Daikin launches Altherma 3 high-temp heat pump

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“The 3 H HT is the quintessential heat pump and will help to speed up the much-needed global transition to renewable heating solutions and a carbon-free society,” a statement from Daikin read.

“The performance of the 3 H HT is outstanding, even at very low outdoor temperatures: indeed, down to -15C it does not require any additional energy. Previous heat pumps needed a helping hand from the electricity grid at sub-zero temperatures, but this new unit is far more cold-resistant, which generates tremendous energy savings.”

The Altherma 3 H HT won both the iF DESIGN AWARD and the Red Dot Design Award in 2019. The unit also won the best renewable product prize in the architects’ choice awards at last year’s Architecture & Building Expo in Dublin last November.

“The Irish government aims to install 400,000 heat pumps by 2030 as part of its climate action plan, and we believe the Altherma 3 H HT will be a big part of this drive,” Ian Killoch of Daikin told Passive House Plus. Killoch also said the unit was proving popular with architects and specifiers for retrofit projects because of its ease of installation.

The Daikin Altherma 3 H HT consistently emits a sound level of less than 35 dB(A) at a distance of three metres, making it ultra-quiet.

“The launch of our Daikin Altherma 3 H HT air-to-water heat pump is another step along the way to decarbonising European homes,” said Patrick Crombez of Daikin Europe. “We see European policymakers preparing to turn their backs on fossil fuels and are very happy to see them pinning their faith on heat pumps.”

The Altherma 3 H HT requires 30% less refrigerant in total and also uses R-32, which has a lower global warming potential than conventional refrigerants. The outdoor unit is available in 14, 16 or 18 kW versions, while the indoor unit is available with integrated stainless steel tank, integrated solar thermal tank, or as a wall-mounted unit.