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As a core device for low-carbon energy utilization, water-to-water heat pumps are characterized by "medium to high energy efficiency ratio (COP) of water" and are widely used in residential, commercial and industrial fields. By absorbing low-grade heat from water bodies such as groundwater and industrial wastewater through the water-source side heat exchanger, they compress and raise the temperature to provide heating, cooling, or hot water for the user side. Compared with traditional energy equipment, they save 30%-60% more energy, making them a preferred solution aligned with the "dual-carbon goals."
For residential areas with central heating or central cooling, water-to-water heat pumps can be used in conjunction with floor heating or fan coil systems to achieve constant temperature control throughout the house.
A residential community in northern China used a groundwater-source water-to-water heat pump system. For example, during winter heating, the outlet water temperature stays stable at 45-50℃. And the indoor temperature only changes by ≤±1℃. Compared with gas-fired wall-hung boilers, it saves 52% more energy, reducing the average annual heating cost per household from 2,800 yuan to 1,340 yuan.
During summer cooling, the system’s COP reaches 4.2, saving 35% more energy than traditional central air conditioners. With an operating noise ≤45dB, it does not disturb residents’ lives.
Data in 2024 shows that new residential buildings using water-to-water heat pumps account for 28%, a year-on-year increase of 11%.
Commercial venues like hotels, hospitals, and schools need a lot of hot water, and the demand is stable. Water-to-water heat pumps can provide 24/7 continuous hot water supply.
A four-star hotel adopted a sewage-source water-to-water heat pump system. It produces 200 tons of 55℃ hot water every day. This meets the needs of 800 guest rooms and catering services.
Compared with electric heating equipment, the annual electricity use dropped from 180,000 kWh to 72,000 kWh. And this saves 126,000 yuan in electricity costs.
Compared with gas-fired boilers, it reduces annual carbon emissions by 156 tons.
In addition, the system can be linked with the hotel’s air conditioning system: during summer, waste heat from cooling is recovered to heat hot water, further improving energy utilization efficiency (waste heat recovery efficiency reaches 70%).
In the industrial sector, water-to-water heat pumps are key equipment for "waste heat recovery and reuse." A food processing plant introduced 35-40℃ wastewater from production lines into water-to-water heat pumps: after extracting waste heat, the water is used for workshop heating (in winter) and hot water supply for employees’ bathrooms, and the wastewater is discharged up to standard after its temperature drops to 20℃. This solution:
Reduces the factory’s annual natural gas consumption by 80,000 cubic meters, saving 480,000 yuan in energy costs.
Lowers the temperature of discharged wastewater, reducing environmental thermal pollution.
Data from a chemical industrial park shows that the average payback period of industrial waste heat recovery water-to-water heat pumps is only 2.5 years, far shorter than that of other energy-saving equipment.
| Application Scenarios | Core Functions | Energy Efficiency Ratio (COP) | Energy Savings Rate | Typical Case Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Sector | Heating + Cooling | 3.8-4.5 | 35%-52% | Average annual heating cost per household reduced by 1, 460 yuan |
| Commercial Sector | Centralized Hot Water Supply | 4.0-5.0 | 40%-60% | Hotel produces 200 tons of 55℃ hot water daily, saving 126, 000 yuan in annual electricity costs |
| Industrial Sector | Waste Heat Recovery + Heating/Hot Water | 3.5-4.2 | 30%-45% | Food factory saves 480, 000 yuan in annual natural gas costs |
As technology gets better, water-to-water heat pumps are changing to be more "good at working in low temperatures" and "able to adjust intelligently":
New low-temperature water-to-water heat pumps can work stably even when the water source temperature is as low as 5℃, and this makes them suitable for cold northern regions.
Models with AI-based intelligent control systems can adjust operating parameters automatically according to user-side load, and this makes energy consumption drop by another 8%-12%.
Later on, as technologies for using water sources get better (like using reclaimed water and seawater), water-to-water heat pumps will bring more green value in different scenarios. They will also become a key part in energy transition.
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