Ground source heat pump installed at Northchurch common house, Berkhamsted
The Background
An independent development of a 2,500 sqft luxury home in a semi-rural setting has capitalised on the advantages of a NIBE Ground Source Heat Pump to supply its heating and hot water.
Northchurch Common House, a stunning contemporary new build home in Berkhamsted replaced a crumbling three bedroom bungalow. Designed by the award winning Nicholas Tye Architects the property features a steel frame and large cantilever section which houses the main bedroom suite. The wood and render finish nestles within a hamlet setting and has provided a restful home and place of work for the client and his family.
As part of its planning permissions there was a requirement to install a renewable energy source and support carbon reduction. A Ground Source Heat Pump System from NIBE was chosen to facilitate its energy needs.
Installers, Better Planet, specified and installed a system which saw the commissioning of a Ground Source Heat Pump coupled with Underfloor heating and Solar Panels.
Solution
Tomas Larsson at Better Planet: “We specified a NIBE Ground Source Heat Pump Systems after a careful assessment of the property including a room by room heat loss calculation. NIBE’s product quality and technological development such as NIBE ‘Uplink’ not only ensured a state of the art system was installed but the ongoing management of the system was also supported.”
The project required the installation of a NIBE F1145-12kW ground source heat pump, 300 litre heat pump cylinder, 200 litre buffer tank, two 300m long horizontal collector loops and NIBE Uplink system which allows remote monitoring online. Combined with the Underfloor heating and Solar Panels an entirely bespoke heating system was created to suit this client’s specific requirements.
The Ground Source Heat Pump System works through a buried coiled pipe system (laterally in this case) which extracts heat from the ground to provide efficient and reliable heating and hot water. It circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a ground loop. The heat is absorbed into the fluid which then passes through a heat exchanger and into a heat pump. Because the ground stays at a consistent temperature under the surface, and is not dependent on weather conditions, such heat pumps can be used with success throughout the year.
Results
The systems were designed and installed by NIBE VIP Installer, Better Planet whose experience in this field allowed for a seamless system installation right from site survey through to commissioning and ongoing maintenance support.
The NIBE F1145 ground source heat pump fitted at Northchurch Common House can operate in areas where there is sufficient space for buried pipework and is particularly suitable for domestic applications off the gas grid and those with enough surrounding land. It is available in 5kW, 8kW,10kW, 12kW and 15kW all of which boast a A*** energy rating. A 17kW solution is also available. Furthermore, the range is installer and user friendly and can offer indoor comfort and hot water as well as cooling and ventilation.
Testimonial
Tomas explains; “Our client was entirely committed to installing a system that gave them an energy efficient way of managing their heating and hot water and also fulfil the planning requirements outlined by their local council. NIBE’s Ground Source Heat Pump system delivered low running costs and allowed them to enjoy a multitude of benefits associated with renewable systems.”
Better Planet’s client commented; “We have enjoyed significant benefits from the installation of this system which was handled efficiently thanks to the team at Better Planet. RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) payments have been considerable keeping our energy costs to a much lower level than we had in previous similar sized homes. For us, renewable energy and in particular ground source heat pumps combined with solar panels have really worked and we would definitely recommend the system to others. It’s great that we can enjoy heat which comes from the ground even on the coldest of winter days – it really is quite remarkable when you consider how this technology works.”