Heat Pumps Today

P R O J E C T S 26 Air Source Heat Pump helps bring sustainable dream to life at Yoga Retreat in rural Leicestershire This meant that the project required a heat pump solution which could deliver higher flow temperatures and more useable hot water when needed. By choosing an air source heat pump alongside a cylinder to store the hot water, the system can get hot water at 75°C straight from the refrigerant circuit, so that the temperature of the water in the cylinder could be as high as 70°C without the use of a direct electric immersion heater. This results in a more e ective system which can deliver 25% more useable hot water. Christian adds, “Also, it’s so quiet that it made absolute sense to use it for this job.” More flexibility Whilst boilers are turned on and o as and when heat is required, this is not the case when using heat pumps. In order for this low-carbon technology to work in an energy e cient way, it is preferable for the unit to remain on for longer periods at a lower flow temperature. However, because familiar with the benefits this low-carbon technology could o er. That’s when Indigo Renewable Energies was called upon. Quiet and quick After receiving the plans and the structural U values from the prefabricated building’s developer, The Rotunda, Indigo Renewables calculated the amount of heat loss for the whole property as well as for each room to inform the size of heat pump required. In addition to correct sizing, another important consideration was noise. “Because the building was going to be mainly used as a yoga studio, the customer specifically needed a quiet heat pump,” explains Christian Ford, Indigo Renewables’ Director. “It was also going to provide hot water for two shower rooms, a bathroom with disabled access and a kitchen in the building, so the studio owner wanted a heating system which would produce hot water quickly to meet the demands of the business.” When it comes to finding the right setting to cleanse the mind, body and soul, not only do consumers want beautiful surroundings to relax in, but also a setting which operates in an environmentally- friendly way. With this in mind, a quiet air source heat pump was specified to provide heating and hot water for a new yoga studio in a pre-fabricated eco-building. Set just outside of the medieval market town of Market Harborough, in Leicestershire, the Round Yoga Studio is located in an area o the mains gas grid. Keen to make it as sustainable as possible right from the start, the yoga studio owner wanted to ensure that the building would be kept warm in an environmentally- friendly way, which meant that traditional fuel sources for o -grid areas such as oil and LPG were out of the question. Having had previous experience of changing from using oil-fuelled boilers to heat pumps as a heat source for her own home, the studio owner was already April | May 2021 Installation challenges result in the perfect package