Exploring the Innovations in Iconic Air Source Heat Pumps

01 Sep.,2025

 

Exploring the Innovations in Iconic Air Source Heat Pumps

Iconic Air source heat pumps have transformed the heating landscape with their advanced technology and efficiency. As buildings become more energy-conscious, these pumps provide a reliable solution for installers. They harness energy from the outside air and convert it into heating power, offering a sustainable option for various settings.

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These pumps represent the future of heating, combining improved efficiency with reduced environmental impact. For installers, understanding the latest advancements in Iconic Air technology is crucial. By keeping up with these innovations, professionals can deliver top-notch installations that meet the high demands of modern projects.

Evolution of Iconic Air Source Heat Pumps

Iconic Air source heat pumps have progressed remarkably since their inception, marking significant technological advancements. One key milestone has been the enhancement of compressor technology, making these pumps more efficient and quieter. These improvements boost the performance of heat pumps, ensuring they provide reliable heating in various conditions.

Another significant development is the introduction of smart diagnostics, which allow for easy troubleshooting and maintenance. This innovation simplifies the installer’s role and enhances system reliability. The use of environmentally friendly refrigerants has also become standard, reducing the pumps’ environmental footprint while maintaining effective heating performance.

The impact of these advancements on energy efficiency is profound. Modern Iconic Air source heat pumps feature advanced thermal controls that optimise energy use, adapting output to match demand. This ensures maximum energy savings without sacrificing comfort. These features make installations easier and more cost-effective, emphasising efficiency from start to finish.

For installers, keeping up with these advancements means embracing systems that are not only easier to install but also more efficient in operation. Understanding these key milestones is essential for implementing state-of-the-art heating solutions that meet contemporary energy standards.

Innovative Features of Iconic Air Heat Pumps

Iconic Air heat pumps are packed with innovative features that set them apart from traditional heating solutions. Enhanced components and high-quality materials contribute to their robust performance. For instance, modern heat exchangers are designed to maximise heat transfer, improving efficiency and reducing wear and tear over time.

Incorporating cutting-edge inverter technology has been a game-changer. This feature allows the pump to adjust its output according to specific heating needs, promoting consistent comfort while significantly reducing power consumption. Unlike conventional systems with fixed speeds, inverter-driven compressors operate at variable speeds, minimising energy wastage.

Key innovative features include:

  • Advanced Heat Exchangers: Boost efficiency and durability.
  • Inverter Technology: Provides variable output for energy saving.
  • Smart Controls: Facilitate monitoring and adjustment for optimal performance.

These features not only enhance the heating solutions but also make them more flexible to install in various settings. For installers, understanding these innovations is crucial to leveraging the full potential of Iconic Air heat pumps, ensuring reliable installations that stand the test of time.

Installation Techniques and Best Practices

Successful installation of Iconic Air source heat pumps involves adapting to diverse building types. Residential, commercial, or industrial settings each come with unique challenges that require specific strategies. Installers must be flexible, assessing each site for potential obstacles like restricted access or unusual layouts.

When adapting to different buildings, consider the orientation and available space. Ensure the heat pumps have adequate airflow and are installed in positions that maximise exposure to ambient air. Strategically place these units to enhance performance and facilitate maintenance. Proper siting is crucial to avoiding inefficiencies and extending the system’s lifespan.

To maximise efficiency, remember these key considerations:

  • Site Assessment: Evaluate space, access, and airflow needs.
  • Placement: Position units optimally for air exposure.
  • Maintenance Access: Ensure easy access for future servicing.

These best practices help installers achieve optimum performance, ensuring the durability and reliability of Iconic Air source heat pumps in any environment.

Integration with Related Heating Systems

Integrating Iconic Air source heat pumps with other heating systems offers a comprehensive solution that increases overall efficiency. These pumps complement direct-acting electric boilers by providing steady heating while the boiler handles peak demand. This pairing maximises energy use and ensures consistent temperature control.

Compatibility with other systems like electric radiators and unvented stainless steel cylinders further enhances the heating environment. Electric radiators work well with heat pumps to distribute warmth evenly across spaces. Meanwhile, modern unvented cylinders store excess heat effectively, bridging gaps during low-demand periods.

To ensure a harmonious system integration, consider:

  • System Compatibility: Ensure all components work together seamlessly.
  • Heat Distribution: Use electric radiators for consistent coverage.
  • Storage Solutions: Employ cylinders to maintain temperature levels.

Such integration strategies allow installers to deliver efficient heating solutions that are both modern and effective, meeting varied client needs with innovation.

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Conclusion

Iconic Air source heat pumps have redefined modern heating solutions, incorporating cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices. Their integration with complementary systems like electric boilers and radiators enhances the overall efficiency and reliability of heating installations. This evolution meets the high standards required in today’s construction environments.

Industrial heat pumps for process heat | EECA

On this page:

  • What are industrial heat pumps?
  • What industries are heat pumps suitable for?
  • Benefits of heat pumps
  • How businesses are using heat pumps
  • Is a heat pump the right option for your business?
  • Breaking down the costs
  • When are heat pumps not recommended?
  • Heat pumps over 100°C
  • Other considerations
  • Prep for success

What are industrial heat pumps?

Heat pumps are high-efficiency heat sources that upgrade ambient or waste heat to useful temperatures by using relatively small amounts of electricity. Industrial heat pumps are designed to meet industrial process heat loads and operating requirements and are emerging as key tools to decarbonise industrial process heat.

