Case study simon, our client and owner of a beautiful 16th century manor house, agreed to take the time to talk to us about his experiences with the reina group.
as we approached the stunning property in aldington, kent we were welcomed by simon the occupant of the house for over 60 years. the interior of the 34 roomed georgian house reminded me of a scene out of pride & prejudice with many of the original features still apparent. we sat in the kitchen which you would expect to be comfortable, with a double aga standing proud but following a guided tour it was evident that all the rooms felt warm which gave the house a comfortable and cosy feel.
the original heating system was a combined trianco air source heat pump connected to oil central heating. due to the size of the property and inefficiency of the old heat pump, the current heating system did not work effectively and with oil prices inflating yearly, heating costs were expensive reaching over £3600 per annum.
after economic consideration and the quality of heat in the house the homeowner decided to investigate the pro’s & cons of a new heating system. the property is set in the rural village of aldington which is off-gas, giving homeowners limited heating options. initially, simon was cautious of investing in another ashp, with many of his friends advising him against them. he decided to ask a reputable local builder for advice, who recommended the reina group to him.
our initial recommendations were to install a ground source heat pump, as the house had a large field at the back of the house, perfect to accommodate the underground looped pipes, although on closer examination having to run through an orchard. it was also suggested that larger radiators were installed in each room to improve the heat output, irrespective of heat source.
after further discussions and recommendations took place it was agreed to install a nibe ashp using the oil heating as a backup, when outside temperatures drop below 7 degrees. simon was keen to keep the original radiators to experiment and see if the nibe ashp worked effectively, using only the oil boiler as a backup, in cases of extreme cold weather. so far, the oil boiler has not been used, however mild weather may have influenced this. simon expects that the true test will come, during the coming colder months after christmas.
nibe produce efficient sustainable heating systems and have engineered the newest in technology with their air source heat pumps. nibe is the market leader for domestic heating products in europe and say customers could reduce energy consumption by up to 50%.
the benefits of installing an air source heat pump include:
• reduce energy consumption by up to 50%
• income through the government’s renewable heat incentive
• no flue gasses or fuel storage
• heat your home and domestic hot water
• reduce your carbon footprint
• maintain a comfortable indoor environment
installation was smooth and fluid leaving simon with a satisfied impression of the reina group. he praised the experienced and professional workmanship of our hp engineer. “the complete installation process was slick and well-done, i was particularly impressed by the removal of the old water tank and hp, which was successfully recycled, locally”.
today, a cold but sunny november morning the heating in the property, is on consistently and provides a manageable heat throughout. in the first quarter simon’s experience is encouraging with the economical view that his hot water and heating has cost in the region of £450 with no oil being used. the hp has consumed 3033 kwhrs and produced 9548 kwhr which provides a staggering 3/1 plus output.
simon has also applied for the renewable heat incentive (rhi) which is a government initiative offering a tariff payment each year, for a set period.
the rhi will be paid to simon and calculated at a set rate per unit of renewable heat produced (kwh) for seven years. for air source heat pumps (ashp) the rate is 10.49p / kwh.
on reflection simon could not speak more highly of his experience with the reina group “the reina group appear to be courteous but cautious”. his only criticism being the rhi paperwork was a little difficult to understand and was rather lengthy. the reina group ensured that help was available, and all paperwork submitted was correct.
Case study lymbridge green farm is a stunning 400 year old farm house located in a quaint kent village. the house comprises of 4 big bedrooms and 5 reception rooms downstairs all with the original features; low ceilings, beams and an impressive open inglenook fireplace in the lounge.
a log burner in the kitchen was the main source of heat along with an arga which heated the kitchen, leaving the other reception and bedrooms chilly during the winter months. the homeowner was consistently having to feed the burner with wood which consisted of several trips to the log store a day and a consistent supply of logs, just to keep the house heated. the owner said “so much time evolved around the logs and keeping the house warm”!
