- Heat is extracted from a natural heat source (eg. ambient air) by an evaporator.
- The heat is absorbed by a working gas.
- Compression of the working gas causes it to liquefy and its temperature to rise.
- The hot working fluid flows to the condenser (or heat exchanger), where the heat is transferred to water circulated from the water storage tank.
- The compressed working fluid passes through an expansion valve where it becomes even colder, and returns to a gaseous state to complete the cycle.
- The by-product of this process, is cold air that can be constructively deployed for cooling purposes.