Large domestic renewables heating system

Renewable energy into an existing home

Our customer’s growing concerns about rising fuel costs and high carbon emissions led them to contact me about retro-fitting a renewable heating system into their property.
After visiting the house we recommended a heat pump and solar panels.

We designed a system that removed the boiler and in it’s place we installed a 1000ltr buffer vessel with a solar coil. The heat pump and solar panels were then connected to the buffer vessel.

One and a half years on including the 2 worst winters has seen the system cope with flying colours. The solar can cope with the hot water and partial load of the heating up to September, even in January on a sunny but -6 degree day we are still getting a useful 36 degrees to help with the heating.
Retro fitting heat pumps
I have had some interesting discussions regarding using low temperature heat pump on heating systems, usually sayin that all the radiators need changing or you need under-floor.

My experience (over 50 systems installed and working) is that most old systems have been oversized and that they work fine, although the key to high COPs is to have the lowest flow temperature possible and as such you cannot beat under-floor or fan blowers.

– Andrew Beatty