the homeowners when looking at a new heating system did not consider renewable heat pumps as a solution as they did not believe such an old property would fit into the criteria. knowing of the reina group they enquired about different economic heating systems for homes that were off gas. they were surprised when an air source heat pump was recommended as the most economic heating solution and with the money back rhi scheme, their decision was made for them.
installation
the new heating system was carefully designed and installed to ensure that the character of the cottage was not affected. it was agreed to install a couple of new radiators into the bedrooms to increase maximum efficiency. we chose a nibe f0240 ashp which was perfect for this type of house. the pump was located under the study window at the rear of the property, being the most inconspicuous place, with the control panel hidden in a small cupboard in the dining room with easy access. installation was quick and seamless with little disruption during the time our engineers were on site.
results
the client has now had the heat pump for over a year and is amazed with the results. since the heat pump was installed the whole house is kept to a nice comfortable temperature of 21° throughout the day. all the rooms in the house are the same temperature which is a novelty for the owner. the heat pump operates the heating and hot water which is a luxury for our client having had limited hot water and inconsistent heating throughout. “having a heat pump has been an absolute life changer” commented the client. the many hours filling up the wood burner to keep the house warm are no-longer required which creates more free time.
Case study visiting ocean mist was an absolute delight, a modern 5 bedroomed family detached modern house built 10 years ago, maintained and groomed to a very high standard.
with an existing gas boiler not working efficiently and ongoing issues with water pressure the client started looking into replacing his old system with a renewable heating solution, with a vision for a modern, environmentally friendly method of heating his home. the house already had pv solar panels to heat the hot water which he had invested in previously, and so far experienced a positive scenario. he was keen to look at renewable heating having had a background of dealing with eco-friendly products and reading about the future of sustainable influences and products in the market.
his website research led him to the reina group, being a local design and installation service of heat pumps. his first impression with the reina group was a positive one with a meeting arranged on the day of his first enquiry. the client already had a little knowledge of heat pumps but was encouraged about the reina group’s in-depth knowledge and experience of heat pumps. “it was all about finding the right system and the right company who were offering a competitive price” commented the client.
installation
our engineers arrived on site in august and with very little disruption, took out the existing boiler and installed the new nibe f2040 12kw heat pump, taking only 1 week from start to finish, a seamless installation. the client remarked about how courteous, tidy and professional our engineers were throughout the installation.
the heat pump unit is fixed onto the rear wall of the property and does not ruin the asphaltic image of the maintained patio and garden area. there was a soft hum coming from the unit which was no noisier than a fridge which cannot be heard if you were sitting out in the garden area. the smo 20 control panel for the nibe heat pump was housed in a small downstairs cupboard, neatly installed, together with all the house, alarm controls & electrical circuit boards. the large 250 litre cylinder is accommodated into a narrow cupboard in one of the bedrooms, completely out of sight and not impacting on any of the living space.
results
since the installation of the heat pump the house is kept to a nice comfortable temperature of 21° throughout the day. the house boasts a large open plan kitchen/living area, with a large lounge off the entrance hall, with heat generated from the underfloor heating.
upstairs is kept at a perfect temperature with radiators in all bedrooms. the client is now reaping the benefits of living in an energy efficient home and getting used to this lifestyle change, living with a comfortable temperature all the time instead of surges of heat twice daily, when the heating came on, with his old system. in addition, the client installed an electric towel rail in the bathroom upstairs to dry damp towels which is a great solution for this purpose.
the client is looking forward to calculating his usage of electricity with the new heat pump system, his initial findings found from sept – oct he only used £5.30 per day of electricity for the whole house which is promising. he estimates an average of £4.50 per day with an electricity figure of £1600 a year, a huge saving from his existing utility bills.
the client is taking full advantage of the rhi, government incentive scheme available to homeowners installing renewable energy heating systems. an online application whereby our team guides the client through, to ensure clarity and completion without any stress.
the client estimates that on the figures he has collected so far, he expects to have recovered his initial installation costs within 7 years.
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