Combining Heat Pumps and Solar Panels

With energy costs on the rise again and the effects of manmade climate change becoming clearer all the time, home and business owners across the UK are looking at ways to save money and reduce their carbon footprint.

There are ways to achieve both, such as combining renewable technologies like solar panels and heat pumps. In theory, this could allow you to generate your own electricity and then use it to heat your home or business.

At Rollings Renewables, we have been installing renewable energy systems for over 20 years. We’ve put together this quick guide to combining heat pumps and solar panels, covering how both systems work, how they interact and the benefits of solar panel and heat pump systems.

Stay tuned to learn more, or, for a quick, free quote for your installation, just give us a call now on 01905 621777. 

Why Combine Heat Pumps and Solar Panels?

The reasoning behind combining heat pumps and solar panels is simple: air source heat pumps run on electricity and solar panels generate electricity. So, installing both means you can create your own electricity via solar panels and then use it to power your air source heat pump: a self-sustaining, carbon-neutral solution.

The blend of solar panel and heat pump systems means you’re less reliant on the National Grid, saving you money on your energy bills and drastically reducing your climate impact. It also introduces more security to your home or business’ energy supply, allowing you to stay powered up even if there are outages in the grid. 

How Do Solar Panels Work?

Solar panels are made up of a series of photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic means a material that can convert sunlight into electrical current; in the case of solar panels, silicon is usually used.

When sunlight hits the panels, it energises electrons within the silicon, knocking them loose. This creates direct current (DC) electricity, and an inverter within the solar panel system converts this to alternating current (AC). AC is the type of electricity that comes out of the plugs in your home or workplace.

The AC generated can be used to power electrical systems around your home or business, and excess power can be sold back to the National Grid, or stored in large batteries, if you have them installed. 

How Do Air Source Heat Pumps Work? 

Air source heat pumps work by absorbing warmth from the air outside your home, and feature two units: one inside your property and one outside of it. They contain a liquid refrigerant, which is passed through the outside unit, where it absorbs heat from the outside air, turning it into a gas.

This gas is then compressed, increasing the temperature further, before the warmth is transferred into the inside part of the air source heat pump. Here, the heat is used to warm water for your central heating and taps. Once the refrigerant has released its heat, it’s recirculated back to the outside unit to absorb more.

Air source heat pumps are powered entirely by electricity and don’t require any fossil fuels. They are also about three times as efficient as even the newest gas combination boilers, producing roughly three units of heat for every one unit of electricity used. 

How Does The Combination Work? 

Because air source heat pumps run on electricity, they can be powered by the energy generated from solar panels. Combining heat pumps and solar panels allows you to, in theory, create a self-sufficient home or business heating solution. At the very least, you can greatly reduce your reliance on the National Grid, minimise your energy bills and shrink your carbon footprint.

This merger of solar panel and heat pump systems overcomes one of the main drawbacks of air source heat pumps, which is the current high price of electricity. This way, you can power your air source heat pump using your own electricity, rather than paying for it. 

Key Benefits of Combining Heat Pumps and Solar Panels

Lower Energy Bills 

One of the primary benefits of combining heat pumps and solar panels is a significant reduction in your energy bills. Recent estimates suggest that the blend of solar panel and heat pump systems could shrink the average annual energy bill by between £1,250 and £2,100.

In addition to this, the UK government currently offers grants of £7,500 towards the cost of air source heat pump installation under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Some eligible applicants may even be able to have the cost of their solar panels covered by their local authority too, as part of the Warm Homes: Local Grant plan. 

Sustainability and Reduced Carbon Emissions

At the very least, combining heat pumps and solar panels allows home and business owners to considerably minimise their environmental impact by reducing their reliance on the National Grid. With this blend of renewable technologies, you can potentially even power your property’s central heating and cooling using entirely renewable energy, without a fossil fuel in sight.

Heat pumps are also far more efficient than gas boilers, producing about three times the amount of heat per unit of electricity. 

Energy Independence 

While the National Grid is usually fairly reliable, depending on it does put you at the mercy of factors beyond your control. The system is prone to outages, particularly in the case of severe weather, which is becoming increasingly frequent.

Installing solar panel and heat pump systems makes your home or business far less reliant on the grid for its energy, meaning you can stay powered up no matter what. You can increase your energy independence even further by installing solar battery storage systems. These allow you to store unused electricity for later, providing energy at night or during power outages. 

Why Choose Rollings Renewables for Your Solar and Heat Pump Installation

Rollings Renewables is one of the leading choices for solar panel and heat pump installations in the Midlands. We’ve been helping home and business owners upgrade their properties, save money and reduce their carbon footprints for more than two decades.

If you’re looking at combining heat pumps and solar panels, we offer a range of cutting-edge solar panel and air source heat pump systems, as well as supporting technology such as battery storage.

We’re accredited, trusted and all our installations come with a six-year workmanship guarantee. We even offer credit plans through a trusted partner to help you spread the cost of your installation.

Get a free quote today by calling our friendly team on 01905 621777, emailing sales@rollingsrenewables.co.uk or by filling out our contact form.