Hybrid Air Source Heat Pumps

A regular hybrid heat pump system – with a regular boiler, hot water cylinder and electric heat pump – can optimise for space heating and/or hot water. The single control prioritises the fuel source, operating temperatures and demand priority to the heat emitters and hot water store. Heat pump cylinders are available for demand-side response (with boiler, heat pump, photovoltaic (PV) and battery options). Thermal stores also provide a buffer for heating and/or hot water.

Also a regular central heating infrastructure enables greater scope for integration, with radiant heating from radiators or underfloor heating, also air conditioning for the warner months.

Combination hybrid heat pumps use the gas combi boiler and heat pump to optimise only the space heating with the control. The boiler then provides all of the instantaneous hot water on demand. This approach avoids the additional expense and space needed to install a new hot water storage tank, especially for those combination boiler installations where there is limited Hybrid systems which combine an air source heat pump and fossil fuel boiler may be suitable for a wide range of homes, although you will need to consider whether your home is insulated enough for the heat pump to run efficiently. This is so that the system can run mostly on low carbon heat, keeping your home warm without much input from the boiler.

• Hybrids using a smaller heat pump can still meet 80% of a household’s annual energy demand, without making changes to the existing heating system
   
• Hybrids can be fitted to a large number of the 15 million homes that already have a combination boiler, causing far less disruption for the homeowner
   
• Hybrids are more flexible to install and produce less noise compared to an all-electric heat pump installation
   
• Adding a smaller heat pump and hybrid control to an existing boiler creates a hybrid heat pump at a relatively low cost
   
• Users can spread investment in property renovation over time to improve insulation and transition to a low-temperature system, reducing carbon emissions while also maintaining comfort
   
• Heat pump and hybrid controls can be fitted to different heat sources and boiler types such as regular or combination boilers

• Hybrid heat pumps offer better choice and adapt the home for both low-electricity and low-carbon gas technologies (including 100% hydrogen),
   
• The introduction of a hydrogen blend with natural gas will deliver further carbon savings when using the boiler as part of the hybrid system, be this regular or combination type
   
• For homes with a hot water cylinder, there is the potential to use off-peak electricity for heating and storing hot water to balance the energy supply
   
• Heat pumps can run on off-peak electricity with a temperature set back to maintain comfort in winter temperatures.
   
• The combination of a heat pump with an LPG or oil condensing boiler along with biofuel can significantly reduce carbon emissions