The Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP) has launched an online estimator to help Australian businesses in sizing heat pumps to replace gas boilers in a bid to reduce skyrocketing energy costs and decarbonise operations to meet net zero targets.
Electrically driven heat pumps are highly efficient for providing heating (and cooling) in industrial, commercial and residential applications. They can utilise waste heat from other processes and can operate on locally generated renewable electricity, such as from onsite solar photovoltaic systems.
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While the implementation of industrial heat pumps is growing rapidly in Europe and other areas, Australia has been slower to take up the technology.
“There is a lack of understanding across industry which we at A2EP are trying to overcome with resources and tools like the Heat Pump Estimator,” A2EP CEO Jarrod Leak said.
“A lot of manufacturing and operations managers think heat pumps don’t compete on cost, but that’s based on the incorrect assumption that you need to replace a boiler with a heat pump of the same capacity, which is not the case.”
This simple-to-use online estimator will give business decision-makers the basic information they need to understand if a heat pump system is technically and economically viable for their business, and to start a conversation with an energy consultant or heat pump provider and get the ball rolling.
“So many Australian businesses are under extreme pressure from the rapid rise of energy prices, particularly gas prices. They need to understand there are alternative technologies available right now which can reduce their energy costs, decarbonise and improve their self-sufficiency, and now is the time to get started.
“The potential for decarbonising process heat in Australian industry is huge.
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“Around 52% of Australian industrial energy end-use is from the generation of heat for processes. A good proportion of that can be supplied with existing, commercial heat pump technologies to deliver cost and emission savings.”
The Heat Pump Estimator can be accessed here.
