News: Analysis
Thermodynamics get the thumbs up
Malcolm Stratford, technical advisor at The Magic Thermodynamic Box
Company (MTB), tips thermodynamic panels to be the next big growth area in
renewables following the approval of new standards by the MCS
hermodynamics is the generic
term used by industry for the
technology that heats water
by use of a heat pump and
refrigeration circuit.
Having suspended registrations of the
products in November 2012, a sub-group
was set up by MCS and a public consultation
launched to review requirements of
installation.
It was agreed that the technology
should be included as part of the Heat Pump
Division of the MCS and the technology was
rechristened ‘Solar Assisted Heat Pumps’
and covered the production of hot water.
Meetings were held over the next two years
which included participation by all interested
parties including manufacturers and testing
houses and MTB. A set of standards were
produced including Product Specification and
Testing and Installer Requirements.
At the end of last year the Standards
were approved and published by the MCS
(MCS 007 and MIS 3005) and MTB has booked
time at a major UKAS testing laboratory
to obtain approval of our products to meet
the published MCS standards. Testing is
being carried out to the EN16147 European
Standard.
Solar Assisted Heat Pumps (SAHPs) have
the advantage of working night and day, even
in complete darkness, to provide hot water.
SAHPs are very economical to run and there
is minimal maintenance. It uses a passive
thermodynamic panel on an outside wall or
roof to act as an evaporator and this operates
silently. The panel absorbs environmental
energies from the ambient air, sun, wind
and rain, which excites the refrigerant gas
R134a that circulates within the panel and
converts it from a liquid to a gas. This gas is
compressed in the heat pump unit and the
resultant hot gas heats the water. This hot
water is stored in the cylinder, available for
instant use.
There are different configurations to heat
T
6 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
New dawn: Now classified as Solar Assisted Heat Pumps, standards for thermodynamic systems have
recently been approved and published by the MCS
the water, it can be a stand alone cylinder
with integral coil or as in our product the Little
Magic Box, it draws water from the cylinder
into the Box where it is heated and then
returns via the cold feed, making the product
an ideal retrofit to any existing cylinder,
vented or unvented.
Because of the developments of the
requirements for solar assisted heat pumps
this technology will become even more
recognised to businesses and residential
homeowners. Lewis Borg, who is a
director of one of the biggest providers of
thermodynamic products to residential
homeowners in the South East, said: “This
is great news for the product and will help
businesses like ours grow through the MCS
approval of the solar assisted heat pump. We
have come across many potential customers
that would only purchase the product once
it has the MCS certification, mainly because
they have never heard of the product. This will
now give consumers even more confidence in
our company and products.”
Solar Assisted Heat Pumps are set to
make a big impact in the marketplace and
the Magic Thermodynamic Box Company is
well placed to benefit with our Little Magic
Box and Big Magic Box, pending product
certification.
MTB has booked time
at a major UKAS testing
laboratory to obtain
approval of our products to
meet the published MCS
thermodynamic standards