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

A large house with good insulation, but large glazed areas and a full complement of electric hungry teenagers (with computers, music etc). We installed a Worcester Bosch 11kw ground source heat pump system and Greenstore solar cylinder, combined with a RM Solar 2 panel on a roof Solar panel kit.

The data from the 1st year’s running, which shows that the solar panels ran all the hot water for 6 months without any help from the heat pump system. The electrical installation from design up uses the latest low energy technologies to maintain low running costs.

Oversizing the Ground Loop

I have had some interesting discussions on oversizing the brine system. Usually consisting of “it’s more expensive, it’s not needed!”.
My take on this is:

a) The higher the incoming temperature the higher the COP (We recorded 11 degrees in November on the working heat pump on this project).
b) No danger of freezing the ground.
c) Less work for the heat pump system.

– Andrew Beatty

Having designed and built my house from scratch I felt it was vital to find a company with the correct expertise and engineering skills. As well as the know how to install the renewable energy systems correctly. I made the right choice as the system does exactly what it said on the tin and more!

Greenfields have been a first class company to deal with from design through to completion. I feel I have made an excellent investment for the future with the help of Greenfields Heat and Power Ltd.

Greenfields were awarded the contract to supply and install a 4kW solar photovoltaic system. The system was installed ‘in-roof’, sympathetically designed to maintain the properties character and aspect. The installation was part of a full electrical re-wire. The system will pay for itself within 6 years and in addition the solar controller ensure that 65% of the households annual domestic hot water requirement is satisfied without the need for an alternative fuel source.

Project: 4kw in roof solar PV
Duration: 1 week
Value: £5k
Main contractor: N/A
Details: Design and build 4kw in roof solar PV