Off grid house sees reduced heating bills
Background to the project
Gorse Hill is a rural, four-bedroom, two-bathroom home situated in an off-grid location just 100m from the edge of the Devil’s Punchbowl in Surrey. Space heating and hot water was previously provided by an expensive and inefficient electric system. With electricity bills continuing to rise, owners Colin and Sally Taylor were looking to find a more cost-secure alternative – and one that would fit unobtrusively in the bungalow’s compact utility room with minimal plumbing work. The couple approached local heat pump specialist and NIBE VIP Installer Mark Freeman, operations director at Source Heat Pumps, for the answer.
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NIBE products used:
Key stats:
- First home in the UK to be fitted with a NIBE VVM S320
- PV Panel integration
- Installed by Source Heat Pumps
The solution to the project
After looking into several different options and system components, Mark and the Taylors decided on a 12kW NIBE F2040 air source heat pump and VVM320 indoor unit combination, which uses heat from the outside air to provide efficient heating and hot water.
The couple’s bungalow was the first home in the UK to be fitted with the VVM320 – NIBE’s complete plug-and-play indoor unit. Because of its compact, all-in-one nature, the VVM unit fitted easily into the utility room, meaning the hot water storage cylinder and user-friendly controls are all found in one place. To ensure the system was set up for best results, Mark advised the Taylors to fit insulation and underfloor heating, which runs at a similar low flow temperature to the F2040 package. The major renovation project has also seen the couple fit solar PV panels that provide green electricity.
The Results
Since the project’s completion, a Green Deal Assessment has shown that the improvements have taken the property’s efficiency up to just below an A rating (where it was previously rated at E).
As well as being less expensive to run, the Taylors were also able to claim a grant towards the up-front cost of the F2040 system under the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme, and expect to qualify for ongoing annual payments of as much as £896 for seven years through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
Testimonial
Going green really has been a financial decision for us. Ever-growing electricity costs were the driving force behind our search for a more efficient heating alternative, and since fitting our NIBE heat pump we haven’t looked back! As well as being less expensive to run, we were also able to claim a grant towards the up-front cost of the system under the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme, and expect to qualify for ongoing annual payments through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). We are very happy with our new system and are looking forward to enjoying its benefits for years to come.
Colin Taylor
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