The Sunamp Thermino Explained: How It Works and Why You Might Need One
Whenever we come across a new product at Solarboss, it sparks a curiosity: what problem does this product actually solve? Let's dive into the Thermino from Sunamp, a product designed with a specific challenge in mind — reclaiming your space while upgrading to more eco-friendly heating options.
Sunamp's Thermino thermal storage units are renowned for their ease of installation and minimal maintenance requirements. These units efficiently address the intermittency challenges associated with renewable energy sources while also reducing carbon emissions. Designed to be charged through a variety of sources such as air and ground source heat pumps, photovoltaics (PV), grid electricity, and boilers, Thermino heat batteries are particularly optimized for use with heat pumps. This optimization includes a substantial reduction in pressure drops—up to 70% lower compared to other systems.
The Thermino range is available in sizes of 70, 150, 210, and 300 liters, facilitating a direct comparison with traditional hot water cylinders that they are designed to replace. This sizing helps industry professionals and consumers alike gauge their capacity needs effectively. Additionally, each unit in the Thermino range features vacuum insulation, ensuring top-tier energy efficiency with class-leading A+ rated models available in all sizes. This makes the Thermino an ideal choice for those looking to enhance their home's energy efficiency without sacrificing performance.
Imagine this: a few years back, you were all in on the gas heating trend, convinced that a combi boiler was your ticket to efficiency and space-saving. So, you did what many homeowners did — you ditched the bulky water cylinder that was hogging precious space in your hot press, and perhaps you transformed that nook into additional storage. Fast forward to today, and the environmental tides have shifted. Now, the buzz is all about heat pumps for heating needs, but there's a catch — you might need to install another cylinder, and suddenly, you're facing the dilemma of sacrificing space again.
Enter the Thermino from Sunamp. This isn't just any hot water cylinder; it's a cleverly designed heat storage system that works wonders in a compact form. It uses what’s called a phase change material (PCM) to store heat, and it’s pretty fascinating how it works.
Here’s the scene: on top of the unit, you’ve got a series of inlet and outlet pipes. Hot water flows in from your heat pump (yes, assuming you’re considering or have switched to a heat pump setup). This hot water circulates through an internal network of pipes and transfers its heat to the phase change material filling the system. This material is the secret sauce — it stores heat by changing from solid to liquid, which is a highly efficient process for heat retention and release.
What makes PCM standout is its ability to store more heat than water, allowing the Thermino to be much smaller than traditional cylinders. After the heat is transferred, the water cycles back to the heat pump to be reheated, leaving the stored heat snugly in the PCM.
When you need hot water — say, for a shower or doing the dishes — cold water is fed into the unit, passing through another set of pipes where it absorbs the heat from the PCM before making its way to your tap. It’s a seamless cycle that maximizes energy use without the spatial bulk.
And there's another perk if you’ve got photovoltaic (PV) panels on your roof. If those panels are producing more electricity than you can use and your batteries are topped off, the Thermino can utilize this excess. Tucked at the bottom of the unit is a traditional immersion heater. This setup lets you channel surplus solar power to heat the PCM, ensuring that not a joule of your green energy goes to waste and keeps your water toasty.
The Thermino by Sunamp is a game-changer for those looking to modernize their home heating systems without losing living space to bulky hardware. It's all about embracing new technology, optimizing energy efficiency, and keeping your home clutter-free. Isn't it amazing how a simple shift in how we store heat can redefine our living spaces?
Case study:
The owners of a three-bedroom apartment in Galway, Ireland, were keen to replace their gas boiler with a new, environmentally friendly heating system. However, they faced a common issue: a lack of space inside their flat for the large hot water cylinder that often accompanies a heat pump. The homeowners found a solution through a government initiative aimed at understanding the feasibility of large-scale rollout of heat pumps into existing homes. They were offered the chance to install an air-source heat pump combined with a compact Sunamp heat battery for their hot water. A Sunamp Thermino 210 heat battery was installed in their utility room, alongside a heat pump outside their ground-floor property. The installation, carried out by a team of accredited installers involving plumbers and electricians, took only two and a half days.
One of the key benefits of the Sunamp heat battery is its ability to charge using electricity at the cheapest time of day. This aligned perfectly with the owners' existing flexible time-of-use tariff. The heat battery was set to charge overnight during cheaper rates, avoiding the higher rates during peak times. Additionally, the heat battery is compact, around four times smaller than an equivalent hot water cylinder, as it stores thermal energy in energy-dense phase change material instead of water. With the heat battery neatly and quietly fitting next to their washing machine, all concerns about space vanished. The system provided plenty of hot water at mains pressure when needed. The heat pump was also quiet, standing outside the bedroom window without being heard, and even their neighbors confirmed that any operational noise was not an issue.
By no longer using a combi gas boiler and by utilizing off-peak electricity, the owners calculated that their carbon footprint had decreased since installing the heat battery and heat pump combination. The change aligned with their environmental goals and saved them money on energy bills, demonstrating how feasible and beneficial such a transition can be in Galway and other similar areas.
Some Figures:
On average, every household in Ireland uses around 145 litres of water per person each day, and water heating accounts for about 12% of a typical household’s energy costs, which covers showers, baths, and hot water from taps. Water heating also contributes significantly to Ireland’s CO2 emissions.
Consider taking a shower every day for 12 minutes at full power. Over the course of a year, this adds up to 4,380 minutes, or 73 hours of shower time. Assuming the shower uses 8 kilowatts of power (this can vary slightly depending on the shower model) and electricity prices are at €0.22 per kilowatt-hour, the cost of operating the shower for a year comes to approximately €128 in electricity costs alone. If multiple people are using the shower, this cost will increase accordingly, and the actual expense may vary based on individual shower durations.
In a typical Irish household, heating water accounts for about 17% of the energy bill, or about 25% of the fuel a boiler consumes. While it may not seem significant, it’s important to know that hot water is needed all year round, while space heating is typically required only for a few months. With a hot water cylinder, you could lose between 1.4 kWh and 3.34 kWh in daily standing heat losses, which can add up significantly over time – whether the heat source is gas or electric. In comparison, the heat losses with a Thermino battery are about 0.67-0.87 kWh/24h, almost 50-75% lower.
The Thermino heat battery can also offer carbon savings. Pre-heating hot water in a combi boiler typically consumes 500-750 kWh annually, and using a system boiler, the heat battery helps cut the amount of gas consumed significantly. Additionally, pairing a Thermino with solar PV can maximize the use of free PV-generated electricity to provide instant hot water, and using off-peak electricity can lower energy bills further.
In conclusion, the Sunamp Thermino offers an innovative solution to heating water in an energy-efficient and space-saving manner. It's clear that the technology addresses several key issues—reducing carbon emissions, reclaiming space, and aligning with renewable energy goals. However, the decision to adopt this system ultimately raises several questions. How does it compare in terms of upfront costs versus long-term savings? Are there other systems that could offer similar benefits with fewer expenses? How much space does a household realistically need to reclaim?
In our opinion, for those looking to modernize their home heating systems, the Thermino from Sunamp presents a compelling option. It provides efficiency and savings while also being compatible with renewable energy sources. Although the upfront cost may be a consideration, the long-term benefits in terms of reduced energy bills and carbon footprint make it a worthy investment for those who are environmentally conscious and seeking to future-proof their homes.
