Installer spoke to the Thermodynamic Box Company, about Thermodynamics and Solar Assisted Heat Pumps.

Thermodynamics is the generic term used by industry for the technology that heats water by use of a heat pump and refrigeration circuit. The first companies to offer ‘thermodynamic’ products were based in Europe and there was little regulation in the market. This made it difficult for the specifier or consumer to make informed choices between products.

The marketplace grew in the early 21st Century as it became more receptive to the technology and in November 2012 a sub-group of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) was set up which included Magic Thermodynamic Box Ltd (MTB Ltd), the leading UK thermodynamic manufacturer. It was agreed that the technology should be included as part of the Heat Pump Division of the MCS and the technology was rechristened ‘Solar Assisted Heat Pumps’ and covered the production of hot water. Meetings were held over the next two years which included participation by all interested parties including manufacturers and testing houses and in particular Magic Thermodynamic Box Ltd who drove the process. A set of standards were produced including product Specification and Testing and Installer Requirements.

At the end of last year the Standards were approved and published by the MCS (MCS 007 and MIS 3005) and MTB Ltd have booked time at a major UKAS testing laboratory to obtain approval of their products to meet the published MCS standards. Testing is being carried out to the EN16147 European Standard.