Bringing home the heat-pump message

Tony Barnes shares his experience of the application of ground-source heat pumps for domestic heating and reducing carbon emissions.Of all available micro-renewable energy technologies available for use in homes, heat pumps currently have arguably the most to offer both in the delivery of affordable heating and achieving low carbon-dioxide emissions. Heat pumps take low-level heat that occurs naturally underground or in the surrounding ambient air and covert it to high-grade useable heat. For every kilowatt hour of electricity used, such heat pumps will generate three to four kilowatt hours of heat. Based on current fuel prices, heat pumps are a cheaper form of space heating than oil, LPG and electric storage heaters — and provide the ultimate low-carbon energy solution. Surge in popularity While heat pumps are enjoying a surge in popularity as a renewable-energy source, the technology has been around for a long time. Calorex, for example, has 30 years’ experience with heat pumps and has more UK-based domestic installations than any other supplier. It is important that heat pumps installed in the UK are designed specifically for use in UK housing and climatic conditions. Calorex ground- and air-source heat pumps, for example, produce thermal power outputs up to 12 kW and can generate domestic hot water at up to 65˚C without any supplementary electric resistance heating. Controlled by a simple central heating programmer and room thermostat, these units integrate with radiator or underfloor heating systems. Mid Suffolk District Council has recently completed the installation of Calorex ground source heat pumps at 16 bungalows, as part of a rolling programme to eliminate electric heating from its housing stock. The pilot project at Stradbroke Suffolk, was overseen and implemented on behalf of Mid Suffolk by NPS Property Consultants Ltd. So smooth was the transfer to the ground-source heating system that a further hundred properties from the Suffolk housing stock have already been identified to follow the Stradbroke model. Clive Taylor, building surveying manager for NPS, says, ‘Ground-source heat pumps are ecologically a great answer to a lot of problems and a vital weapon in the fight to combat global warming. We have been very impressed with this pilot scheme, and we can confidently encourage their use wherever feasible from now on. We had a look at alternatives and on both environmental and economic grounds we really could not consider anything other than the ground-source heating option. The project attracted EEC funding via Eon, which made ground source even more attractive by giving a controlled budget. All the risks associated with drilling and installation were removed, so that when NPS started the project the exact cost was known.’ Energy efficiency A 12-bungalow development in Reedness, Goole, now benefits from ground source heating following the completion of a nine-month-long modernisation and energy-efficiency makeover for the housing stock owned by East Riding of Yorkshire Council. ‘The main aim was to give tenants an affordable and efficient heating system, and we feel we have delivered on that,’ comments Danny Hill, principal housing maintenance officer. ‘In today’s climate, we wanted to look at energy-efficient alternatives rather than to continue burning fossil fuels that are expensive to run and do not help in reducing carbon emissions. ‘This is very much a pilot scheme for us, and even at this early stage, we already feel it has been a good move for the tenants. ‘Although the initial capital cost is higher, we believe this will pay off in the longer term through a reduction in maintenance costs — not least because of the 20- to 25-year lifespan of the ground-source units. ‘It is good news for the tenants too,’ he added. ‘One resident has already seen her weekly electricity costs drop by 30% since moving away from storage heaters, and another has made considerable savings by not having to rent an LPG tank.’ Responsible for more than 3700 homes in the area, Carrick Housing, based in Truro, Cornwall, has already installed more than 200 Calorex ground-source heat pumps in properties across the region and is currently installing Calorex air-source units at an apartment complex in Perranporth. Carbon savings Driven by the Decent Homes programme, with particular emphasis on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, Carrick has replaced solid fuel, Charnwood, electricity and oil heating systems with Calorex domestic heat pumps. Carbon emissions from these projects alone have been reduced from about 1000 t to around 200 t a year. This huge annual carbon saving of 800 t per year continues to be improved and has been achieved using dual-temperature domestic heat pumps that deliver all dwelling heating and hot water. End-user fuel bills have also been reduced considerably, which is a major influence in technology selection as the Government strives to eliminate fuel poverty in the UK. Tony Barnes is the sales director of Calorex Heat Pumps.

Related links:

• www.calorex.com

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