What are the Benefits of Advanced Heating Systems?

Energy-efficient heating systems offer a number of benefits, some of which are described below.

Energy savings are a key consideration when choosing an energy efficient heating system. Lower energy consumption means that we need to buy less energy and, as a result, our monthly energy bills will be lower.

Modern heating systems are more flexible and convenient. For example, they are easy to control, so you can easily set the desired temperature in different rooms. This increases comfort and helps to meet individual needs.

Heating systems based on alternative energy sources offer an environmentally friendly solution. Renewable energy sources, such as solar or geothermal, not only reduce emissions during operation, but are also more sustainable in the long term.

What are the benefits of modern heating systems?

The total monthly bill depends on the amount of energy used. As a rule, the less energy you use, the less you pay. Here are some of the benefits of modern heating systems:

  1. Efficiency: Modern heating systems use energy efficiently, resulting in lower running costs.
  2. Comfort: These systems are usually easy to adjust and remote control, so you can easily adapt them to your current heating needs.
  3. Environmentally friendly: Many modern heating systems offer environmentally friendly solutions, minimising emissions and contributing to sustainability.
  4. Long-term savings: Although installation costs may be higher, in the long run, modern heating systems can reduce heating bills and pay for themselves.

What are the most common heating systems?

  1. Fireplace and stove: These are traditional heating solutions, but are usually used as supplementary heating.
  2. Gas boiler, gas boiler, condensing boiler: These systems are often used, especially for floor, wall or ceiling heating.
  3. Gas convector heating: It is convenient as the temperature in each room can be controlled independently, but more units are needed for larger properties.
  4. Solid and mixed fuel boilers: These boilers can run on wood, coal or other fuels and are easy to maintain, but fuel storage needs to be taken care of.

What modern (alternative) heating options are available?

  1. Infrared heating: It converts electricity into infrared heat waves and is easy to install.
  2. Heat pump: It harnesses energy from the sun, water or soil and is an energy-efficient solution.
  3. Geothermal energy: It uses pipes drilled into the ground to extract the heat energy stored in the ground, an environmentally friendly system that pays for itself in the long term.
  4. Solar heating: Solar panels can cover your entire energy needs, but they come with higher installation costs.

What aspects should be considered when designing heating systems?

  • Objective: First, determine the purpose of the new heating system (main heating, auxiliary heating, etc.).
  • Financial framework: It is important to take into account the available budget, as modern technologies may involve higher investment costs.
  • Building features: The orientation, size, ceiling height and thermal insulation of the building also affect the efficiency of the heating system chosen.
  • Environmental factors: The environmental factors of the area can also affect the efficiency of the system (e.g. amount of sunshine, temperature, etc.).

Modern heating systems often have a longer lifetime and require less maintenance. This can save money in the long run through reduced maintenance costs.

Energy efficient heating systems can contribute to increasing the value of a property and make it more attractive to potential buyers or tenants.

Finally, energy efficient heating systems can further reduce costs through often available subsidies and incentives, making the investment even more attractive.

These considerations can be important when choosing a new heating system. It is worth considering carefully the most appropriate heating solution according to your individual needs and the options available.

Before choosing a heating system, it is worth considering these aspects carefully and, if possible, seeking professional help to find the ideal solution for you. SolarKit's experts can help you navigate the different options and find the best heating system for your needs.

 

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Cooling-Heating with Solar Air Conditioning (How It Works)

We will show how solar panels and air conditioning can be made more efficient and economical in heating and cooling. This approach can also help to protect the environment and reduce overheads.

The use of inverter air conditioning systems for heating or as a supplement to heating offers a number of advantages. One of the main advantages is that you do not have to rely solely on conventional heating systems, thus increasing your energy independence. Combining this technology with solar panels can even create a fully independent energy production system, which can contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle.

The use of air conditioning for economical building heating can be competitive even at current energy prices. A significant proportion of gas and electricity bills in the winter months is for heating buildings, so air conditioning has the potential to deliver significant cost savings in this area. Solar panels are becoming increasingly affordable and their payback period is shortening, with a payback period of up to 8 years. If solar panels are integrated into the heating system, the payback period can be further reduced.

Together, solar panels and air conditioners can produce all the energy needed for heating and electricity. This can mean significant savings on gas and electricity bills for households. In addition, air conditioners provide faster heating than conventional heating systems and can be programmed to adjust the temperature, strength and direction of the hot air.

It is important to stress that inverter air conditioners are more efficient and energy-saving than conventional ON/OFF air conditioners. Inverter technology allows air conditioners to operate even during cheaper periods, such as at night (tariff H), and can be used over a wider temperature range, while operating costs and noise levels are also lower.

The ideal solution is still air conditioning combined with solar systems, as this is the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient way to achieve heating and cooling.

Finally, the article encourages readers to consider not only the price, but also the reliability of the company and the warranty conditions. Installing such systems is a major investment, so it is important to consider carefully and do proper research before making a decision. However, environmentally friendly and cost-effective use of energy can provide significant long-term benefits for the building owner.

