Bristol Passivhaus Plus Home
This model home of the future combines various low carbon and energy saving technologies to deliver a lower cost, eco-friendly lifestyle for homeowners.
GENERATING OVER
of clean energy per year
Heat your home sustainably
Heat pumps for homes
Solarsense are MCS accredited installers for both air and ground heat pumps and recommend them for use in properties with good insulation and draft-proofing.
Heat pumps offer a sustainable means to heating your home, they take heat from the air (air source/ASHP) or from the ground (ground source/GSHP) and allow you to use this energy to heat your home. If you use electricity or coal for heating your home, you could save up to 30% of your energy bill by installing a heat pump.
We recommend anyone installing a heat pump, should install hybrid solar panel system including a battery to ensure maximum cost savings and efficiency.
What are my expected energy savings?
The savings you can make using air or ground source heat pumps will be affected by a number of factors including building construction, the heating fuel being replaced and the type of heat distribution system in use (radiators, warm air or underfloor for example).
Solarsense installers will always carry out a full survey of your property before making recommendations on which technology to install. This ensures our assessment of the savings you can expect to see are based on your actual property and how you use it.
Air source or ground source?
The choice between air or ground source pumps will often be determined by the available space outside your property.
Ground source heat pumps require pipework to be installed beneath the ground adjoining the property which as a rule of thumb might be two to three times as large as the property. Ground source heat pumps are a great option for more rural and agricultural buildings, urban properties are likely to be more suited to air source.
Please see below for more information on the heat pumps we install.
Air source heat pumps
An air source heat pump works as an air conditioning unit in reverse to extract heat from the outside air and heat your home sustainably. Air source heat pumps are generally allowed as permitted developments in England but you should check with your local planning office to see if you will require planning permission or not. If you do require permission, Solarsense are experienced in putting forward the required paperwork and will be able to help you with your application.
The heat pumps installed by Solarsense come with a 10 year manufacturer warranty, however typically last for 20 years or more. We would recommend that owners carry out a visual inspection each year and that our installers check them over once every five years.
Mitsubishi Heat Pumps
Solarsense recommend the Mitsubishi Ecodan air source heat pump. Ecodan are part of the Mitsubishi group, manufactured in Livingston, Scotland and have a great reputation for their efficiency and reliability.
A Mitsubishi Ecodan can be installed to replace an existing heating system or work alongside it as a ‘hybrid’ set up. It is an ideal solution for new build properties and renovation projects and is compatible with underfloor heating as well as traditional radiators. It is also simpler to maintain than other heating systems such as gas and with professional maintenance can offer an average life span of 15-20 years.
Please contact us for more information or a free desktop quote.
Ground source heat pumps
Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) use pipes that are buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground. This heat can then be used to heat radiators, underfloor or warm air heating systems and hot water in your home. The length of the ground loop depends on the size of your home and the amount of heat you need. Longer loops can draw more heat from the ground, but need more space to be buried in. If space is limited, a vertical borehole can be drilled instead.
Solarsense recommend Kensa ground source heat pumps. The company is the UK’s number one manufacturer of ground heat pumps and their multi-award winning products are made here in Britain.
Combining a heat pump with solar panels
You can combine a heat pump heating system with solar panels to ensure that your homes’ heating and hot water needs are met, whilst being environmentally friendly.
If sized correctly, it’s entirely possible that your solar panels could produce all the electricity you need to run your heat pump. That is, on balance you would generate more electricity than your heat pump would use over the course of a year – although this would not be applicable to night time usage, unless combined with a home battery storage solution.
Solarsense recommend integrating different technologies to create a bespoke solution based on your energy usage. Please contact us for more information or a free desktop quote.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a UK Government initiative to encourage more homeowners and small businesses in England and Wales to install low carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps. The grant has replaced the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and will run from 2022 to 2028. The scheme will be open to domestic and small business properties in England and Wales.
Update: From 23 October 2023, the grant levels for both air source and ground source heat pumps was increased to £7,500. Funding is confirmed until 31 March 2028.
To get a free, no obligation quote for your home or small business, please fill out the form on our contact us page.
BENEFITS AT A GLANCE
How can a heat pump benefit my home?
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Lower fuel bills
Generate huge savings if you are replacing conventional electric heating or if combined with solar PV
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Reduced install costs
Receive £7500 off the cost of installing a heat pump via the boiler upgrade scheme
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Save the planet
Move away from dirty, polluting fossil fuels such as oil, coal or gas
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Healthy ROI
The payback period will be drastically reduced if replacing an electricity or coal heating system
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Minimal maintenance
Heat pumps are incredibly efficient and require the owner to carry out a single visual inspection each year
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No fuel deliveries needed
No more loud and disruptive fuel deliveries or need for a large oil tank
- Do heat pumps require maintenance?
- The heat pumps installed by Solarsense come with a 10-year manufacturer warranty, however typically last for 20 years or more. We would recommend that owners carry out a visual inspection each year and that our installers check them over once every five years.
- Do I need planning permission for a heat pump?
- Heat pumps are generally allowed as permitted developments in England, but you should check with your local planning office to see if you will require planning permission or not. If you do require permission, Solarsense are experienced in putting forward the required paperwork and will be able to help you with your application.
- What are my expected energy savings when installing a heat pump?
- The savings you can make using air of ground source heat pumps will be affected by a number of factors including building construction, the heating fuel being replaced and the type of heat distribution system in use (radiators, warm air or underfloor for example). Solarsense installers will always carry out a full survey of your property before making recommendations on which technology to install. This ensures our assessment of the savings you can expect to see are based on your actual property and how you use it.
Homeowner
Industry leading solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, energy storage and heat pump technologies have been combined alongside an existing solar thermal system to create a low carbon house that provides the homeowner with more control over their energy consumption.
GENERATING OVER
8,965kWh
of clean energy per year
