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The sale of their properties allowed them to shop around for an idyllic setting that they could remodel to suit the lifestyle choices they wanted to make with energy efficiency, ‘green’ living and utilising modern renewable technologies important factors in their decision-making. Along with solar PV on the roof and a switch from halogen lamps to LED lighting, they decided an air source heat pump would fit in with their new lifestyles.
The feed in tariff (FIT) and renewable heat incentive (RHI) weren’t essential decision-makers for the solar PV or the heat pump although it was a significant help, especially for the heat pump. The LG Therma V high temperature air source heat pumps – one for each home – have been a huge eye-opener to the couple. For over 20 years, they had got used to heat on demand using a traditional boiler. There was concern initially about how responsive the air source heat pumps would be to deliver heat and hot water when it was needed. But with the latest ‘high temp’ system from LG, they say they shouldn’t have worried: “It’s not a flippant remark,” says Paul, “but the heat pump is up and running and commissioned and the biggest complement I can pay it is that we don’t actually notice the difference!”
System Designer and Installer, Bublshop’s Martin Perrin says this is the beauty of the new high temperature heat pumps from LG: “Low temperature air source heat pumps really need to be on 24 hours a day to bring the temperature of the home up to the required temperature and keep it there. They work well and for the right home, they do a great job. But if you need the security of almost instant response, the high temperature ASHP is the one to choose. The key to success is to get the heating system design right at the outset.”
We know it’s far more energy-efficient and much more environmentally-friendly to use renewables than fossil fuels. But what about costs? “It’s difficult to be exact, because we don’t have historical oil usage figures for the properties here – so we can’t measure or compare the costs, but in our experience the savings over oil are in excess of 50% per year – and that’s impressive,” says Martin.
In modern homes, with several bathrooms – certainly a couple of en-suites and a family bathroom becoming commonplace – and the new standards of insulation and heating, it’s common to see heating demand halved and hot water demand tripled. So high temperature air source heat pumps are ideal for this scenario, perfect for refurbishment projects like this one and spot on for new build properties.