Chick brooding and hatchery heat without LPG
How a broiler hatchery with two 1,000 m² brooding houses can supply its room and floor heating with heat pumps, and what it saves against LPG gas brooders and heaters.
▶Video: Space heating for buildings and farms
V13 · 2–2.5 minFloor heating, fan coils and air handlers, from homes to poultry sheds
Video coming soon01Problem statement
- Chicks cannot keep themselves warm. Day-old chicks need 32–35 °C at floor level. Cold floors cause huddling, poor feed intake and early losses.
- Gas brooders add moisture and fumes. Open-flame LPG brooders release water vapour and combustion gases into the house, which worsens litter and air quality.
- Hatchery room air. Setter and hatcher rooms need large volumes of fresh air at a steady 24–27 °C, which is costly to heat in winter.
- Losses between fuel and process. Burning LPG in a boiler or heater and distributing the heat loses a quarter or more of the fuel's energy before it reaches the process.
- Compliance, safety and handling. Fired equipment brings boiler inspections, fuel storage and unloading, flue emissions and an attendant on every shift.
02Use case
The reference unit in north India runs a hatchery setting about 60,000 eggs a week and two 1,000 m² brooding houses for day-old chicks. Winter nights fall to 3–5 °C, and chicks need 32–35 °C at floor level in their first week.
| Heat user | Process temp. | Basis | Heat, kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooding house floor heating | Floor 30–35 °C | 2 houses × 1,000 m² × 40 W/m² × 16 h | 1,280 |
| Hatchery fresh-air heating | Supply air 26 °C | 20,000 m³/h × 1.2 kg/m³ × 1.005 kJ/kgK × 10 K = 67 kW × 10 h | 670 |
| Hatchery and equipment washing | 55 °C | 5,000 L/day, 25 → 55 °C | 174 |
| Storage and pipework standing losses | – | about 5% | 106 |
| Total useful heat | 2,230 | ||
Averaged over 18 running hours, the heat pumps need about 124 kW.
03P&ID
Tags: HP heat pump, TK tank, SG steam generator, P pump, PHE plate heat exchanger, TCV temperature control valve, TIC temperature indicating controller (panel), TT temperature transmitter, MT moisture transmitter, PT pressure transmitter, LT level transmitter, FS flow switch, NC normally closed. Process fluids are heated through their own exchanger, coil or jacket.
04Solution
System description
- 1 × SE-AH-140V (140 kW) (SE-AH air-source heat pump) delivering 50 °C, covering the day's 2,230 kWh in about 15.9 running hours.
- A 4,500 L insulated storage tank decouples the heat pumps from the process peaks.
- The LPG gas brooders and space heaters stays connected behind a normally closed valve as standby.
- PEX floor heating loops under the brooding area keep the litter and floor warm, with zone valves for each pen.
- A hot-water coil in the hatchery fresh-air AHU replaces gas or electric air heaters.
- The same tank supplies hot water for tray, trolley and floor washing.
- Ventilation can now be set for air quality alone, because heating no longer adds moisture or fumes.
Selected equipment
| Model | SE-AH-140V × 1 |
|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 140 kW each, 140 kW total |
| COP | 4.1 at A20 °C / W50 °C (data sheet T1) |
| Power input | about 34.1 kW total at rated conditions |
| Rating | rated 55 °C, 60 °C maximum, R410A |
| Supply temperature | 50 °C |
| Storage | 4,500 L insulated tank |
Ratings from the Sunniva TDS 2026 data sheets.
Control philosophy
TT-101 at the top of the tank starts the heat pumps below 45 °C and stops them at 50 °C. TIC-201 holds each brooding zone at its set floor temperature, stepping down week by week as chicks grow. TIC-202 holds hatchery supply air at 26 °C. LPG brooders stay as standby for extreme cold.