 

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Heating with air conditioning

You wouldn't think it, but today it's possible, and very economical! Today's modern technology air conditioners are great for both heating and cooling your home. But how does it work in practice?

When cooling, the air conditioner uses the air outside to convert the air into cool air with the help of a heat pump, which is then used by the indoor unit. When heating with air conditioning, the principle is the same, but the air outside is heated by the heat pump instead of cooled by the heat pump and the indoor unit will make the temperature in the home comfortable.

Is it worth it financially?

Many people believe that using air conditioning increases their monthly energy bill, especially if it is also used for heating. However, today's modern air conditioners have excellent energy efficiency, so there's no need to worry about this at all. If we use and maintain our air conditioners properly, we don't have to worry about extremely high electricity bills.

Key benefits:

Not only can heating with air conditioning be cost-effective, it also has many other benefits. One is that it can be installed anywhere, independent of the gas network, and does not require a permit or chimney. Heating with air conditioning is also possible locally, i.e. only those rooms where you spend more time inside the dwelling can be heated. Both indoor and outdoor units can be easily installed, so it is also easier to change the location of the units, even when renovating a house. In addition, one of the best advantages is that it can be used not only for heating, but also for cooling and dehumidification in the summer heat.

One small negative:

There are significantly more advantages than disadvantages to heating with air conditioning, but it is worth knowing these in advance. Heating with air-conditioning is not possible in any kind of cold. Some air conditioners can heat at full efficiency down to -25 degrees Celsius, but this varies from model to model. When heating with air conditioning, moisture in the outdoor tray condenses on outdoor units, which can easily freeze in very cold weather, which can also damage the air conditioner. It is very important to pay attention to this and ask your air conditioning contractor to winterise the unit, otherwise it will be very expensive to replace the air conditioning.

 

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How much does an air conditioner actually use?

We have often read completely different information on different portals about the consumption of air conditioners. Many times it is said that their use leads to high bills, but in many cases the opposite is stated. Therefore, we will now show you the best way to calculate the amount of energy consumed when using an air conditioner.

Two indicators show the energy efficiency of our climate.

The SEER value expresses the cooling operating efficiency of the equipment taking into account seasonality.

In practical terms, how many kW of cooling capacity is produced from 1 kW of electricity invested (hence the unit W/W).

The SCOP value expresses the same only for heating mode.

Let's look at two concrete examples, with known and common types, showing the power consumption of air conditioners.

Midea Blanc 2,5 kW inverter air conditioner

- cooling capacity 2,6 kW

- SEER 6.2 W/W

- if it were running at continuous maximum, the electricity consumption would be calculated according to the following formula: cooling capacity/SEER - so 2.6/6.2=0.42. Multiplying this value by the peak time price of the A2 residential tariff, we get that our air conditioner running at continuous maximum capacity costs 18 HUF (17.81 HUF) per hour.

- heating power (at +2 degrees C) 2,6 kW

- SCOP (at +2 degrees C) 5.1 W/W

- using the above calculation method, heating costs 22 HUF (21,65 Ft) per hour.

Daikin Sensira 2,5 kW inverter air conditioner

- cooling capacity 2,5 kW

- SEER 6,22 W/W

- using the above calculation method, cooling costs 17 Ft (17.07 cents) per hour

- heating power 2,8 kW

- SCOP 4.01 W/W (which shows that this particular type is not optimised for heating)

- using the above calculation method, heating costs 30 HUF (29,65 Ft) per hour.

These assume theoretical maximum consumption, in reality they never operate continuously in this mode! When the air conditioner is switched on, it will give its maximum output in a warm home, then gradually reduce to a low operating level when the desired temperature is reached.

Using the two examples above, we can calculate that assuming 10 hours of intensive use per day, the expected cost will be around 180Ft. That's what it will cost to buy a night's sleep and that's what it will cost to reduce stress, protect our health from overheating and eliminate problems caused by sleeplessness.

Different values may be obtained for attics, rooms with many windows and rooms with constant humidity, but it should be a good benchmark. Also, these are modern inverter air conditioners, not comparable to the old on/off air conditioners, which were really wasteful of energy.

Thus, for a whole month, with 10 hours of air conditioning use every day, monthly brt. 5.000- 6.000Ft will be the increase of the electricity bill, and for a whole summer season - calculating with a serious heat - we will pay about 15.000- 20.000Ft for our total summer survival.

The source of the electricity price:

https://elmuemasz.hu/egyetemes-szolgaltatas/szolgaltatasok/villamos-energia/villamos-energia-tarifak

For A2 pricing, where peak hours are from 07-23 on weekdays (daylight saving time), all other periods are the "valley period"

https://elmuemasz.hu/egyetemes-szolgaltatas/szolgaltatasok/villamos-energia/villamos-energia-tarifak/a2

If you look at the standard A1 tariff, you'll see that it's 37.54 HUF per kWh in all periods.

