Heat Pumps at the Heart of Irish Households’ Decarbonisation Journey

The “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era is gathering pace, as homes, businesses and entire industries move away from traditional fuels in favour of clean, green, renewable energy. There’s no going back.

Here in Ireland, even though many households still rely on a traditional boiler, there is increasing awareness of the need to decarbonize our homes. In addition to the significant environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels, it’s well known that traditional heating systems are also less efficient than renewable systems, with high running costs. Little wonder the Irish Government has already banned oil boilers from new builds (as of 2022), with gas boilers set to follow next year.

In addition to the new build market, there is a growing number of Irish homeowners who are choosing to replace or retrofit their fossil fuel boiler with a heat pump. SEAI is facilitating this renewable energy transition by offering generous grants for people who want to undertake a complete home energy upgrade (through the One Stop Shop service) or carry out individual energy upgrades (e.g. heat pump, solar PV, insulation).

Alarmingly, research shows that fossil fuel combustion can also cause cognitive decline, with long-term exposure contributing to neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer’s disease. Poor air quality can even affect mental health, with exposure to pollution having clear links to anxiety and depression.

Oil and gas boilers also pose a significant risk through their production of carbon monoxide – a deadly gas that causes headaches, nausea, dizziness and can even be fatal in severe cases. Due to the odourless nature of CO, it can be difficult to detect a leak in your oil or gas boiler.

On top of the many health and environmental impacts, it’s well known that fossil fuel heating systems are also expensive, inefficient, and prone to breaking down. Little wonder the Irish Government has already banned oil boilers from new builds (as of 2022) with gas boilers set to follow next year.

In addition to new builds, there is a growing number of Irish homeowners who are choosing to replace or retrofit their fossil fuel boiler with a heat pump. SEAI is facilitating this renewable energy transition by offering generous grants for people who want to undertake a complete home energy upgrade (through the One Stop Shop service) or carry out individual energy upgrades (e.g. heat pump, solar PV, insulation).

Why heat pumps?

In the first instance, there is no fossil fuel combustion involved, not only removing the environmental impact and contributing to sustainable future. Heat pumps are the epitome of clean energy, providing efficient and eco-friendly comfort all year round, with seven key decarbonization advantages:

High energy efficiency
Use of renewables
Reduced fossil fuel dependency
Heating electrification
Retrofitting opportunities
Smart cooling
Increased comfort

In particular, heat pumps offer a level of energy efficiency that blows traditional heating systems out of the water. Because a heat pump uses 75% renewable energy (air) and only 25% electricity, it can satisfy a household’s heating and hot water needs using a fraction of the energy required by traditional heating systems.

Here at Daikin, our best-selling model of heat pump is the Altherma air-to-water range, which extracts (free) heat from the outside air and transfers it inside the home for heating and hot water. Air-to-water heat pumps work well with radiators, and are also compatible with underfloor heating, keeping homes warm and comfortable even on the coldest winter days.

Daikin also offers a range of products geared specially towards improving your indoor air quality, including air-to-air ‘split’ units (similar to air-conditioning) with special streamer technology, dedicated air purifiers, and indoor air quality (IAQ) monitors.

Visit our website or talk to your local installer to find out how Daikin heat pump technology can help you cut the cord with fossil fuels.