The advantages of heat pumps include the following:
Efficiency
The h eat pump uses energy (electricity) to extract and transport heat from the earth. The amount of useful heat extracted for 1kW of electricity used is the efficiency of the system. The heat pump operates at a seasonal efficiency of about 300% - 400% which means for every 1 kW of electricity used, 3-4kW of heat is extracted and transported into the properties. This ratio is known as the coefficient of performance.
A heat pump works most effectively when the difference between the source temperature (the earth) and heat sink (buildings heating system) is small.
Source temperature - The earth has a fairly stable temperature below the frost line. This is ideal for the heat pump as it allows it to work at their optimum design temperature.
Heat sink - A normal house with normal radiators and poor insulation would probably be unsuitable for GSHP. Radiators normally operate at between 60-80oC. At this high output temperature the GSHP would not be able to operate effectively.
A new house with high levels of insulation and an efficient heating system like under floor heating (30-45°C ) would be allow heat pump to reach their higher efficiencies
Appearance
The pipes/coils used in a geothermal heat pump are hidden to the eye by being buried into the earth/water.
The air to water heat pump is located outside the property and is constructed not to be seen as an eye sore by its size and exterior design simplicity.
Both systems are quiet running and have no external fans.
The h eat pump is manufactured with materials that are hard wearing and can survive extreme weather conditions.
Environmentally Friendly
The heat pump takes the energy retrieved from the earth's solar gain in place of conventional boiler systems where fossil fuels such as gas and oil are used. Even though electricity is required to run the system, the comparison between the use of a boiler and heat pump is especially great combined with the improvement of technology of electricity generation.
Cost
Even though the initial cost of a heat pump may be greater than that of a conventional boiler system, the systems life cost, along with running cost and initial capital cost is highly favourable for heat pumps when compared to the standard systems using fossil fuels such as boilers.
A heat pump kit normally starts at around £6,000 for an average three bedroom house.