Here, by the way, until 1320kWh per year, the discount is 36.22 HUF per kWh, but this will probably run out even without using the air conditioner

https://elmuemasz.hu/egyetemes-szolgaltatas/szolgaltatasok/villamos-energia/villamos-energia-tarifak/a1

In our examples, we have calculated directly in the most pessimistic way, assuming that the user will run his air conditioner continuously at peak times under tariff A2.

 

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Climate sizing

One of the most common questions asked during an on-site survey is the capacity of the air conditioning system that will cool and heat the home. In this article, we want to give you some pointers on how to size it correctly.

One of the most important pieces of information is that cooling kilowatts are not the same as power consumption, so an air conditioner in the 2.5kW cooling class does not draw 2.5kW of power, but only 6-800 watts, which is less than a third of the power consumption of a vacuum cleaner.

The kilowatt of the air conditioner is a cold air delivery value that indicates the cooling capacity of the air conditioner, not its electricity consumption.

Today's modern machines constantly monitor the room temperature and cool the home very economically over a very wide range. So a commonly installed (2.5kW size class) air conditioner can cool from 0.6kW up to 3kW steplessly, which is practically enough for a small room of 10 square metres to a small living room. The 3.5kW class operates in a larger range, with up to 4 kilowatts of cooling capacity, and can be used to cool living rooms and larger spaces.

In general, the two most common sizes of 2.5-3.5kW air conditioners are exactly the same unit, only the dispensing valve and electronics are different, which is why the 3.6kW may have a larger final capacity.

It is worth knowing that two differently sized air conditioners will draw exactly the same amount of power under the same conditions, because the regulation will cause the larger air conditioner to draw the same amount of power, so it will not draw more power.

After the two commonly used sizes come the 5-6kW air conditioners, which can be used to cool larger and more confined spaces. Here, the outdoor and indoor units are much larger and the heat dissipation surfaces are much larger. In larger spaces, a small air conditioner will only struggle to "catch up", in which case a larger unit with a more serious cooling capacity is needed.

The operation and efficiency of air conditioning is just like radiator heating: the room with a cooling unit will be cold, but the room next to it will not. Not only does the heat not travel through the door, but the cold air doesn't mix! So if you have a larger home with more rooms, you may need more air conditioners to air condition the whole home.

These factors should be taken into account when sizing:

  • the occupancy of the building
  • size and orientation of window surfaces
  • location and occupancy of boundary walls
  • expected heat load from the ceiling (flat roof, attic)
  • the number of people living or working there
  • how open the spaces are
  • heat emissions from electrical appliances, computers, kitchen equipment
  • the floor area you want to cool
  • what temperature difference we want to achieve
  • expected shading in summer, blinds, shading, trees, shrubs
  • type of neighbourhood (suburban or inner-city environment, dwelling facing stone walls, asphalted street)
  • insulation

These aspects can actually be clarified in a few minutes during the assessment and the professional can give precise guidance on the correct sizing of the air conditioner and, just as importantly, its placement within the home.

 

Air conditioning on the roof? We can help you!

When installing an air conditioning system, great care must be taken to locate both the indoor and outdoor units. The simplest way to air condition a dwelling is to place the indoor and outdoor units as close together as possible, i.e. the outdoor unit on the outside wall of the dwelling, on the facade of the building. This results in the least and simplest installation work and the lowest cost for the customer.

The outdoor unit can usually be located next to the dwelling so that the distance between the units is no more than a few metres and the pipes only have to pass through one or two walls. Sometimes, however, this is not possible for some reason or is not allowed. In this case, an alternative location for the outdoor unit of the air conditioner must be found, and one of the most common options is the roof of the building.

When should the outdoor unit of the air conditioner be installed on the roof of the building?

In the case of condominiums, the law on condominiums or the rules of the condominium's organisation and operation restrict the installation of an outdoor air conditioning unit on the building.

The MMS may impose a total ban, but at least the consent of the vast majority of the residents concerned is required.

In many cases, occupants do not want their building to be cluttered with too many air conditioners, or they just don't want the outdoor unit of their neighbour's air conditioner next to their windows, so they allow the outdoor unit to be installed on the facade. It may be a solution for those who can install the outdoor unit on the balcony, but in many cases the occupants do not want this because it takes up a lot of space and also makes noise.

It is important to pay attention to these when installing the outdoor unit on the roof of the building.

In the heat of the summer, the roof can become extremely hot in the hot sun, so it is recommended that the outdoor unit is placed on the shadier side of the roof, in a place sheltered from the sun. It is also advisable to protect it from strong winds and to position it so that precipitation can drain away from its vicinity. Although most modern devices can operate reliably in extreme weather conditions, if you have the option, you should move your device to a more sheltered - but not enclosed!

An outdoor unit placed on the roof of a building must be fixed to a bracket in the same way as in other cases, but using a bracket specifically designed to be fixed to roofs. On a tent-roofed house, the location for the anchorage must be chosen very carefully. A stable, solid and level location should be sought for the outdoor unit. It should preferably be placed away from windows and bedrooms, as its operation generates noise and vibration.