Air Source Heat Pump and Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Installation in Vale of Glamorgan
Yr Hen Felin, formerly an old water mill, is now home to a thriving bed and breakfast business run by Rozanne Lord. Rozanne is a keen advocate of sustainable living and a large and highly productive vegetable garden coupled with fresh eggs, not to mention her freshly baked bread ensures that she can offer her guests the very best of fresh food and a comfortable stay.
Rozanne needed an area to hold lectures and demonstrations for art and culinary courses so she designed herself a stunning contemporary extension to the property.
The Problem:
Rozanne commented “Yr Hen Felin is currently heated using oil and I don’t want to go down that road for the new extension. As I am always looking for ways in which to make my business as green as possible, the logical step is to look at the world of sustainable energy and how to cut my heating bills.”
The Solution:
WDS Green Energy installed an air source heat pump with an under-floor heating system for the new extension which would also provide heat and hot water for the main house.
“It is a myth that air and ground source heat pump systems cannot be ‘retro fitted’ to existing properties, and in fact, in the case of Yr Hen Felin the existing radiators were large enough that they could be used without supplementing them with extra heat emitters” said Cardiff installers WDS Green Energy, “the majority of properties can benefit from a renewable energy system such as this but the design of the system is critical to its performance.”
The Dimplex 16kW air source heat pump can cover two heating circuits, so a mix of radiators and under-floor heating does not pose a problem when a retro-fit and new build need to be catered for on the same site.
Solar photovoltaic panels were installed in-roof, the low profile black panels being less intrusive than many others on the market
The Benefits:
“One of the most enjoyable features of Yr Hen Felin is the peace and tranquillity of the gardens so I had some concerns as to how noisy a heat pump would be,” Rozanne said, “but having visited a similar system in the Vale my mind was put at rest and I went ahead with the installation. Now that it is up and running I am surprised how quiet it is and my hefty oil bills are now a thing of the past, in fact I wish I had done it sooner.”
The unobtrusive black photovoltaic panels will off-set some of the heat pump’s running costs, which, with its ‘owl-wing’ acoustic technology leaves the quiet and tranquil beauty of Yr Hen Felin untouched.
