Daikin_Altherma_LT_refurbishment_16th_centuary_cottage

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Air-to-water Heat Pump Provides renewable heating for off-gas location When Gareth and Emma Jordan and their three young children bought two virtually derelict cottages in the heart of the Kent countryside, they assumed they would have little choice but to heat the property with an oil-fired central heating system. . It wasn’t until someone suggested using an air-to-water heat pump from Daikin that they realized there was an environmentally sustainable and cost effective solution to heating their 16th Century dream home.

The two cottages, which were originally a bakery and the baker’s cottage, had been unoccupied for two years and had never had any form of central heating. Situated at the end of a private track, in the beautiful rolling hills around Cranbrook and close to the mill which would have provided flour for the bakery, the potentially idyllic cottage had no gas supply. It looked as though the family would have to install an oil-fired system which would not only have been expensive to run, with the additional hassle of having to order the heating oil, but would also have had a high carbon emission impact – something they were keen to avoid if possible.

This option was disappointing for Gareth, who runs an office design and build company in the heart of the West End of London, as he and Emma had envisaged the move to this beautiful setting would allow them to lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Gareth explains: “I just assumed that we would

have to have oil fired central heating. I didn’t think there was a realistic alternative. I was

chatting about it with Paul Worth who is the MD of 360 Engineering, a company I use to install air conditioning on my work projects, and he instantly recommended we use a Daikin Altherma air-to-water heat pump system.

“I was taken by surprise as we were not really aware that there was an alternative to oil here.

When we moved in there was no central heating at all and there was just an immersion heater for hot water.

But Paul explained that we could use the airto-water heat pump in conjunction with a conventional radiator system to heat the house and provide hot water. I was also impressed with the fact that is such a straightforward system to install. It combines with standard radiators, just like a traditional central heating system, so there was no impact on the refurbishment of our home”

Air-to-water heat pumps work by taking heat from the outside air and transferring it indoors even at cold temperatures down to -20° C. They require a small amount of electricity, but because they take “free” heat from the air, they are extremely cost efficient and produce comparatively low carbon emissions. In fact the Daikin Altherma heat pump used in the Jordan’s house produces more than three units of heat for every unit of electricity used. Even the most efficient gas boiler only produces 0.93 units of heat for each unit of gas it requires.

Paul Worth, MD of 360 Engineering, the company that installed the heat pump, explains further: “I use Daikin’s

heat pumps and air conditioning systems in commercial buildings and domestic applications all the time and didn’t hesitate to recommend that Gareth and his family should use them in their home. We have a good working relationship with Daikin and their heat pumps are a proven technology – they are used in thousands of office buildings throughout the country”.

“Daikin Altherma range of products is designed specifically for domestic properties and is ideal for houses like this which do not have a gas supply. However, with the volatility of fuel prices and the support that the Government has in line to encourage the take up of renewable technologies, I believe it will undoubtedly become mainstream.”

The UK is committed to reducing the amount of carbon emitted from our homes by one third over the next ten years and to producing 15% of our energy through renewable technologies such as air source heat pumps. The Government has recently confirmed it is developing new initiatives for homeowners. The ‘Green Deal’ and Renewable Heat Initiative will help provide the financial incentives to improve the energy efficiency in our homes. Heat pumps, such as the Daikin Altherma range qualify for an £850 premium payment grant and from autumn 2012 will also qualify for a payment per unit of heat produced, which means homeowners can receive money for generating their own heat.

However, in order to qualify for the funding available, renewable products used must usually be accredited under a programme called the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) and the company that installs the product must also be MCS accredited. The MCS scheme gives consumers the assurance that products and companies comply with a set of rigorous standards. All of Daikin Altherma products are MCS accredited and homeowners can access Daikin’s UK wide network of installers on www.daikinheating.co.uk.

The Jordan’s system works with a conventional radiator system, which was installed by a local plumber, then 360 Engineering simply fitted the heat pump to the system. The Daikin Altherma system comprises an outdoor unit that can be situated up to 70 metres away from the house, plus an indoor unit, which is usually fitted where a conventional boiler would be. In addition a Daikin hot water cylinder is needed for hot water provision. All the components are supplied by Daikin.

But for Gareth and Emma, as well as Kitty, 10, Jamie, 8, and 2 yearold Alexander, the most important fact is that their home is beautifully warm, has plenty of hot water when they need it and they are not producing unnecessarily high carbon emissions.

“The most amazing thing is that the heat pump worked beautifully throughout last winter, said Gareth.

“Kent experienced the coldest winter for 30 years and even in the deep snow we had, the house was beautifully warm. We did not experience any problems whatsoever.”

Since originally installing the heat pump, Emma and Gareth have extended their home with a new kitchen. They have installed underfloor heating in this fabulous new room and it too is powered by the heat pump.

For more information visit www.daikin.co.uk