Ground source heat pump in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire
This stunning 33 room mansion in Gloucestershire had been lovingly restored to its former glory by its owners, who now wanted to install an efficient and environmentally friendly heating and hot water system to compliment the building, and so turned to WDS Green Energy for advice.
The problem
With a heat demand in excess of 50kW, a traditional fossil fuel heating and hot water system would be costly and inefficient. The available land at the property made it perfect for a highly efficient and reliable ground source heat pump system, using the consistent latent heat energy in the ground and converting it into a high temperature heating and hot water system. With so many rooms and facilities at the property the hot water demands were also high, but no problem for a well designed and installed system.
The solution
WDS Green Energy recommended a 54kW ground source heat pump system using one 24kW Nibe F1235 and one 30KW Nibe F1235 heat pump. A geological report of the site confirmed its suitability for a borehole system, so WDS installed an array of ten 124m boreholes in the grounds of the property to accommodate the pipework to draw heat from the ground, which was then connected to a newly installed plant room. A brand new heating distribution system has also been installed meaning that the maximum flow temperature required is 50degC.
The benefits
This highly efficient ground source heat pump is not only three times more efficient than traditional oil or LPG heating systems but also much cheaper to run. Ground source heat pumps require much less maintenance than LPG or gas systems, and also qualify for the Government backed Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The RHI rates for a domestic property like this one and on a system this size mean the cost of the system would be made back within five years before continuing to provide a tax-free income for the owners.
