Exhaust air heat pumps use the energy from the ventilation of your home to help heat your water and heating system. These all-in-one units draw preheated stale air from bathrooms, utilities, kitchens and other wet areas of your house, pass it through a heat pump that extracts the energy from it and then exhaust cold stale ventilation air through a vent to the outside. The heat energy extracted is used to heat your underfloor or radiator heating and hot water cylinder. The unit is quiet and low on maintenance with only an annual detailed inspection required.

These units are most often installed during new build houses to provide an energy efficient solution that complies with Code for Sustainable Homes and contributes to compliance with building regulations for controlled ventilation and energy efficiency. The units are also suitable for replacing existing systems if you would like to reduce your electricity consumption.

The heat pump collects warm air from the ventilation system and uses that to heat your domestic water, heating system and ventilation. It is most effective for a house that is well insulated and has good ventilation with no condensation problems. The unit requires a series of ducts through your house to supply and extract air and so installation tends to happen during the initial construction or retrofitting into existing houses is less popular and more costly.

NIBE’s exhaust air heat pump models – the 200P and 370P - use ventilation energy to transfer thermal energy into your heating and hot water system. This all-in-one unit draws preheated stale air from bathrooms, utility rooms, kitchens and other wet areas of the home, passes it through a heat pump that extracts energy and then exhausts cold stale ventilation air out to the outside via a vent. The heat energy extracted from the stale air is used to warm your underfloor and radiator heating and your hot water cylinder which is contained within the unit.

Compared to an ordinary air-source heat pump (OAHP), the NIBE EAHP consumes less power due to its lower condensation temperature. However, it is important to consider the total cooling load in a given space as this influences energy consumption. The best way to reduce energy consumption and increase the COP of your heat pump is to ensure that it is correctly sized. It is also important to consider the connection schemes of your heat pump as this can influence the seasonal performance and COP. Only an MCS certified installer can set up your heat pump to make sure it meets the highest standards of energy efficiency and performance. An incorrectly connected and maintained heat pump may lose up to 25% of its energy efficiency.