The installation of four air-to-water heat pumps at an apartment block in Johannesburg by industrial com-mercial equipment specialist Advanced Industrial Technology (Ai-Tec) has reduced the building’s electricity use by about 70%, compared with conventional element-powered geysers.

“The installation of the four 45.6 kW ThermoWise heat pumps in August 2012 also reduces maintenance requirements of the apartment block’s water heating system,” says Ai-Tec business development director Arnold Retief.

He explains that the heat pumps replace the elements of existing geysers, which are then used as insulated water-storage vessels, and draw heating energy from the atmosphere.

Using a refrigeration cycle, it displaces the heat in the air and transfers it to the water circulating through the pump. The water is heated to 55 ˚C in a storage tank, and the heat pump can be installed on any geyser, with capacities from 100 ℓ.

Retief also notes that the apartment block project includes the installation of new Schedule 40 hot water pipelines, with galvan-ised lagging and cladding and circulating pumps, and a protective cage, which was added as a safety feature to guard against damage from vandalism which may occur otherwise.

Ai-Tec says ThermoWise heat pumps are environment friendly and meet the requirements of State-owned power utility Eskom’s specifications to enable users to qualify for various rebates. The company also states that the heat pumps are gentle on the environment and use about one-third of the electricity normally required by standard resistance heating.

Retief notes that it has conducted extensive case studies on these heat pumps, which were tested at temperatures as low as 10 °C. “Although the fluctuation in atmospheric temperature does affect the heating capacity of the system, the water in the storage tank is always heated sufficiently.”

Engineering News reported last month on the installation of Ai-Tec’s air-to-water heat pump at Burgersdorp Hospital, in the Eastern Cape, which too has reduced the hospital’s electricity consumption by about 70%.

Retief highlighted, at the time, that the hospital currently had a reliable supply of hot water and was benefiting from reduced electricity consumption.

Ai-Tec Eastern Cape operations director Danie le Roux said the ThermoWise heat pump’s installed at Burgerdorp Hospital had a good performance coefficient, as the electrical power consumed was 9.3 kW, producing an energy output of 38 kW.

“Direct electrical heating would consume 38 kW of electricity to produce the same energy output.”

The ThermoWise heat pump complies with South African Bureau of Standards certification and is designed in accordance with Ai-Tec’s quality and safety standards, as well as its health and safety plan and risk assessment guidelines.

A quality assurance plan also ensured that all aspects of the Burgersdorp Hospital project met ISO 9001 standards, said Retief last month.