Arriba Technologies, a British heating and cooling specialist, has developed a solar integrated heating and cooling unit with a DC electrical system, all in one package. Installed in a 750 kW factory at Rosie Hospital in Cambridge, it won the Lighthouse Heat Pump Award at the European Heat Pump Association’s heat pump forum in September.
British Arriba Technologies, a specialist in solar heating and cooling for the commercial and industrial markets, has developed a solar heating and cooling system that uses DC connections.
The largest implementation of the technology to date is taking place at Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. Designed as a “Swiss Army Knife” solution, the 750 kW facility features interconnected heat pump chillers that provide the hospital with all heating, cooling and domestic hot water without the need for a backup boiler, in addition to an integrated DC electrical system and solar energy conversion in one turnkey package.
The design is notable for its high current DC system, which powers electric motors mounted on the factory’s compressors, fans and pumps from a 650 V DC power system, which in turn is powered by the local 400 W electricity grid and a special solar panel of 80 kW. . The energy flowing into the 650 V system is managed using four 20 kW DC:DC converters and two AC-DC rectifiers.
The unit has been in use in the hospital since September 2023. On average, the design obtains between 10% and 90% of primary energy during the day from an 80 kW DC-coupled solar panel, located 40 meters away from the heat pump. -coolers. Steve Connolly, CEO of Arriba Technologies, said pv magazine even into October the factory still experienced periods when all of the hospital’s heating and cooling needs were powered by the solar panels on the roof.
After one year of operation, the design has delivered direct cost benefits to the hospital and contributed to its net zero plans, with the building achieving better carbon efficiency than comparable buildings around the world. National Health Service estate.
The project won the Lighthouse Heat Pump Award, presented to innovative and creative heat pump projects, from the European Heat Pump Association annual heat pump forum in September.
Connolly said pv magazine that by drawing power from solar networks on a DC line and skipping some conversion steps, at least 6% better efficiency can be achieved. He added that this can be further doubled with good software.
The software and operating system used in the design of Rosie Hospital were developed from previous versions of similar systems that Arriba implemented on previous heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) installations, which the company says is unique in the field of heat pumps and HVAC. engineering.
“The benefits for the customer are that it is a fully developed product,” says Connolly. “We know it works at a very high level, and for customers it represents a risk to what could otherwise be a daunting prospect of connecting a 600 V DC system. But when it’s all hidden in a box and proven to work, on a significant scale and in a very important building, it demystifies the technology.”
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