Rural holiday cottage sees lower bills
Background to the project
Holiday cottages offer a break from routine, a chance to explore England and in the case of one, the most stunning views over the Kent countryside. Treetop Cottage, a former gamekeeper’s cottage located in the grounds of the owner’s characterful old house close to the popular Kent village of Boughton Monchelsea, had been a popular holiday cottage for several years due to its intimate interiors and idyllic peaceful setting. The three bedroom property is ideally located for exploring the ‘Garden of England’ and is a rural retreat ideal to escape the hustle and bustle of 21st century life. Owners Paul and Caroline Lewis have lived in their home adjacent to the holiday cottage for the last three decades. The cottage commands views for miles and miles across the Weald of Kent, and has received reviews extolling its picturesque situation stating it has ‘one of the finest views in Kent’. As costs to fuel the Oil fired boiler began to escalate, coupled with a genuine desire to make the holiday let more environmentally friendly, the property owners chose a NIBE Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) to provide a sustainable solution to its heating and hot water requirements.
Now, in addition to its stunning views of the surrounding environment, it also benefits from the most sustainable of heating systems, negating the challenges posed by it’s off grid situation. Before installation the owners conducted detailed research into an alternative energy supply determining that an ASHP was the most suitable given the properties steep incline situation, it’s limited access and the dense and rocky composition of the ground. EnergyMyWay of Bromley consulted with the homeowners prior to specifying, installing and commissioning the NIBE Air Source Heat Pump predicting energy cost savings of almost £700 per annum and RHI payments anticipated at £1200 per annum over 7 years.
NIBE products used:
Key stats:
- Installed by Energy My Way
- ~£700 per year in energy savings compared to old system
- Retrofit project
The solution to the project
“Caroline had really done her research and I was happy to discuss the findings with her before we agreed that an Air Source Heat Pump system would deliver the requirements. I recommended the NIBE product having worked with them before and being impressed with the quality and reliability of their products,” commented Jamie Thompson Regional Director EnergyMyWay. “This was a retro fit project during which a few challenges had to be overcome, however the compact nature of the NIBE ASHP and the complementary indoor module system to provide hot water for the property, allowed the old hot water cylinder to be removed creating more space for guests using the holiday cottage.”
The project required the installation of a NIBE F2040 – 12kw air source heat pump with a NIBE VVM320 module unit. The latter benefitted from an integrated buffer tank for the heating system, climate controlled automatic flow line temperature which considered the outdoor temperature and was self regulating and speed controlled giving the homeowner and users peace of mind and reliability. The new pump was connected to existing radiators throughout the property. Air Source Heat Pumps work by absorbing heat from the outside air. This can be extracted from outside air temperatures as low as -20°C. The heat from the air is absorbed into a fluid which is then passed through a compressor, its temperature increased which is then passed into the heating and hot water circuits of the property. In the Treetops Cottage situation an Air-to-Water system was used distributing heat through a wet central heating system.
The Results
EnergyMyWay, a NIBE VIP installer, was able to work closely with Paul and Caroline through the entire process ensuring a smooth installation with minimal disruption and now the company offers ongoing maintenance support.
The NIBE F2040 Air Source Heat Pump not only fulfilled Paul and Caroline’s aim of using sustainable energy but will also see significant energy bill reductions and RHI payments. The energy rating of the property has increased as a result and will be a draw for holiday makers looking for a staycation home which supports sustainability and energy conservation.
This particular pump is also available in 8kW,12kW and 16kW all of which enjoy an A*** energy rating. The units are sited on the exterior of properties and their compact nature ensures they are unobtrusive as possible.
Testimonial
Paul Lewis, homeowner commented;
Installing a renewable energy system in this remote part of Kent, where access was limited and where we asked that as little disruption as possible be done in our garden and the property, could have posed an insurmountable challenge for some installers. Jamie at EnergyMyWay ensured that this installation was seamless, taking just a week and a half, and with the minimum upheaval for us. We await the final confirmation of our RHI payments but know that we are already saving money and making an environmental contribution now that we have chosen this method of renewable energy for our domestic heating and hot water. It is definitely something that we would consider for our own property in the future.
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