In Helsinki, Finland's capital city, a German machinery manufacturer is building the world's largest air-to-water heat pump, which is expected to keep 30,000 households cozy in colder weather — all while drastically reducing pollution and, potentially, heating costs.
As Euronews reported, the massive heat pump will be installed by manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions as part of the Patola district heating plant in Helsinki. While district heating can make city energy systems more efficient since it centralizes heat generation, it also typically uses dirty fuels like oil and gas to produce energy, contributing to the warming of our planet.
However, according to a MAN Energy news release, the heat pump will run on electricity from clean sources such as wind and solar power, which the company says will reduce carbon pollution "by 26,000 tons annually" (likely meaning metric tons). The entire heating complex, which will include the utility-scale heat pump and two 50-megawatt electric boilers, is expected to save "a total of 56,000 tons" (again, probably metric tons) of heat-trapping pollution.
The type of heat pump is distinctive. "Air-to-water heat pumps work similarly to other air-source heat pumps except that they use water, instead of air, in the distribution system," as the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center explains. "Instead of blowing hot air in the winter to provide heat, air-to-water heat pumps circulate hot water [in systems such as radiators]."
Powering the plant with renewable electricity will help Finland reach its climate targets and contribute to cleaner air, which will have a positive impact on human health.
"Helsinki has set the ambitious goal to become carbon neutral by 2030, and transitioning our heating system is crucial to achieving this," Juhani Aaltonen, vice president of green investments at Finnish energy company Helen Oy, which manages the heating plant, said in the release.
Unlike many heat pumps that use environmentally harmful refrigerants to transfer heat from one place to another, the unit at Patola will use carbon dioxide as a natural refrigerant, creating a "closed loop system," per MAN.
The heat pump manufacturer said the CO2 refrigerant enables heat generation at temperatures of up to 194 Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius).
The heat pump can function in air temperatures as low as -4 Fahrenheit (-20°C), with a production capacity of 20 to 33 megawatts, depending on the outside temperature.
"Urban district heating projects that utilize climate-neutral technologies are essential for advancing global efforts to reduce carbon emissions," said Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions, in the press release. "We are excited to see our heat pump solution play a key role in driving the energy transition forward."
In addition to reducing Helsinki's carbon pollution from heat generation, Aaltonen said: "The new plant is likely to create price stability for customers, as its production is easily adjustable."
That's great news for residents since heating costs can be expensive in a cold country like Finland, where winter temperatures can dip as low as -58 Fahrenheit (-50 Celsius), according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
As MAN reported, the heat pump system will produce around 200 gigawatt-hours of heat and should be operational by the winter of 2026-27. Helen Oy stated construction is set to begin on the plant by the end of this year.
Heat pump sales are booming in the United States, likely because taxpayers can snag up to $2,000 in tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act when they install one. Large utility companies in New York are also planning projects to install underground thermal energy networks that can supply heat to buildings and power appliances like heat pumps.
On a residential and citywide scale, heat pumps provide an eco-friendly way to stay warm without breaking the bank. It's easy to see why they're quickly becoming the hottest new green technology.
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