Abstract: A heat pump is a system that uses refrigeration equipment to take heat from a source and discharge it to a building space requiring it. The same system can be used to remove heat from the space and discharge it to a heat "sink" when cooling is required. Heat sources and sinks for heat pumps can be the ground surrounding a building, water in lakes, rivers or wells, and outdoor air. Although still largely in the research stage, considerable interest has also been shown in the use of solar energy as a heat source for heat pumps. Of all sources, however, outdoor air has been used most extensively because it offers a universal, abundant heat source/sink for heat pump operation. It is the purpose of this Digest to outline the general features and economics of the "air-to-air" heat pump for heating in residential buildings.
Canadian Building Digest; no. CBD-195, ISSN:
0008-3097, Publication date:
1978-05
