Heat Pumps and Environmental Impacts

With its applicability in both the building and the industrial sectors, the heat pump looks set to play a major role in

With its applicability in both the building and the industrial sectors, the heat pump looks set to play a major role in meeting heating and cooling needs.（热泵在满足供热和供冷需求时发挥了重要作用,其主要应用在建筑和工业领域｡）Since these applications currently consume a significant proportion of the world's fossil fuel reserves, heat pump technology can make a major contribution to limiting environmental problems such as global warming.（目前这些应用消耗了全球范围内很大一部分化石燃料,热泵技术能够在减轻环境问题方面做出重大的贡献,比如全球变暖｡）

A heat pump is the best choice to help the environment.（热泵是有助于环境问题的最好选择｡）Table 1 presents a comparison of electric heat pumps with fossil fuel systems.（表1中显示了以电力和化石燃料为驱动能源的热泵的比较｡）

Table 1 Technical comparison of electric heat pumps with fossil fuel systems （表1以电力和化石燃料为驱动能源的热泵的比较｡）

Source:IPALCO(2001).（资料来源：ipalco（2001年））

Because heat pumps consume less primary energy than conventional heating systems, they are an important technology for reducing gas emissions that harm the environment,such as carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).（由于地源热泵比传统的供热系统消耗更少的一次能源,所以他们是一个减少对环境有害气体排放的重要技术,如二氧化碳(CO2),二氧化硫(二氧化硫)和氮氧化物(NOx)｡）However, the overall environmental impact of electric heat pumps depends very much on how the electricity is produced.（然而,以电力为驱动能源的热泵对环境的整体影响在很大程度上取决于电力是如何产生的｡）Heat pumps driven by electricity from, for instance, hydropower or renewable energy reduce emissions more significantly than if the electricity is generated by coal, oil or gas-fired power plants.（热泵由来自于水力或可再生能源的电力驱动比由来自于煤炭､石油或天然气的电力驱动对减少气体排放来说更有意义｡）

If it is further considered that heat pumps can meet space heating, hot water heating, and cooling needs in all types of buildings, as well as many industrial heating requirements, it is clear that heat pumps have a large and worldwide potential.（如果进一步考虑热泵能满足不同类型建筑物的空间供热､热水和供冷需求,以及许多工业供热需求,很显然热泵在全球范围内有一很大的潜力｡）

Of the global CO2 emissions that amounted to 22 billion tonnes in 1997, heating in building causes 30% and industrial activities cause 35%.（1997年全球二氧化碳排放量达220亿吨,建筑物供热占30%,工业活动占35%｡）The potential CO2 emissions reduction with heat pumps is calculated as follows:（采用热泵技术对于减少潜在的二氧化碳排放量的计算如下所示:）6.6 billion tonnes CO2 come from heating buildings (30% of total emissions); 1.0 billion tonnes can be saved by residential and commercial heat pumps, assuming that they can provide 30% of the heating for buildings, with an emission reduction of 50%; and minimum of 0.2 billion tonnes can be saved by industrial heat pumps (IEA-HPC,2001).（66亿吨二氧化碳来自建筑物供暖(总排放量的30%);二氧化碳排放量可因采用住宅及商业热泵而减少10亿吨,假设他们能提供30%的建筑物供热,减少了50%的排放;工业领域采用热泵最低可减少2亿吨的二氧化碳排放(IEA-HPC,2001年)｡）

The total CO2 reduction potential of 1.2 billion tonnes is about 6% of the global emissions!（1.2亿吨的二氧化碳排放量约占全球排放量的6%!）This is one of the largest benefits that a single technology can offer,and this technology is already available in the marketplace.（这是一个单一技术可以提供最大贡献,并且这种技术已经在市场上可以获得｡）And with higher efficiencies in power plants as well as for the heat pump itself,the future global emissions saving potential is evengreater,about 16%.（随着发电效率的提高,以及热泵本身效率的提高,未来全球二氧化碳排放量可减少约16%｡）

