Maybe you’ve never heard of heat pumps before, or maybe just a few times but you’re hesitant to invest in them because of their high initial costs. However, they might represent your best heating option for riding out the upcoming years of growing energy insecurity, and here’s why.

1) Heat pumps are a smart financial move

Since you might be skeptical about heat pumps because of the required upfront investment, let’s take a look at them from financial standpoint. In many European countries, government funding opportunities such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) in the UK or MaPrimeRenov in France exist in order to lessen the economic burden of heat pump installation²). Not only that, but with the recent surge in energy prices, heat pumps have the primary advantage of being reliable and cost-efficient. They even pay for themselves in the long run because they consume less electricity. Your energy bills will be lower, which means you won’t depend as much as your neighbor on fossil fuels³). An explanation, you say?

2) Heat pumps are super energy-efficient solutions

Heat pumps produce up to 4 units of heat per unit of electrical energy consumed¹), which makes them one of the most energy-efficient heating solutions available on the market. Higher efficiency translates to lower costs. Are you wondering how this is even possible? Heat pumps extract heat from the surrounding ground or air, then transfer that heat indoors. Meaning that they don’t produce heat directly but rather relocate it. 

3) Heat pumps are eco-conscious heating solutions

The secret to heat pumps’ efficiency lies in their energy source: 75% of their energy comes from their surrounding environment while the remaining 25% is supplied by electricity¹). That’s also why heat pumps are referred to as “low-carbon” or a “way to decarbonize your home” and are a preferred HVAC design for nearly zero-energy houses. Let’s take a closer look at heat pumps as an eco-conscious heating solution. In this chart, you’ll notice that heat pumps emit the least amount of CO₂ among the most popular heat energy sources. In particular, when a heat pump is powered by renewable energy such as solar or wind energy, its annual CO₂ emissions approach zero.

_{Exemplary figures from Germany, 2020; 4 persons, 200m2 flat and sourced from BWP
(German Heat Pump Association, https://waermepumpe-bwp.de/co2-neutral-heizen/)}

_{1) Each ratio is general to help in understanding this topic and it is based on COP (Coefficient of Performance) 4.}

_{2) Source: https://www.maprimerenov.gouv.fr / https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/heat-pump-grant-apply-boiler-b1940960.html}

_{3) The time required for the heat pump to pay itself back is influenced by many variables such as the local energy prices or the local weather.}

The performance of heat pumps may have convinced you, but you’ll notice that 25% of energy is still coming from electricity, meaning you’re only 75% self-sufficient. To achieve complete energy self-reliance and zero-emission heating, you should definitely consider combining heat pumps with solar panels and ESS. Let’s examine why. 

1) Solar energy is the cheapest and most used renewable energy

To begin with, you might wonder why you should choose solar energy. Solar energy is cost-effective. It’s not only the cheapest renewable energy*, but also one of the most commonly used. From a more practical standpoint, solar panels are flat with no moving parts, which makes them silent, discreet, and easy to maintain. Furthermore, solar panels are built to withstand extreme weather conditions. They’re reliable and long-lasting. Electricity loss is also prevented thanks to the proximity to the energy source.

_{*Source: Lazard Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis (2020), version 14.0. Infographics by Sarah Chodosh.}

2) ESS is key to managing your solar energy and heat pump combination

Unfortunately, solar panels have an obvious limitation. Solar panels rely on the sun to produce energy. In other words, the energy you’re producing during the daytime needs to be stored in order to use it when needed. That’s where ESS (Energy Storage System) products come into play. With ESS, you can safely store electricity for future use. In addition to safe storage, ESS also functions as emergency power in the event of a blackout and optimizes your energy consumption by using stored energy according to peak hours. This means that you’ll be protected from blackouts and energy price surges from the main electricity grid thanks to the energy stored from the daylight. Not convinced yet? Recent improvements in battery cell technology and dropping ESS prices make it the perfect time for you to become energy self-reliant. 

In particular, combining your solar panels with the LG THERMA V air source heat pump and an LG ESS enables you to maximize your savings thanks to a smarter and greener operation system. Sure, an ESS can store energy, but what about the surplus energy that can’t be stored? LG ESS has a strategy for that. When the ESS is fully charged, a signal is sent to the heat pump and the excess electricity is used to heat the water or buffer tank. This accumulated heat works as heat storage. Therefore, because LG ESS communicates with the LG air source heat pump, your surplus electricity is automatically used to increase the set temperature of your heat pump as well as that of your water tank so that the heat can be stored. On the other hand, when the available energy is low, LG ESS communicates with the LG air source heat pump to lower its set temperature or even to turn it off completely. This strategy to either save energy when the energy storage is low or store the heat when there is excess energy sets LG ESS apart from other products.  

3) Energy production and consumption monitoring through LG ThinQ

We previously mentioned how heat pumps automatically adjust their set temperature according to signals sent from the ESS. However, even though ESS and heat pumps work in accord, you should be able to monitor your energy use as you wish. Therefore, LG created the LG ThinQ app to meet this specific need. It enables you to monitor, control, and manage your energy, wherever and whenever. The stored energy levels and operation modes of the heat pump, energy levels and charging status of the ESS, and more can all be verified in real-time. This app also connects with any other LG smart home appliance you might already have so that you can manage everything in one place. Besides, if you have any issues, the app allows for quick and simple system connectivity for your peace of mind. 

_{1) Each ratio is general to help in understanding this topic and it is based on COP (Coefficient of Performance) 4.}

There you have it! The perfect heating solution to keep you warm even in the midst of an energy crisis. By producing and storing your own energy on top of using a heat pump - the most energy-efficient HVAC design – energy self-sufficiency is now a homeowner’s dream come true. Become energy self-sufficient and start your zero-emission journey while protecting your savings! Read more about heat pumps by clicking on the related articles below.