REI Mar-Apr 2012 - Renewable Energy Installer

Knowledge: Case studies
ECO PROPERTY
What: Renewables in
installer’s home
How: Using solar
thermal,heat pumps
and PV installed
Result: Savings
of 99.6 per cent on
annual gas bill
HEAT PUMPS
What: National
Trust invests in
green technology
How: With the
installation of an air
source heat pump
Result: The
provision of heat
and hot water for
visitor facilities
96 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
Kevin Collins, director at CB Renewables, has
retrofitted his four-bedroom detached home with
a renewable energy system complete with heat
pumps and solar panels.
He says that he decided to kit out his
home after comparing the energy costs pre and
post installation and after spending £37,000
on equipment and installation, is now making
savings of 99.6 per cent on his annual gas bill.
The value of his home could also increase
due to the money created by the Feed-in Tariff
(FiT) and other savings on energy bills, she says.
He added: “I find it a bit hypocritical when
people try to sell green energy without using it
themselves – this way I can look people in the
eye when I talk about all the benefits.
“I have virtually wiped out my gas bill – as
I only now use gas for cooking it only costs me
around 11 pence each week. Putting underfloor
heating in has also actually made my house
bigger. I have been able to remove the gas fire
and all of the radiators downstairs giving me an
extra 10 sq metres and making it easier to place
my furniture.
“Even with the FiT being slashed this year
there are still plenty of incentives for property
owners to go green, and of course opportunities
for installers to capitalise on.”
On a spectacular headland overlooking the
Isle of Wight’s famous lighthouse, the Needles
Old Battery has installed a new heating
system to meet 21 st century energy efficiency
requirements.
The Old Battery has a long history of being
at the cutting edge of technology since being
constructed in the late 19th century for coastal
defence against the threat of invasion and the
testing of space rocket engines at the site during
the 1950s and 1960s.
The National Trust, which owns the site,
has now opted for an air source heat pump from
Dimplex which provides heating and domestic
hot water for the tearoom and offices at the
popular visitor attraction.
Isle of Wight-based Dimplex Renewables
accredited installer Clarke’s Mechanical, carried
out the installation, replacing an old oil-fired
Leading by
example: CB
Renewables
director,
Kevin
Collins,has
installed
solar
thermal, PV
and heat
pumps in his
home
boiler, which was said to be inefficient and
expensive to run.
Also, to ensure the new system blended
in sympathetically with its surroundings at this
historic site, the parts of the LI 16 TE air source
unit on show were painted battleship grey.
Paul Rayner, building surveyor for the
National Trust, said: “The Trust has its own
environmental goals, with key performance
indicators on reducing energy consumption
at its properties. Adding a renewable heating
system is a great step forward, allowing us to
meet and exceed the requirements.
“We’d been considering a heat pump
for some time, as we wanted a more
environmentally considerate solution for the
beautiful Needles headland and a Dimplex heat
pump was the natural way forward.”