Heat pumps Archives | Smart Ease

Heat pumps 101

Demanzo Team — Tue, 20 May 2025 07:33:08 +0000

According to the latest SunWiz data, the number of air-source heat pumps deployed each year has been growing by 50% since 2020. (Last year, there were four heat pumps installed for every solar hot water system.) A heat pump could be another way to help business owners achieve even greater energy-efficiency – and save on their energy bills.

What is a heat pump?

An air-source heat pump can provide efficient heating and cooling by absorbing heat from air outside a building and releasing it inside. When properly installed, these can deliver up to 3x more heat energy than the electrical energy it consumes.

Heat pumps are considered critical to phasing out gas boilers to avoid their greenhouse gas emissions.

Which businesses might use a heat pump?

Any business that uses heating or air-conditioning. Heat pumps can be used for air-conditioning, cooling drinking water, space heating and heating water. (In Australia, heat pump water heaters comprise approximately 3% of water heaters in use.)

Industries that rely on precise temperature control for manufacturing processes could make effective use of a heat pump. Some examples are food and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceutical development or many agribusinesses.

What are some benefits of heat pumps?

Save energy compared to gas heaters or conventional electric water heaters – heat pumps can deliver up to 10-15 times as much energy as they use.
Premium heat pumps can heat a room at 600% efficiency, while gas heaters are around 50% to 95%.
Save on running costs.
Two for one heating and cooling; they can also keep premises cool in summer.

How much does a heat pump cost?

The cost of a heat pump depends on the heat requirements of the business. It could cost as little as $5,000 for a smaller business or $15,000 for a 41KW commercial pool heat pump or $35,000 for an aged care facility that uses up to 20,000L water a day.

Want to learn more about payment solutions for your business or your customers?

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Komatsu starts its first year of mandatory climate reporting on a strong note

Demanzo Team — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 06:54:38 +0000

Mandatory climate reporting came into effect at the start of this year. It requires Australia’s largest corporations to disclose their Scope 1, 2 and, in the future, Scope 3 carbon emissions, as well as their future targets and plans for reduction of emissions, electricity, waste and water. Komatsu, a leading manufacturer and distributor of construction & mining equipment, is one such business now required to disclose these details.

Komatsu first started trading in Japan in 1921. Over the past century, it has grown to become the world’s second-largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment. In Australia alone, it operates over 50 branches and employs more than 2,700 people.

As an industry-leading multinational, Komatsu is no stranger to scrutiny over its sustainability efforts. Over the years, it has set ambitious emission reduction targets, including reducing CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2030 and transitioning its facilities towards net-zero operations.

Project snapshot

Industry: Mining equipment

Channel Partner: Solar Australia

Equipment:
580 Trina Solar panels
3 Sungrow inverters

Payment Plan term: 5 years

As part of this effort, in late 2023, Komatsu engaged leading commercial solar experts, Solar Australia, to propose a solar solution aimed at cutting costs and reducing carbon emissions at its site in Rockhampton, QLD.

After assessing the site, Solar Australia recommended a 290kW system comprising 580 panels and three inverters. The system is expected to generate approximately 544,685 kWh annually, with an estimated payback of four years.

Given the scale of the project, Solar Australia’s Tim Dixon suggested that Komatsu consider using a Smart Ease Payment Plan to finance the installation. This approach would allow the company to avoid the upfront cost entirely and instead pay for the system over time through manageable monthly repayments.

“Smart Ease provided a tailored solution to match Komatsu’s requirements. The system is designed to satisfy all day-time kw demand at the location and has resulted in a 75% reduction in the site electricity bill.” – Scott Churchill, Director of Finance & Commercial, Komatsu Mining Australia.

For the Komatsu team, an even bigger win than the considerable energy bill savings is the estimated 551 tonnes of reduced annual CO2 emissions – a terrific achievement to highlight in their first Australian climate report and another step toward meeting their global ESG targets!

Start a conversation with Smart Ease and find out how our Payment Plans can help you meet sustainability goals and save on energy costs.

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Portsea Camp’s 30-year old water system gets an energy-efficient overhaul

Sarah Thomas — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 04:58:57 +0000

For over 75 years, Portsea Camp has provided a seaside escape and lifelong memories for the thousands of children who have spent their weekends and summer holidays there.

Operating as a social enterprise, all profits generated by the camp go toward subsidizing M.A.D. programs for over 1,000 socially and economically disadvantaged children, ensuring that kids from all backgrounds get to enjoy the invaluable camp experience.

As a not-for-profit organization, making large financial investments in infrastructure projects can be challenging. So, when Portsea Camp’s 30-year-old water system began to show signs of slowing down, securing funding to replace it made more sense than exhausting the camp’s own funds.

Project snapshot

Industry: Not-for-profit

Channel Partner: Solahart Mornington

Equipment:
21 Rheem heat pumps

Payment Plan term: 5 years

Through a zero-upfront Smart Ease Payment Plan, Portsea Camp was able to invest in 21 new Rheem heat pumps, installed by energy-efficiency equipment experts Solahart Mornington.

Strategically placed around the camp, these heat pumps ensure that showers, bathrooms, laundry facilities, and the community hall can meet the needs of campers. Best of all, their energy-efficient design is expected to reduce running costs to just 30% of the previous system, leading to significant monthly savings.

With a new state-of-the-art water system pumping through the grounds, Portsea Camp can now offer its campers the great luxury of a hot shower after those icy swims in the bay!

Start a conversation with Smart Ease and find out how our Payment Plans can help you meet sustainability goals and save on energy costs.

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