below 100 °C with the potential to save millions in terms of money and carbon emissions   In the next post, we shall look into the other additions costs and devices that are required in both the modules.  

Aspiration Energy, Blog

Is GST making solar heating more attractive for 2017, 2018?

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Preliminary investigations suggest a categorical yes! for solar heating Let us understand this better: With the new GST rules, the GST paid is not part of the capital cost of the solar heating system installed.  In the earlier regime, we could not claim the credit of the GST or the Sales Tax paid because there was a segregation between capital purchase sales tax and operational revenue sales tax. Now it is not so. There is no segregation between the Sales Tax or GST of capital purchase or the Sales Tax or GST of operational revenue. So, the GST paid on the capital purchase can be fully taken credit of from the GST payable on the company\’s revenues.  In the case of solar, Sales Tax rates were in the 5% range, so there is a straightaway 5% reduction in the system\’s capital cost.  This makes payback periods more attractive If you are using petroleum products including Furnace Oil, the GST paid on them is not allowed to take credit from your GST on revenues.  That means the entire sales tax paid is a cost – that you cannot claim the credit of against your tax payable on revenues. 40% Accelerated Depreciation is continuing – and availing this can reduce the capital cost   Overall, there is never a better time for switching to solar heating or efficient heat pumps.  If you have heating processes that require below 100 degrees C and are using electricity, furnace oil, diesel, or LPG, time is NOW for you to switch.

Aspiration Energy, Blog, Uncategorized

7 Reasons to consider Roof Top Solar Thermal than Solar PV | Part ( 2/8 )

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  The Solar footprint in India is steadily increasing with currently 13.11 GW of power being produced The Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission is an initiative by the Government of India to increase the Solar Power Utilisation in India. It aims to increase the Solar base capacity in India to 100 GW by 2020. The yearly target-based goals given by the government are as follows :   Year-wise Targets (in MW)  Category 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19  2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 Total Rooftop Solar 200 4,800 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 40,000 Ground Mounted Solar projects 1,800 7,200 10,000 10,000 10,000 9,500 8,500 57,000 Total 2,000 12,000 15,000 16,000 17,000 17,500 17,500 97,000   This suggests a tremendous potential for renewable energy to replace existing conventional technologies. This post is a part of a series of Posts that emphasise the feasibility of Solar thermal over Solar PV (Photovoltaic Installations) Find the link to the intro of this series here. Let us look into Reasons why Solar Thermal Installations are more feasible. The first reason is that Solar Thermal plants are Cost effective.      Solar PV   Solar Thermal   Cost  per MW   Rs 4.5 – 6 Crore Rs 2.5 – 3.5 Crore         Cost per unit                    Rs 5 – 6.5 per  kWh                Rs 3 – 4 per kWh    Tenure   12 – 25 years PPA  7 -10 years PPA   Solar PV prices have been plummeting for 6 -7 years – from 21 crores five years ago to around 5 crores as of now. Solar thermal still remains at a base rate of 2.5 to 3.5 crores for every MW installed.This translates to 4.5 to 6 rupees per KWh for Solar PV in Pay-per-unit agreements given by AAA rated companies. Solar thermal is considerably cheaper – by 30 to 40 percent – rates ranging from Rs 3 – 4 per kWh. This is because Solar Thermal System capital costs are significantly lower than Solar PV systems. As a result of the lower capital costs, the tenure periods for Solar PV and Solar Thermal are 12-25 years and 7-10 years respectively. This results in a win- win situation for Solar in both Capital Costs and Savings   In the next post, we shall look into the space requirements when compared to the same power generated.

Aspiration Energy, Blog, Heat Pumps

Does \”heat pump\” double electrical energy?

