Norfolk housing association installs trial ground source heat pumps

A Norfolk housing association is putting green energy solutions to the test at a trial site that incorporates ground source heat pumps. Econic has installed the SI 5 ME ground source heat pumps, by Norwich firm Dimplex, at the Flagship Housing Group development.

The Dimplex heat pumps provide low carbon heating and hot water for a terrace of four two-bedroom and one three-bedroom homes.

The trial homes are of a highly insulated timber frame design, originally awarded an EcoHomes rating of ‘excellent’ that has now achieved a high level 3 rating under the Code for Sustainable Homes. They are the focus for the most effective way to raise this rating through the addition of renewable heating.

Dimplex heat pumps provide low carbon heating and hot water for homes in the Flagship Housing Group development

As space is at a premium in the properties, the heat pumps have been installed externally, in purpose-built units in the gardens of the houses, with vertical ground collectors installed under the back gardens, using push technology from Econic.

The ground floors of the houses have underfloor heating, while the upper floors are heated using fan convectors.

Richard Nunn, a director of Econic, said: “This is a pioneering project using low carbon heating technology, assisted by the LCBP2 heat pump grant scheme, which is only available from BERR-appointed framework suppliers. We are confident that the houses with heat pumps will not only see lower fuel bills but will also benefit from a reduced carbon footprint.”

Although the tenants have yet to receive their first energy bills since moving in in early 2008, early reports on the heat pumps’ performance are positive.

The project could benefit from the low carbon buildings programme phase two grant funding, which provides up to 50% of the capital and installation costs for ground source heat pumps for public sector and not-for-profit organisations.

The results of the trial will be independently monitored by the University of East Anglia for at least the first year of the investigation.

Laura Handford, of the Flagship Housing Group, said: “As the government announces plans to build 10 new eco towns in the UK, this type of test provides valuable statistics on the performance of sustainable technologies, which will help to influence low carbon homes in the future.”