Thermal Stores For Heat Pumps
Kensa offers advice and guidance on the care that has to be taken with heat pump systems using thermal stores to ensure efficiency is maintained.
Key considerations for thermal stores
Thermal stores
A thermal store will use a volume of stored hot water to produce domestic hot water via an indirect coil or tank-in-tank system.
Heat banks
A heat bank will generally use a volume of stored hot water to produce domestic hot water via an external heat exchanger.
Stratification
Thermal stores and heat banks rely on temperature stratification to work effectively. This results in high temperature at the top and a lower temperature in the bottom. Any turbulence can destroy this stratification, resulting in reduced efficiency.
Multi-energy source tanks
Care has to be taken with multiple energy sources on thermal stores to avoid disruption to the stratification. Also, if producing temperatures above the heat pump maximum, the heat pump will never operate.
