Heat pump performance awarded
Daikin Europe N.V. (29/01/2007)
Finnish consumer group awards 5-star rating to Daikin heat pump performance.
Nordic winters: a rugged test climate
Finland’s cold winters are the ideal climate to test the claims of manufacturers concerning the performance and efficiency of heat pumps for home heating performance. In its December 2006 issue, the Finnish consumer magazine Rakennusmaailma tested heat pump models from 10 manufacturers. Daikin’s FTXG35C emerged the winner with low power consumption and best overall efficiency.
The promise: why heat pumps are more performant
Heat pumps extract the heat stored in the ground, air or water in order to warm homes and provide sanitary hot water. Heat pumps essentially replace the fossil-fuel based burner that is a component of most traditional heating systems.
Heat pumps are not new to the market and in fact, the technology used in air-to-air heat pumps has a lot in common with air conditioners. Thus, it should come as no surprise that major players in the heat pump market include air conditioning manufacturers. Heat pump technology has steadily improved over the years, with features such as inverter control optimising energy use while maintaining rock solid indoor temperatures. Of the various types of heat pumps, especially air-based units are emerging as a popular choice in the Nordic area due to their simple ‘plug and play’ installation, competitive pricing and considerable energy savings compared to traditional systems.
Measuring efficiency
Critical to calculating the total cost of operation is an accurate reflection of the efficiency of the units (COP or coefficient of performance): this is the ratio of the output heat to the power input. The greater this value, the greater the efficiency of the unit and the quicker the initial costs can be recuperated.
While manufacturers provide COP values for their units under standard Eurovent conditions (7° CDB) that allow a relative comparison between manufacturers and models, the Finnish consumer group wished to calculate these figures for themselves in the real winter conditions of Finland. Tests were made in outdoor temperatures ranging from +7º C to -20º C.
Daikin delivers
One of the general conclusions of the test was that the electrical consumption of the pumps was the most relevant factor in calculating the overall efficiency of the system. Our heat pump’s performance in this regard was very good, leading in turn to the best overall efficiency of all the manufacturers’ models tested.
Not only did the Daikin unit distinguish itself with low power consumption and greater overall efficiency in normal weather conditions, it was capable of effective use in temperatures as low as -20° C, something that not all manufacturers could claim. Also appreciated by the panel of judges were the unit’s handy remote control and its moderate noise level. Daikin scored 8.8 or 5 stars, with the nearest competitor receiving a grade of 8.2 or 3 stars. Moreover, Daikin received no negative marks in the test.
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