Advantages of an infrared system over a heat pump system

Electrification of domestic heating is essential to achieving net zero and the government is strongly supporting heat pumps as a solution. However, infrared is often a more cost-effective and practical solution than heat for some households. Before you rush to replace your gas boiler or install a heat pump in your new build property, you may want to consider heating with Sundirect infrared heaters.

Efficiency of heat pumps with infrared heating

For building regulations and energy efficiency purposes, infrared heaters are labelled as “direct electric heaters” and are assumed to be 100% efficient, meaning that 100% of the electricity used is converted into heat, i.e. 1kW in = 1kW out. Air source heat pumps are assumed to be 250% efficient. So theoretically 2.5kW of heat is produced for 1kW of energy.

Heat pumps become less efficient, however, as the outside air temperature drops. This means that the higher the air temperature, the less efficient they become, which of course is when you need heating.

Heat pumps are not as efficient as advertised on the coldest days and they only heat water to 40-50°C, meaning that on cold days the system will have to run 24 hours a day to keep the property warm. A properly sized infrared heating system is less efficient, but on the other hand, operates at a higher level and will easily cope with the coldest days, reaching the required comfort temperature with less running time.

1°C lower air temperature

When looking at heat pumps with infrared heating, it is important to consider the comfort level. Independent tests have shown that red panels can operate at around 1°C lower air temperature to provide the same comfort feeling as convection heaters, which resemble higher air temperatures. This involves the direct heating of spaces and objects with infrared radiation, which then begins to radiate heat.

Annual maintenance costs of heat pumps compared to infrared heating?

Energy costs are only one factor in the total cost of a heating system. A heat pump system requires an annual service, as required by the manufacturer. Infrared heaters do not require annual maintenance as the technology has no moving parts.

Practical Disadvantages of Air-to-Water Heat Pumps

Compared to infrared heating, heat pumps have several disadvantages:

Installation can be very disruptive in renovation projects;

Additional electrical connections may be required;

Planning permission may be required;

Units take up valuable external and internal space;

Not suitable for many property types (e.g. apartments);

Can be visually intrusive and noisy;

Requires annual servicing and ongoing maintenance;

Lack of qualified installers and complexity of the system;

Often requires continuous operation in cold weather;

Risk of leaks and heat loss from pipes in damp systems;

Single point of failure: if the heat pump breaks down, the whole system stops;

Not suitable for heating just one room independently.

Sundirect infrared heaters, on the other hand, eliminate all of these problems and are easy to install in almost any property.

Insulation first

We fully support the government’s “insulation first” strategy. The better a building can retain heat, the less energy it needs for heating and the closer it gets to passive house standards. Our advice is to prioritize investments in insulation and improving the building fabric before committing to expensive and complex heat pump systems.