05Energy saving and ROI
Change any input to match a customer's site. Defaults are typical Indian prices for October 2026. The installed cost is a placeholder; replace it with the actual quotation.
| Existing | Heat pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily consumption | – | – |
| Annual energy cost | – | – |
| Cost per 1,000 chicks placed | – | – |
| CO₂ per year | – | – |
06Benefits
Drier litter
No combustion moisture in the house, so litter stays drier and ammonia stays lower.
Even warmth across the floor
Floor heating spreads chicks out instead of crowding them under a few brooders.
Better early growth
Steady temperature in the first week supports feed intake and uniform weights.
Lower energy cost
Each kWh of electricity delivers about 4.1 kWh of heat at the required temperature, against well under one kWh of useful heat per kWh of fuel burnt.
No flame on site
No burner, flue or fuel tank for this duty, and no fuel deliveries to schedule.
Solar-ready
Running hours can be placed in daylight so rooftop solar supplies much of the electricity, which also cuts CO₂ further.
07Engineering pointers
Site data to collect
- House sizes, floor construction and insulation
- Chick placement schedule and target temperatures by week
- Hatchery ventilation rates
- Current LPG use per flock
- Lowest winter temperatures at site
- Present fuel or electricity use and monthly bill
- Sanctioned electrical load and spare capacity
- Space for the heat pumps and storage, with service access
- Winter minimum ambient at site
Design notes
- Biosecurity. Keep heat pump units outside the clean zone and route pipework so maintenance staff do not enter houses.
- Floor build-up. Lay insulation under the floor loops so heat goes up into the litter and not into the ground.
- Ammonia exposure. Place outdoor units away from exhaust fans, as ammonia-laden air corrodes fins.
- Electrical. About 34 kW of heat pump input at rated conditions, plus pumps and fans. Check spare sanctioned load before ordering.
- Winter output. Air-source output falls in cold weather: about two-thirds of rated capacity at 5 °C ambient. Size on the coldest design day for northern sites.
Service and warranty
Sunniva has supplied 5,000+ heat pumps since 2012, with nine service technicians across India, including remote sites such as Leh. All components carry a one-year warranty.
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Chick brooding and hatchery heat without LPG
How a broiler hatchery with two 1,000 m² brooding houses can supply its room and floor heating with heat pumps, and what it saves against LPG gas brooders and heaters.
▶Video: Space heating for buildings and farms
V13 · 2–2.5 minFloor heating, fan coils and air handlers, from homes to poultry sheds
Video coming soon01Problem statement
- Chicks cannot keep themselves warm. Day-old chicks need 32–35 °C at floor level. Cold floors cause huddling, poor feed intake and early losses.
- Gas brooders add moisture and fumes. Open-flame LPG brooders release water vapour and combustion gases into the house, which worsens litter and air quality.
- Hatchery room air. Setter and hatcher rooms need large volumes of fresh air at a steady 24–27 °C, which is costly to heat in winter.
- Losses between fuel and process. Burning LPG in a boiler or heater and distributing the heat loses a quarter or more of the fuel's energy before it reaches the process.
- Compliance, safety and handling. Fired equipment brings boiler inspections, fuel storage and unloading, flue emissions and an attendant on every shift.
02Use case
The reference unit in north India runs a hatchery setting about 60,000 eggs a week and two 1,000 m² brooding houses for day-old chicks. Winter nights fall to 3–5 °C, and chicks need 32–35 °C at floor level in their first week.
| Heat user | Process temp. | Basis | Heat, kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooding house floor heating | Floor 30–35 °C | 2 houses × 1,000 m² × 40 W/m² × 16 h | 1,280 |
| Hatchery fresh-air heating | Supply air 26 °C | 20,000 m³/h × 1.2 kg/m³ × 1.005 kJ/kgK × 10 K = 67 kW × 10 h | 670 |
| Hatchery and equipment washing | 55 °C | 5,000 L/day, 25 → 55 °C | 174 |
| Storage and pipework standing losses | – | about 5% | 106 |
| Total useful heat | 2,230 | ||
Averaged over 18 running hours, the heat pumps need about 124 kW.