In some regions of the world,heat pumps already play a crucial role in energy systems.（在世界上的一些地区,热泵已经在能源系统中发挥了关键作用｡）But if this technology is to achieve more widespread use, a decisive effort is needed to stimulate heat pump markets and to further optimize the technology.（但是如果这个技术要取得更广泛的应用,还需要决定性的努力去激励热泵市场和更进一步优化技术｡）It is encouraging that a number of governments and utilities are strongly supporting heat pumps.（令人鼓舞的是,许多国家政府和公共事业大力支持热泵｡）In all cases it is important to ensure that both heat pump applications and policies are based on a careful assessment of the facts,drawn from as wide an experience base as possible.（在各种应用中,重要的是要确保热泵应用和热泵政策是基于事实的仔细评价基础上,评价要有尽可能广泛的经验基础｡）

A heat pump is the best choice to help protect the environment, because it does not bum natural gas or oil, but simply transfers warm air into or out of the house.（热泵是有助于环保的最好选择,因为它不燃烧天然气或石油,而仅是将暖空气转移进房间或转移出房间｡）So the occupier is not adding to air pollution or consuming scarce natural resources, but actually helping the environment.（所以热泵的使用不会加剧空气污染或消耗不充足的自然资源,而的确是有助于环境｡）Energy saving has a positive impact on global warming.（节能对全球变暖问题有着积极的影响｡）That is why it is important to continually engineer more energy efficient products such as the advanced technology heat pump.（这就是为什么持续设计高能效的产品至关重要,如先进的热泵技术｡）And it is just as important for consumers to demand products that live up to tougher, more stringent energy standards.（对于消费者来说,对产品要求更强硬､更严格的能源标准也是至关重要的｡）

For example, in Canada, space conditioning in schools accounts for 15% of CO2 emissions,or about 7M tonnes each year.（例如在加拿大,学校空调占15%的二氧化碳排放量,或每年约700万吨｡）Implementation of earth energy heating and cooling will allow schools to help reduce climate change impacts, and to provide a role model for their students on environmental issues.（利用地热进行供热和供冷,将使学校有助于减少对气候变化的影响,并为他们的学生在环境问题上提供一个榜样｡）

In summary, particularly electrical heat pumps which replace directly fired heating boilers in general offer a significant CO2 emission reduction potential, even if the electricity to drive the heat pump is generated with oil or gas.（总之,以电动热泵取代直燃供暖锅炉有潜力使CO2排放量显著减少,即使驱动热泵的电力来自于石油或天然气｡）A significant potential remains to improve the efficiency of heat pumps where that potential for heating boilers is now virtually exhausted.（对于热泵来说,其效率提高仍具有很大的潜力，但对于直燃供暖锅炉来说,该潜力几乎用罄｡）The economic potential of heat pumps for reducing the total CO2 emissions in some countries is estimated to be up to 4%,with a technical potential of up to 9%.（对于一些国家来说,使用热泵技术降低二氧化碳总排放量的经济潜能能达到4%,其技术潜力可达9%｡）The report states that the greenhouse effect from the loss of working fluids other than CFCs is negligible.（该报告指出,除CFCs外的工质流失对温室效应的影响是微不足道的｡）Consequently, it is concluded that the heat pump as an energy efficient technology which benefits the environment should play an important role in an increasingly environmentally conscious world.（因此可以说,热泵作为一种有利于环境的高能效技术,应该在环保意识不断增强的社会中起到重要的作用｡）

The use of heat pumps is certain to result in environmental improvement and conservation of energy.（热泵的使用的确能改善环境和节约能源｡）Assuming the power generating efficiency at 35%, the boiler heat efficiency at 90%, and the average COP of a heat pump at 3.5, a heat pump requires only 74% of the primary energy needed to produce the same thermal capacity as an oil-fired boiler in homes and office buildings.（假设发电效率为35%,锅炉热效率为90%,热泵平均COP值为3.5,热泵只需要74%的一次能源产生使用燃油锅炉的居民楼和办公大楼同样的热容量｡）This means that the use of heat pumps for heating could result in energy conservation of 26% when replacing oil-fired boilers.（这意味着使用热泵代替燃油锅炉供暖可节约26%的能源｡）The amount of energy conserved has been calculated for each application area for all of Japan.（在日本,已经计算出了单位应用面积节省的能量｡）The result showed that, in the year 2000, energy equivalent to roughly 1.4 million m3 of crude oil could be conserved annually by replacing oil-fired boilers and kerosene stoves with heat pump air conditioners.（结果表明,在2000年,如果采用热泵空调取代燃油锅炉和煤油炉,每年大约节省相当于140万m3原油的能量｡）This amount corresponds to 0.3% of Japan's primary energy supply.（这些能量相当于日本一次能源供应3%｡）