An industrial heat pump is generally larger and higher capacity than a residential or commercial heat pump and will generally be designed for higher operating load factors, output temperatures and reliability. Additional features such as instrumentation, control systems and hazardous environment compliance may be present.

How does a heat pump work?

Electric heat pumps use a vapour compression cycle with a refrigerant working fluid. The low-pressure refrigerant absorbs heat from a low temperature source (ambient air or a waste heat stream). It is then compressed which raises the temperature to the target level, and heat can be extracted via a heat exchanger. This process can supply heat more efficiently than heating the fluid through conventional means (e.g. a fossil fuelled boiler).

Heat pump characteristics

  • High temperature heat pumps — Heat pumps that can reach temperatures greater than 60°C are usually custom designed for particular applications such as heating (e.g. used for cooking, blanching and melting), cleaning in place, drying/evaporation and sterilisation/pasteurisation. Currently, available heat pumps are generally limited to temperatures below 100°C, which makes them suitable for producing hot water, but not steam. Although not widely available (including in New Zealand), output temperatures of up to 150°C can be achieved if waste heat of about 100 °C is available as input. For temperatures between 150 °C and 200 °C, heat pumps need special refrigerants and compressors, for which technologies are still in an early prototype stage. Research that is currently underway shows that temperatures of industrial heat pumps have the potential to reach temperatures greater than 200°C.1
  • Low temperature heat pumps — Low temperature heat pumps can use ambient air to reach 60-65ºC quite readily, and are typically generic, off the shelf products. To reach higher temperatures, alternative refrigerants, compressors and often multiple stages are used, which impacts on cost and performance.
  • Heat source efficiences — Industrial heat pumps often utilise waste heat or low-grade heat resources as heat sources e.g. heat released from processes such as refrigeration. This achieves higher performance efficiencies by using higher source temperatures than ambient heat pumps and may also allow better integration and a smaller size. Integrating heat pumps with industrial refrigeration systems to use waste condenser heat as a heat source can work particularly well as it may benefit both systems. Correct integration is important in getting the optimum performance from the heat pump.

1International Energy Agency: The Future of Heat Pumps(external link)

Prep for success

If you are thinking of switching to heat pumps for industrial process heat, it is important that you undertake your own research and take all relevant steps to best set yourself up for success.

It is normal for businesses to face barriers when adopting clean process heat technology. Several large businesses that have adopted these technologies have identified a range of lessons that other businesses can learn from. Work commissioned by EECA through the University of Waikato has found the following learnings from businesses that have installed industrial heat pumps, that may serve as a guide for future energy decarbonisation projects based on heat pump technology. The learnings from the reviews are organised into 5 key steps:

1. Understand the process mass and energy balance and constraints

The first step in any energy and emissions reduction study should be to map the current situation comprehensively. Formulating a high-quality mass and energy balance of specific processes or the site is essential to all subsequent steps. If the mass and energy balance step is not sufficiently carried out, it results in a much riskier project with limited basis to model and predict the value of installing an industrial heat pump. Where this has been the case, sites have needed to return to re-doing their mass and energy balance, stalling progress on the heat pump project, and incurring new costs.

2. Minimise process demand for heating and cooling

Often, the most effective way to minimise emissions is to minimise the demand for process heating and cooling. Low-hanging fruit such as insulation, minimising hot water to drain, tuning an existing utility plant, and heat recovery are standard, tried, and true measures that should be implemented before considering heat pumps. Mass and energy balance analysis, process analysis, and pinch analysis all play essential roles in gaining the required insights to minimise thermal demand.

3. Heat pump integration analysis and preliminary costing

This step looks at the placement and size of the heat pump regarding the sources of low-grade heat to produce the required high-grade heat. Pinch analysis can clearly show the appropriate integration design and arrangement of multiple heat pumps to maximise system COP, which produces a more favourable economic outlook. At this stage, a preliminary costing of the project (e.g. Class 5 - order of magnitude) should be undertaken to determine project viability.

4. Heat pump selection and cycle design

The next step is to ensure appropriate selection of heat pump and its cycle design. Industrial heat pumps are commonly ammonia or CO2 refrigerant based because they offer high COP values and require relatively low swept volumes (due to high volumetric heating capacities). In the future, hydrocarbon refrigerants (such as butane) may also become popular in heat pumps that operate above 100°C to expand the range of process heating potential. Modern HFO refrigerant-based heat pumps have also been developed, although these are currently targeted towards the commercial and residential markets. Sites that have limited experience with ammonia heat pumps may consider alternative refrigerants that are less toxic, such as modern HFO, CO2 or other natural refrigerants.

At the industrial scale, ammonia heat pumps are the most well-established type of heat pump.

5. Full business case development

The development of a full business case based on the system design is integral to the success of a heat pump project. A key challenge in determining the economics of a business case is the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) carbon price and the electricity price to use. Most EECA co-funding applicants used forecasted NZ ETS values from the Climate Change Commission. For electricity price assumptions, most applicants use their current electricity price or discuss future electricity prices with their provider based on the additional electrical capacity required for a heat pump.

EECA developed a business case checklist for co-funding applicants that may be helpful for your business if you are planning on investigating installing an industrial heat pump.

Business Case Checklist [PDF 2.7 MB]

The Large Process Heat Users and Energy Efficiency in New Zealand report, commissioned by EECA and prepared by Price Waterhouse Coopers New Zealand, also outlines barriers that businesses both in New Zealand and in the international context have faced, as well as ways these barriers have been overcome. 

Read the report

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