Sustainable Heating and Hot Water for Dairy Farm
It is becoming increasingly important across many sectors to decarbonise, and livestock farming is no exception. Lochinvar worked closely with a veal and dairy farm to deliver further decarbonisation solutions, building on the farm’s existing solar installation and 100 kW wind turbine. The farm owner wanted to heat the facility even more sustainably, using 100% electricity. Following sound advice from their installer, they opted to install a heat pump to replace a boiler in the existing wood-fired system.
Heat pumps are highly energy-efficient; compared to an electric boiler, the installed heat pump uses 4.1 times less electricity to heat the same volume of water, resulting in a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 4.1. However, in this particular setup, the COP is 2.6, as the system is designed not only to provide low-temperature heating but also to deliver high-temperature domestic hot water. In such cases, the overall COP naturally decreases.
Nevertheless, a heat pump consumes significantly less energy, making it even more environmentally beneficial—especially considering that even green electricity should not be wasted unnecessarily.
Supplied Products:
- Amicus Low Temperature
- Amicus Boost
- 1,000-litre storage tank
- 2,500-litre storage tank
The core unit is a Lochinvar Amicus LT (Low Temperature) Heat Pump, an air-to-water system with capacities ranging from 22 to 463 kW and a COP of up to 4.6. Installed outdoors, it can produce hot water at temperatures up to 60°C. Three high-efficiency EC fans are speed-controlled to maintain optimal performance, while a floating frame ensures exceptionally low noise levels.
In this project, the Amicus LT heats water in one of the storage tanks to a maximum of 45°C. The Lochinvar Amicus Boost—a water-source heat pump—then further heats the pre-warmed water to approximately 75°C. This higher temperature is crucial in livestock farming for hygienic cleaning of milk tanks and similar equipment. In this specific case, the 75°C water is also used to prepare feed (maize) for calves—an additional, noteworthy application of the system.
“I’ve noticed that in some sectors, it’s still not well understood that a heat pump can heat water to such high temperatures. As installers and manufacturers, we still have a lot of work to do.”
– Project Installer
The Amicus Boost is an indoor water-to-water heat pump that achieves peak efficiency when heating preheated water, with a COP of up to 5.8. It supplies a second storage tank to deliver consistently high water temperatures.
