INSIGHTS / News

Exeter SETsquared member, Frigesco, has been awarded new DECC funding of £102,000 to develop its flash defrost system for use in air source heat pumps. 

The latest grant, conferred under DECC’s Energy Entrepreneurs’ Fund, will be used to fund joint research by Frigesco and heat pump specialist Glen Dimplex, designed to develop flash defrost technology for application in air source heat pumps (ASHPs).

David Walter, managing director of Frigesco, explained: ”Coils on ASHPs operating in cool conditions (below 7C) in humid climates quickly ice up, and need to be regularly defrosted to maintain performance and reduce energy use. Existing approaches consume extra power, which can account for a significant component total energy use, reducing their efficiency.”

“Frigesco’s system saves all the electrical power normally used for defrost, so applying it to ASHPs should deliver a significant increase in energy efficiency and an associated reduction in grid carbon dioxide emissions. It is a very exciting further application for flash defrost, and we believe it has great potential.”

The project, which began in the new year and will last for 12 months, involves designing and building a flash defrost system which can be built into new ASHP units.

Frigesco has also been shortlisted for the prestigious ACR News award for Refrigeration Product of the Year for its flash defrost system. It follows a similar nomination for the forthcoming National ACR Awards and success for Frigesco in the recent Cooling Industry Awards, where its flash defrost system took the top award for Refrigeration Innovation of the Year (Component or Process).