Case studies

Air source Heat pump, Biggar, Scotland

A detached 15 year old three-bedroom home with a young family. These homeowners chose to replace their oil heating system with an air source heat pump. Having previously run out of oil on several occasions, they were also keen to have the oil tank in their back garden removed. In addition to replacing their oil heating system, the homeowners wanted to reduce their energy bills.

The challenge on this job was that we had to keep the heating on as they had young children. We also had to avoid turning the house into a building site, and work around the family as much as possible. In just three days we had upgraded their heating system to a new air source Nibe 8kW ASHP heat pump and at no point was the heating off or hot water unavailable.

Air source Heat pump, Biggar, Scotland

From a design perspective, we also had to work hard to fit the new, slightly larger, radiators in their home in a way that did not affect their living space or were intrusive. The radiators are slightly larger with this system as they run at a lower temperature and use less energy than ordinary radiators.

The result was the family could enjoy their back garden again free of the oil tank that was previously there. The house was at a more comfortable temperature and, more importantly, the family no longer had to worry about running out of oil, particularly in winter. They also didn’t have to worry about the cost of oil in the future or the volatility of the oil prices.

On top of that, the family benefited from the RHI feed-in tariff offered by the government and the interest free loan, with an install cost of £10,800 and an Est funding of £10,000. The new running cost per year is now £1,041 however, with this being said their new RHI income rate is £11,332 consequently more than the install cost. The result was a brand new, clean green energy heating system that cost them the same price as it would upgrading the standard oil boiler.

About the author

Barry Sharp
I founded Renewable Heat in January 2015 with my business partner Richard Hailstones. I have worked in the Plumbing and Heating Engineer sector for more than 15 years. I later went on to specialise in the renewable energy market as it emerged and grew.

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