03P&ID
Tags: HP heat pump, TK tank, SG steam generator, P pump, PHE plate heat exchanger, TCV temperature control valve, TIC temperature indicating controller (panel), TT temperature transmitter, MT moisture transmitter, PT pressure transmitter, LT level transmitter, FS flow switch, NC normally closed. Process fluids are heated through their own exchanger, coil or jacket.
04Solution
System description
- 1 × SE-AH-140V (140 kW) (SE-AH air-source heat pump) delivering 50 °C, covering the day's 2,230 kWh in about 15.9 running hours.
- A 4,500 L insulated storage tank decouples the heat pumps from the process peaks.
- The LPG gas brooders and space heaters stays connected behind a normally closed valve as standby.
- PEX floor heating loops under the brooding area keep the litter and floor warm, with zone valves for each pen.
- A hot-water coil in the hatchery fresh-air AHU replaces gas or electric air heaters.
- The same tank supplies hot water for tray, trolley and floor washing.
- Ventilation can now be set for air quality alone, because heating no longer adds moisture or fumes.
Selected equipment
| Model | SE-AH-140V × 1 |
|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 140 kW each, 140 kW total |
| COP | 4.1 at A20 °C / W50 °C (data sheet T1) |
| Power input | about 34.1 kW total at rated conditions |
| Rating | rated 55 °C, 60 °C maximum, R410A |
| Supply temperature | 50 °C |
| Storage | 4,500 L insulated tank |
Ratings from the Sunniva TDS 2026 data sheets.
Control philosophy
TT-101 at the top of the tank starts the heat pumps below 45 °C and stops them at 50 °C. TIC-201 holds each brooding zone at its set floor temperature, stepping down week by week as chicks grow. TIC-202 holds hatchery supply air at 26 °C. LPG brooders stay as standby for extreme cold.
05Energy saving and ROI
Change any input to match a customer's site. Defaults are typical Indian prices for October 2026. The installed cost is a placeholder; replace it with the actual quotation.
| Existing | Heat pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily consumption | – | – |
| Annual energy cost | – | – |
| Cost per 1,000 chicks placed | – | – |
| CO₂ per year | – | – |
06Benefits
Drier litter
No combustion moisture in the house, so litter stays drier and ammonia stays lower.
Even warmth across the floor
Floor heating spreads chicks out instead of crowding them under a few brooders.
Better early growth
Steady temperature in the first week supports feed intake and uniform weights.
Lower energy cost
Each kWh of electricity delivers about 4.1 kWh of heat at the required temperature, against well under one kWh of useful heat per kWh of fuel burnt.
No flame on site
No burner, flue or fuel tank for this duty, and no fuel deliveries to schedule.
Solar-ready
Running hours can be placed in daylight so rooftop solar supplies much of the electricity, which also cuts CO₂ further.
07Engineering pointers
Site data to collect
- House sizes, floor construction and insulation
- Chick placement schedule and target temperatures by week
- Hatchery ventilation rates
- Current LPG use per flock
- Lowest winter temperatures at site
- Present fuel or electricity use and monthly bill
- Sanctioned electrical load and spare capacity
- Space for the heat pumps and storage, with service access
- Winter minimum ambient at site
Design notes
- Biosecurity. Keep heat pump units outside the clean zone and route pipework so maintenance staff do not enter houses.
- Floor build-up. Lay insulation under the floor loops so heat goes up into the litter and not into the ground.
- Ammonia exposure. Place outdoor units away from exhaust fans, as ammonia-laden air corrodes fins.
- Electrical. About 34 kW of heat pump input at rated conditions, plus pumps and fans. Check spare sanctioned load before ordering.
- Winter output. Air-source output falls in cold weather: about two-thirds of rated capacity at 5 °C ambient. Size on the coldest design day for northern sites.
Service and warranty
Sunniva has supplied 5,000+ heat pumps since 2012, with nine service technicians across India, including remote sites such as Leh. All components carry a one-year warranty.