Energy solutions company ThermoWise supplies a range of environment-friendly air-to-water heat pumps that meet the requirements of State-owned power utility Eskom’s rebate programme specifications to allow users that make use of the pumps to qualify for various rebates, thereby aiding Eskom in reducing the costs and energy consumption necessary to heat water.

ThermoWise is an Eskom-registered rebate supplier and is listed on the utility’s website.

The requirements to meet the rebate programme specifications state that a hot water storage system must be between 100 ℓ and 500 ℓ and that an accredited or manufacturer-trained and approved installer must be considered for the supply, delivery, setting-out, installation, testing and commissioning of the heat pump system, besides other requirements.

ThermoWise marketing direc- tor Bronwynn Fine says, although heat pump technology has been in existence for over 50 years, ThermoWise has implemented new features that set these pumps apart from conventional heat pumps.

“With a commitment to reduc- ing our carbon footprint, ThermoWise offers an energy efficient water-heating system that is gentle on the environment and uses about one-third of the electricity normally required with standard resistance heating,” she says.

As part of the company’s service, ThermoWise provides a ‘before and after’ profile conducted by independent professionals to guarantee the viability and efficiency of each installation.

Operating costs can also be reduced for users of gas, coal and paraffin. A recent ThermoWise heat pump installation project at a corporate hospital group, which had used gas to heat water, resulted in the reduction of its monthly water heating costs from R52 000 to R5 000.

“We encourage the local market to find out what can be done to take care of the environment and increase energy savings and profits simultaneously.”

ThermoWise, in conjunction with Eskom, will also save an old-age home in Durban over R1.6-million in electricity costs over the next five years.

Eskom was commissioned by the old-age home in April 2010 to log and monitor the monthly electricity consumption for the establishment’s hot water system. After an investigation and analysis of the hot water system, Eskom and ThermoWise recommended the installation of three air-to-water heat pumps to increase electricity savings at the old-age home.

These environment-friendly heat pumps have significantly increased the initial energy savings from the existing solar system installed on the roof of the building.

The maximum load measured at the establishment was 55.7 kW, with an average load of 43.11 kW. With the installation of three 19 kW output units using only 5 kW input power each, the maximum electricity use was reduced to 13.8 kW.

All ThermoWise heat pumps offer a guaranteed saving of 50% on electricity used to heat water; however, in the old-age home installation, and in many others, savings of up to 64% have been achieved.

For improved efficiency and an extended service life, the casing of these heat pumps – with treated sheet metal and a dry powder coating – also underwent additional anticorrosion treatment and have a three-year warranty. The aluminium blue finned coils, also with anticorrosive treatment, have a five-year warranty.

A five-year coil corrosion treatment, scroll compressors and a robust shell and tube heat exchanger contribute to the efficiency of this system and ensure longer operating hours before maintenance is required.

All components of the system are manufactured to international and local quality specifications.

Further, t

he flexibility of ThermoWise heat pumps enables the integration of the heat pump system onto all existing geysers, storage vessels, boilers and any storage facility that requires heating.

ThermoWise says an important advantage is that it is able to design and manufacture systems for every specific application to meet exact requirements.

Factors to consider when calculating the correct size heat pump include the current storage capacity of the system, including ring main volume, the existing kilowatts of the electrical element being used and water temperature.

It is also important to assess if users are experiencing problems with their current hot water supply and if the current capacity is over- or undersized. All-year ambient temperature conditions form part of an imperative calculation that must be completed in the final sizing of a heat pump to ensure an uninterrupted hot water supply all year round, states ThermoWise.

A three-function timer is designed to manage energy consumption during peak, off peak and standard periods, as well as to manage the kilovolt-ampere load and increase energy savings. Specialised heat exchangers for low and high pH levels, as well as acidic chemicals, are available for harsh industrial environments.

ThermoWise also offers the market an extended warranty, where boilers can be included in the programme. Other services include a five-year lease-to-own scheme; clients can use their monthly savings to pay off equipment and still realise monthly profits, with no capital outlay and a maintenance support programme.