Air conditioning to gas propane: the Repsol bid for energy efficiency
But the increase in power demand for air conditioning has brought some problems:
- High points of consumption of electrical energy, especially in urban areas.
- High consumption of reactive power and associated losses.
- High costs of investment to strengthen the electrical infrastructure.
- Increasing pollution (taking into account the production of energy in origin).
The equipment of air conditioning to gas (propano-natural) come to solve these problems and have additional advantages. These teams are similar to the electric with the particularity that the engine used is gas instead of electricity. The units Interior and the distribution of heating and cooling equipment are the same in both cases. With regard to the installation of propane gas, it is similar to other traditional such as heaters, boilers, etc. equipment
Programme advantages of air conditioning to gas equipment:
- Use of residual energy to produce hot water.
- The controls for the heat to gas pump is done through an internal combustion engine which produces a "residual energy" (engine cooling) and exhaust gas that is used for the production of sanitary hot water.
- Reduces or eliminates the installation of solar that CTE (technical building code) provides: "the solar contribution may be reduced, when they cover the energy point of hot water through the use of cogeneration process or residual energy sources".
- This reduction or elimination of sensors allow to lower the cost of the acquisition - installation and maintenance of the same allowing to use the cover of the buildings for other purposes.
- The installation of cooling towers makes unnecessary to be teams condensed air.
- The residual energy avoids the necessary operations of 'desescarche' in the electrical equipment.
- Greater efficiency of the equipment to gas on primary energy: electricity gas 96 per cent and 38 per cent (source: Repsol).
- Lower cost of operation. It is not necessary to the payment of the fixed term of electric power and gas tariffs propane (LPG) are cheaper than the electric companies.
- Less pollution on primary energy.
- It helps to alleviate the problems at tips of consumption in electrical installations.
Equipment and field of application
Commercial gas heat pump models are found in a range of power between 20 and 70 kilowatts, with the possibility to install several computers in parallel, to achieve the power desired.
Applications are multiple in the building sector: detached houses, blocks of houses, etc.; as in the tertiary sector: hospitals, residences, sports facilities, restaurants, shops, offices, etc.