Multi-source Heat Pump Solution
A suburban 1960s detached house in Sheffield has been transformed thanks to the installation of an innovative combination of NIBE ground source heat pump (GSHP) and Photovoltaic-Thermal (PV-T) collectors. A whole house retrofit project was undertaken to allow for owners Richard and Jill Lomas, alongside their three children, to move into their ideal, energy efficient home. The family carried out a building project which included a small side extension using Richard’s expertise as an architect, but the main focus was on increasing the energy performance of the home to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions.
To achieve the higher energy performance, the project initially focused on removing two chimney stacks, installing external wall insulation, replacing the existing floors at ground floor level with insulated concrete slabs, and installing triple glazing and well-insulated doors. This not only reduced draughts making the home more comfortable but also minimised energy demand and lowering bills. This was all before the NIBE product installations – a huge feat!
The Solution
Richard and Jill no longer wanted to be reliant on fossil fuel natural gas, so they looked at various heat pump options. NIBE offered the family a chance to trial an innovative multi-source heat pump system, which led to the installation of multiple other measures to complement this.
To heat the home, a S1155-6kW GSHP was installed, which allows for energy savings through smart technology and a high seasonal performance factor, resulting in minimal operating costs. A 3 x 3 PV-T panel array was installed as the collector for the GSHP removing the need for boreholes and groundworks, transforming the GSHP into a multi-source heat pump – a new innovative approach. The elimination of the boreholes and groundworks was ideal for the small plot.
The PV-T collector system is an alternative, innovative heat source for use with NIBE GSHPs, harvesting solar energy from the sun to generate electricity while extracting aerothermal heat energy to drive the heat pump process silently. The PV-T panel works in conjunction with a 3kW NIBE solar inverter to convert the generated electricity into a usable form for the heat pump. A NIBE VPB 300 hot water cylinder was integrated easily with the multi-source heat pump to ensure the family has hot water available at any time.
An EME 20 Solar Communication Module allows the system to run smoothly by enabling communication between the heat pump and PV-T panel, taking into account the incoming solar energy and available aerothermal heat at any given time, maximising the periods of peak generation with the demand of the household and system flow temperatures. To bring the whole system together, this property also installed a NIBE ERS 10-400 MVHR unit – a heat recovery ventilation unit. This works seamlessly with the multi-source heat pump to automatically adjust the indoor climate for maximum comfort and reduced energy consumption.
The Results
The Sheffield home is now completely unrecognisable after the completed renovation, down to Richard’s architectural skill, and the NIBE product retrofits. Richard and the rest of his family have noticed how warm the house is and love how hot water is always on demand thanks to their new installations. Despite not living in the property before this project, Richard let us know that bills are lower than in his previous home, testament to the whole house retrofit ensuring unwavering indoor comfort and energy efficiency.
Testimonial
“If we hadn't been part of a field trial where we get the benefit of NIBE support - I think we would have been in dire straits. The MyUplink app is very useful for viewing and making changes to the heating, hot water and ventilation and the S-Controller is great as it integrates the PV, heating, hot water and MVHR systems. We have lots of hot water and really good water pressure/flow in the showers. The system is very neat and tidy in the plant room. The NIBE engineers have been very friendly, professional and helpful.” Richard Lomas (homeowner)
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