It has provided two Amicus high temperature (HT) air source heat pumps connected to three hot water storage vessels as part of a major upgrade of the domestic hot water system serving the main building of Aston University in Birmingham.

Founded in 1895, Aston became the UK’s first college of advanced technology in 1956 and has been a leading institution for practical learning ever since. Last year it announced a new strategy to focus more heavily on engineering, business, and health education – and this has been matched by an ambition to make its buildings good examples of low carbon engineering.

The university has already secured ISO 14001 and ISO 5001 certifications and was awarded Eco-campus Platinum status for its environmental and energy management systems. As part of its ongoing improvement programme, it has put Lochinvar’s heat pumps at the heart of a new low carbon system with the university expecting to save more than 20,000kg of CO2 annually as a result.

The heat pumps are a low carbon solution that allows the main building to operate independently of Aston’s existing district heating system and they produce flow temperatures up to 63°C.

Amicus HT heat pumps use the principle of Communised Vapour Injection to improve both output and efficiency. They can achieve a Co-efficient of Performance (COP) up to 4.4 and are 25% more efficient than standard scroll compressor driven systems. They will also operate in outside temperatures as low as -20°C.

Amicus heat pumps can be used as stand-alone replacements for conventional heating products or as part of an integrated system providing pre-heated mains cold water to gas-fired condensing boilers, water heaters and buffer vessels in buildings with large heating or hot water demands.

The Aston University system was specified by Alex Hall of Ridge & Partners and installed by Mid West Mechanical & Electrical Services.

www.lochinvar.ltd.uk