When the owners of Browsholme Hall, the oldest surviving family home in Lancashire, decided to refurbish a 300-year-old tithe barn to create a venue for wedding receptions they decided on a sustainable source of heat energy.
Due to its rural location near Clitheroe in the Ribble Valley, the owners Robert and Amanda Parker were keen to benefit from a more affordable and sustainable heat source than was provided by LPG or oil, and ground source heat pumps from Danfoss Heat Pumps provided the answer. The system was fitted by the company’s approved installer Coefficient Renewable Heating Solutions Ltd of Sheffield.
Mrs Parker said: “We looked at lots of different energy sources. We considered wood chip boilers, but that involved storing a lot of fuel and can also be quite costly. We then spoke to someone locally who said they had a Danfoss ground source heat pump and they were very pleased with the way it was working. Robert also had an insight into the efficiency of renewable energy, due to his role as technical advisor to The Historic Houses Association.
“We were advised to install a ground source heat pump and also, we were not allowed to fit an air source heat pump outside the grade II listed barn. As we had land available behind the barn in which the ground source loops could be fitted, this worked out perfectly. The pump now runs underfloor heating and provides hot water.”
The heat pump works by circulating a refrigerant fluid around a circuit containing four elements: evaporator heat exchanger, compressor, condenser heat exchanger and expansion valve. Heat absorbed from the ground is transferred to the liquid refrigerant which evaporates to form a gas. This gas is then compressed which causes its temperature to rise. The hot gas passes into the condenser where it starts to change back to a liquid as heat is transferred into the building.
After passing through the expansion valve, the liquid refrigerant returns to the evaporator and the cycle begins again.
Heat pumps are effective both in summer and winter, day and night because the ground temperature remains constant at only a few feet below the surface.
The Tithe Barn is close to Browsholme Hall, the family’s ancestral home since 1507, which provides a spectacular setting for weddings, private parties, musical concerts and theatre.
The two barns have been connected so that they can be used as a single large venue or as separate smaller ones; a new kitchen block has been constructed and two outhouses converted to accommodate an office and toilets. The barns’ spectacular oak-beamed open roof space adds to the atmosphere of the venue, as does the texture of the original stone walls which have not been surfaced. The roof and floors were insulated, but it was not possible to insulate the walls, yet the heat pump still delivers a high coefficient of performance.
Underfloor heating is a particularly efficient method of heating the barns because the warmth is concentrated at ground level rather than rapidly moving up towards the open rafters and the character of the historic stone walls was maintained without the need for radiators. Because the heat pump runs continuously the venue is always warm and welcoming if potential clients drop in to look around.
As well as powering the underfloor heating, the heat pump supplies all the hot water for this sizeable venue which is spacious enough to seat parties of more than 200 guests. Within just a few months of completion, 18 couples had booked wedding receptions at The Tithe Barn and Mrs Parker says she is confident that it will be fully booked by the end of its first year of operation.
As part of the renovation, the Parkers were keen to ensure that they created a venue with the lowest possible carbon footprint. In addition to the ground source heat pump the barn development has been fitted with a rainwater harvesting system which supplies water to the toilet block, and a range of recycling measures have been put in place to ensure functions are as environment-friendly as possible.
Coefficient Renewable Heating Solutions, who are experienced in the supply of heat pump to older properties, designed and installed the heat pump system and underfloor heating. Danfoss Heat Pumps worked closely with the company, providing technical information and advice as required.
Mrs Parker said: “We are really pleased with the way the system is working - it continued to bring the buildings up to a comfortable temperature even when the winter weather dropped well below freezing. We’re monitoring the system’s efficiency and so far it looks at being around 300 per cent efficient – which is much higher than we could ever have expected with conventional heating methods.”
Chris Dale, Director of Danfoss Heat Pumps UK, said: “We are supplying heat pumps to a growing number of refurbished properties and this project just goes to show how well they can work in really old buildings. The owners will find this a much more sustainable and affordable source of heating for the future.”
Andrew Hubble of Coefficient Renewable Heating Solutions added: “A building such as the Tithe Barn benefits greatly from the gradual continuous heating provided by this type of heat pump system. We have found that, with careful planning, the appropriate equipment and sympathetic installation it is possible to integrate a modern efficient heating system within an historic building.”
Danfoss Heat Pumps has built its reputation on manufacturing high quality heat pumps for both commercial and domestic applications. The company has a network of approved installers throughout the UK, which it supports through training, as well as with technical and design advice, commissioning and after-sales service.
Grants will be available to support ongoing running costs through the Renewable Heat Incentive, for more information, visit www.renewableheatincentive.co.uk.
More advice can be found on the website www.uk.heatpumps.danfoss.com or by calling: 0114 2703900. Coefficient Heating Solutions can be contacted at: info@coefficientheating.co.uk or by telephone on 07854 733764.
The Tithe Barn can be booked for receptions, meetings and conferences via the website at www.browsholme.com.