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Does \”heat pump\” double electrical energy? Dugna? Ottikku retti? Ponzi scheme? Claims of one unit (KWHr) of electricity producing 2 units of cooling and 3 units of heat – getting the useful energy of 4-5 times – how does this work? Is it defying laws of physics? The law of conservation of energy: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another\” – can we defy that? Let\’s see. One of the most common apparatus in the world is an air-conditioner. Let\’s consider what happens in that. Inside the air-conditioned room is colder than outside. That means, the heat from inside of the room needs to be pushed out – is it not? But, heat flows from hotter place to colder place! How does this reverse flow happen? This is like a water pump – a pump pushes water from a lower level to a higher level – reverse of what usually can happen – usual flow is from a higher level to lower level. That is accomplished by \”work\” done by the pump. This is precisely the reason why a heat pump is called a heat \”pump\” – it pumps heat from a colder place to a hotter place. We provide electrical energy to the equipment in the air-conditioner – but, what happens is the heat energy from inside the room is pushed (pumped} to the outside. Now, if you go near the outside unit of an air-conditioner, you would have realized that it is hotter than the atmosphere. It needs to be so for pushing the heat outside. In a heat pump system – the heat given out to the atmosphere in air-conditioning system is used to heat water. That is about it. So, one unit of electricity is used to \”pump\” 2 units of heat from a colder place to a hotter place! What is gotten is not what is given – but like water – what is obtained is what is pumped. One unit if electricity is not \”converted\” to 2 units of heat – but it \”pumps\” 2 units of heat from a colder place to a hotter place through work delivered by a heat \”pump\” which is operated by electricity. Pay for heating and get cooling free! What is all this \”Buy One – Get One Free\” kind of talks in industrial and commercial heating / cooling side? Is this a marketing gimmick? Is it true? Again, going back to the earlier post on \”pumping\” of heat from a colder place to a hotter place, let\’s define what happens. In a hot place – say Chennai – average outside day temperature of – say 35 deg C. what we need inside the room is – say 25-degree C. Heat needs to be \”pumped\” from 25 deg C to 35 deg C. For this to happen the Air-conditioner needs to deliver \”cold\” at a much lower temperature than 25 degrees C – for air in the room to get cool. Routinely – air-conditioners work in the 6 to 8 degrees range. Let\’s look at outside – if the heat needs to be pushed outside – the air conditioner needs to have a temperature over 35 degrees – air-conditioners typically deliver 45-50 degrees. A \”lift\” in a typical home air-conditioner is 6 degrees (cooling side) to 50 degrees (heating side). In an air-conditioner scenario also, it is possible to \”harness\” the heat given away by the external unit. But, at 50 degrees C, it is difficult to use that heat. Now, come to heat pumps: The heat pumps operate at a \”lift\” of 20 degrees (cooling side) to 60 degrees (heating side). Some of the modern heat pumps can deliver 20 degrees {cooling side) to 90 degrees (heating side). It is the hot side that is used for heating water – to say 55 degrees to 60 degrees (or up to 85 degrees In modern heat pumps). How about the cold side? 20 degrees can be put to use? At least in a factory environment? Or, in a hotel room? Or in any process that requires cold temperatures of 20 degrees C? Of course – yes. Voila – we have answered how this seemingly physics-law-defying Ponzi scheme is not a Ponzi scheme. It is not the conversion of electricity into heat like in conventional electric heaters, but \”pumping\” of heat. Here is the limitation and its possible solutions: One side must be primary: In heat pump system – the primary objective is to heat the water to 60 deg c (or 85 deg c in case of modern ones) – so, if the cooling side does not operate, the heating side also will stop. Hence, if our primary objective is heating, we need to ensure that the heat can be \”pumped\” even if the cooling side does not operate. This is a common failure by many designers who have hybridized the system without backing up for situations when heating and cooling are not operating simultaneously. What have we done? What we have done in such cases is to take the colder side and back it to a sump or a heat sink that can take the heat and get cool. In one case, we have used this to cool the tank that provides input water to a cooling tower – this way the cooling tower also gets more efficient, saving energy. In a hotel room kind of a scenario – while this \”free\” cooling can reduce the load on the air conditioner,  we need to have back up air-conditioners. Applications of cooling: Factory shop – to provide a better environment for workers – in this case, it can be optional, and hence they get the benefit only when the heat pump is running. We can create an \”oasis room\” that has a few seats and a water fountain which area is maintained cold by the heat pump\’s cooling side.

Aspiration Energy, Blog, Heat Pumps

Does \”heat pump\” double electrical energy?

