Laboratory for heat pump systems
In this laboratory, the heating and cooling capacity of heat pumps and heat pump systems in buildings can be investigated in both stationary and dynamic mode. In particular, the laboratory is used for testing systems that obtain at least 50% of their energy for heating, hot water and cooling from renewable energy sources. This is the case, for example, with systems which combine heat pumps, solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic systems.
The laboratory consists of a climate chamber measuring 10 x 4 x 4 m, which can be divided into two smaller chambers. In this climate chamber, heat and cooling pumps (water to water and water to air) with a heating capacity of up to 400 kW can be tested or certified according to the standards EN 14511 and EN 14528. In addition, air to air pumps with a heating capacity of up to 30 kW can also be tested here. Heat pump systems with a heat output of up to 400 kW can be tested under dynamic test conditions, which make it possible to simulate almost completely real conditions with outside temperatures from ‑10 °C to 50 °C.
In addition to the heat pump certification service, scientists at Eurac Research also support companies in the development of new products from the planning phase through simulations and tests to performance optimisation, and will accompany the product from concept to market entry.