The cold of winter is at its peak in the northern hemisphere and will be our daily bread for the next few months. This year, in addition, with the prices of heating, the problem is double. This, added to the climate crisis, makes it more important than ever to look for alternatives to air-condition our homes. So it is not surprising that aerothermal heating has become fashionable. It offers so many advantages, both for winter and summer that the Government already offers aid to install it.
What is aerothermal energy?
Although it sounds like something very complicated, aerothermal energy is simply a system that allows the use of thermal energy from the air to produce both air conditioning and heating or hot water. All this thanks to the exchange of heat between two systems: our home and the outside.
In this way, when we want to cool our house we will have to expel heat to the outside. But, when what we want is to heat it, we will have to absorb heat from outside and expel cold air. These exchanges are carried out through a fluid capable of passing into liquid and gaseous states. releasing or absorbing heat in phase change.
Once explained, we are not going to deny that it still sounds a bit like Mandarin Chinese, but what matters is that it works very efficiently, since consumes only enough electrical power to run the compressor motor. Which means that, for every kWh you spend, you generate between 3 and 4 kWh of heat energy.
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All the previously described processes are carried out inside a system called “heat pump”, which is the device in question that will allow us to heat or cool depending on the direction in which the fluid works. That is why we will have to have a unit inside the house and another outside in charge of expelling hot or cold air.
Herein lies its biggest con. And it is the initial investment that must be made to install it. However, in the long run it is money that is recovered with energy savings. In addition, there are a number of government grants to carry out these installations at the residential level.
Among the most common systems, underfloor heating stands out, which provides an ideal temperature distribution thanks to the fact that the ducts are installed under the floor and allows the room to be air-conditioned by letting the water pass through.
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However, installation is more expensive and requires more work. Another system is low-temperature radiators, which are like conventional radiators but more efficient since they work at a lower temperature. In that case installation is easier, faster and cheaper.
What are the government aids and how are they requested?
Promoted through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of Spain, its objective is to achieve “decarbonisation, investing in green infrastructures”. The basic aid varies from €500/kW to a maximum of €3,000 per home in the residential sector and from €650/kW to €3,900 for publicly owned homes and the third sector.
In addition, there is additional help to adapt the air conditioning and hydraulic circuits. In this case, if it is underfloor heating: €600/kW, with a limit of €3,600 per home. If they are low-temperature radiators or fan coils: €550/kW, with a limit of €1,830 per home. Likewise, both aids can be combined, so the maximum grant would be up to €6,500 in case of installing a heat pump and underfloor heating.
These aids can be requested until December 31, 2023 at the IDEA website, where you can find access to the portals from which the aid of each Autonomous Community is managed. Nevertheless, Andalusia; Catalonia; Madrid; Valencia and Basque Country They are the five that have the largest budget.
Cover photo | Nick Hillier (Unsplash)
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