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Does \”heat pump\” double electrical energy? Dugna? Ottikku retti? Ponzi scheme? Claims of one unit (KWHr) of electricity producing 2 units of cooling and 3 units of heat – getting the useful energy of 4-5 times – how does this work? Is it defying laws of physics? The law of conservation of energy: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another\” – can we defy that? Let\’s see. One of the most common apparatus in the world is an air-conditioner. Let\’s consider what happens in that. Inside the air-conditioned room is colder than outside. That means, the heat from inside of the room needs to be pushed out – is it not? But, heat flows from hotter place to colder place! How does this reverse flow happen? This is like a water pump – a pump pushes water from a lower level to a higher level – reverse of what usually can happen – usual flow is from a higher level to lower level. That is accomplished by \”work\” done by the pump. This is precisely the reason why a heat pump is called a heat \”pump\” – it pumps heat from a colder place to a hotter place. We provide electrical energy to the equipment in the air-conditioner – but, what happens is the heat energy from inside the room is pushed (pumped} to the outside. Now, if you go near the outside unit of an air-conditioner, you would have realized that it is hotter than the atmosphere. It needs to be so for pushing the heat outside. In a heat pump system – the heat given out to the atmosphere in air-conditioning system is used to heat water. That is about it. So, one unit of electricity is used to \”pump\” 2 units of heat from a colder place to a hotter place! What is gotten is not what is given – but like water – what is obtained is what is pumped. One unit if electricity is not \”converted\” to 2 units of heat – but it \”pumps\” 2 units of heat from a colder place to a hotter place through work delivered by a heat \”pump\” which is operated by electricity. Pay for heating and get cooling free! What is all this \”Buy One – Get One Free\” kind of talks in industrial and commercial heating / cooling side? Is this a marketing gimmick? Is it true? Again, going back to the earlier post on \”pumping\” of heat from a colder place to a hotter place, let\’s define what happens. In a hot place – say Chennai – average outside day temperature of – say 35 deg C. what we need inside the room is – say 25-degree C. Heat needs to be \”pumped\” from 25 deg C to 35 deg C. For this to happen the Air-conditioner needs to deliver \”cold\” at a much lower temperature than 25 degrees C – for air in the room to get cool. Routinely – air-conditioners work in the 6 to 8 degrees range. Let\’s look at outside – if the heat needs to be pushed outside – the air conditioner needs to have a temperature over 35 degrees – air-conditioners typically deliver 45-50 degrees. A \”lift\” in a typical home air-conditioner is 6 degrees (cooling side) to 50 degrees (heating side). In an air-conditioner scenario also, it is possible to \”harness\” the heat given away by the external unit. But, at 50 degrees C, it is difficult to use that heat. Now, come to heat pumps: The heat pumps operate at a \”lift\” of 20 degrees (cooling side) to 60 degrees (heating side). Some of the modern heat pumps can deliver 20 degrees {cooling side) to 90 degrees (heating side). It is the hot side that is used for heating water – to say 55 degrees to 60 degrees (or up to 85 degrees In modern heat pumps). How about the cold side? 20 degrees can be put to use? At least in a factory environment? Or, in a hotel room? Or in any process that requires cold temperatures of 20 degrees C? Of course – yes. Voila – we have answered how this seemingly physics-law-defying Ponzi scheme is not a Ponzi scheme. It is not the conversion of electricity into heat like in conventional electric heaters, but \”pumping\” of heat. Here is the limitation and its possible solutions: One side must be primary: In heat pump system – the primary objective is to heat the water to 60 deg c (or 85 deg c in case of modern ones) – so, if the cooling side does not operate, the heating side also will stop. Hence, if our primary objective is heating, we need to ensure that the heat can be \”pumped\” even if the cooling side does not operate. This is a common failure by many designers who have hybridized the system without backing up for situations when heating and cooling are not operating simultaneously. What have we done? What we have done in such cases is to take the colder side and back it to a sump or a heat sink that can take the heat and get cool. In one case, we have used this to cool the tank that provides input water to a cooling tower – this way the cooling tower also gets more efficient, saving energy. In a hotel room kind of a scenario – while this \”free\” cooling can reduce the load on the air conditioner,  we need to have back up air-conditioners. Applications of cooling: Factory shop – to provide a better environment for workers – in this case, it can be optional, and hence they get the benefit only when the heat pump is running. We can create an \”oasis room\” that has a few seats and a water fountain which area is maintained cold by the heat pump\’s cooling side.

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