A new development in low-carbon heating and cooling technology has addressed one of the main retrofit challenges linked with 4-pipe simultaneous heat pump chiller systems. The A-Combo R290 range can now deliver heating output temperatures of up to 80°C. This update supports a wider range of retrofit projects where higher flow temperatures are required for existing low-temperature hot water systems.
Many existing commercial and industrial buildings still rely on legacy heating infrastructure that was designed around higher-temperature heat sources. Standard heat pump systems have often struggled to meet these requirements without the need for system redesign or a supplementary heating plant. This has limited the suitability of simultaneous heating and cooling technology in retrofit environments.
The latest capability allows single-stage simultaneous 4-pipe operation to generate higher temperature heating outputs from the same system that provides cooling. This means that where an application includes a winter cooling demand, the rejected heat from that cooling process can now be recovered and reused. The system transfers this recovered energy through the chilled water return and uses it as the source input for the A-Combo unit. The result is an 80°C low-carbon input that can be supplied directly into an existing LTHW heating system.
This approach reduces reliance on traditional boiler plants and improves overall system performance. The reuse of rejected heat improves the seasonal efficiency of the installation and can support lower running costs when compared with conventional air source heating solutions. In buildings with year-round process cooling or comfort cooling requirements, this heat recovery process can operate during colder months when heating demand is at its highest.
The dual-source flexibility of the system also provides a more consistent performance profile across varying operating conditions. Rather than depending solely on external air temperature as the primary heat source, the system can recover internal heat that would otherwise be wasted. This improves efficiency and supports more stable heating delivery across the year.
For facilities managers and building owners planning retrofit upgrades, this development creates new opportunities to adopt low-carbon heating without replacing entire heat distribution systems. The ability to produce higher flow temperatures from a single-stage simultaneous system supports integration into existing infrastructure while still delivering improved system efficiency.
Further technical information on simultaneous 4-pipe applications and system integration is available on request.