A barn conversion in Millmeece near Stafford is now benefiting from a sustainable form of heating through a ground source heat pump from Danfoss.
The property was previously on oil and off the gas grid, which meant the Cawdell family were subject to large fluctuations in oil prices. They also found that their boiler could not supply adequate hot water for a family of four, even running one bath caused difficulties. The Cawdells previously had the oil boiler set to come on for two hours in the morning and at night, but this proved to be inadequate and resulted in the property feeling uncomfortably cold during the ‘off’ times. As a result, they had to supplement this with electric fan heaters, which added further to their energy costs.
Mr and Mrs Cawdell therefore began to look for a more economical and efficient heating system. They had carried out research into biomass boilers, but did not want the inconvenience of buying wood pellets, particularly after their experiences of oil and its rising prices. They contacted local Danfoss-approved installer Purple Energy, who recommended a Danfoss DHP-H Opti Pro heat pump as their heating solution.
James Cawdell said: “We were really pleased with the installation fo the ground source heat pump. It only took a week for both the trenching to be carried out and the heat pump system to be fitted. The heat pump is out of the way, all tucked up neat and tidy in the garage, so we don’t even know it’s there! The controls were set by Purple Energy, who showed us how to use them, but we’ve not needed to touch it since as it works perfectly!”
The Cawdells did keep their old oil boiler as a back-up, but notably have not used it since.
What has most impressed the Cawdells is their energy savings. Before the heat pump was installed they were spending up to £2,000 per year on oil and £750 on electric. Now their bills total £1,044, a £956 saving. The installation was approximately £15,000, providing them with a 15 year pack back time, or quicker if taking advantage of Government grants, such as the RHPP or Green Deal.
Matthew Goodwin from Purple Energy, said: “A ground source heat pump was the perfect choice for this property as James had land available and the DHP-H Opti Pro has the capacity to meet their needs for providing effective space heating and hot water.”
The Opti Pro’s intelligent control system uses speed controlled circulation pumps to adjust its performance to the prevailing weather conditions. This ensures that the minimum amount of electricity is required to run the pump and also means that property owners can simply ‘set and forget’ the controls, as the heat pump automatically maintains the required internal temperature in the most energy efficient way. The result is that it will keep the property warm for the family, whilst minimising energy consumption.