The three winning projects of Vaillant’s Heat Pump Challenge competition have been revealed. Designed to demonstrate the breadth of UK properties where a retrofit heat pump install had proved possible, a five-strong judging team, lead by TV presenter Kevin McCloud, were tasked with selecting the winning projects based on factors such as system design, installation, and commitment to helping the property transition to a low carbon future.
The judges singled out the winning designs – and the installers behind them – as shining examples that highlight the potential of heat pump technology across different building types. The winning projects also addressed many of the reservations installers and homeowners may have towards opting to retrofit the technology to a home, such as limitations of space, older property designs, running efficiencies and ability to provide a comfortable temperature in the colder months.
And the winners are:
Grade-II Listed Barn Conversion: IMS Heat Pumps
When the homeowner wanted to update their 400-year-old stone cottage with the addition of a heat pump, many said it couldn’t be done. However, IMS Heat Pumps navigated the heritage features, 2’6’’ thick walls and 18-feet high kitchen apex, to effectively design and install a heat pump system to meet the heating and hot water requirements.
The homeowner made use of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) to reduce initial installation costs and have found running costs to be on a par with gas. Even during the colder months, when temperature hit -7°C, the homeowner commented that their home was kept plenty warm enough.
Cornish Boat House: Abode Heat
Overlooking the picturesque Helford River, this thatched property is often exposed to the elements and salt air, meaning when it came to upgrading the property’s existing heating system a heat pump perhaps wasn’t the most obvious choice. However, the judges were particularly impressed with how the installed aroTHERM plus is keeping the property warm, effectively, and efficiently – resulting in an approximate 66% reduction in running costs*, when compared to the old direct electric system.
The property is also rented out as a holiday home, so the system had to be easy to use and ensure noise was kept to a minimum for guests.
1960’s Semi-detached Home: Optimus Heating
The final winning entry is a three-bedroom semi-detached home in Peacehaven, East Sussex, where the installer had fitted a heat pump to his own home having seen energy bills rising.
With the property itself dating back to 1960s, the judging panel singled out the entry as a great example of a retrofit where the installer had switched a boiler out and replaced it with a heat pump, with relatively little adaptation to the property.
The results have proved effective, with the installer / homeowner enjoying an easy-to-use system that maintains a comfortable temperature year-round.
Stars of the show
Each of the winning properties, the installer’s responsible for the installation, and homeowners, will star in their own case study video which will be attended and presented by Kevin McCloud.
The Peacehaven project is the first to get the video treatment where Kevin is seen interviewing homeowner and heating installer, Luke Sheppard, and his partner Isabel, together with Luke’s business partner at Optimus Heating, Simon Murray, to learn more about the property, which had a Vaillant aroTHERM plus heat pump installed in January this year.
Explaining the motivation behind the installation, Luke says: “Like most of the country, we’d seen our energy bills rise so I was keen to look at what we could do to help reduce them and, being a heating engineer by trade, upgrading our heating system seemed like the best place to start. This was the first heat pump I have installed and it was really important for me as I wanted to show my customers that I believe in this low carbon technology so strongly, I have it in my own home. There’s really no bigger testament than that.”
One of the judges who was involved in selecting Luke’s home was Mark Wilkins, technologies and training director at Vaillant. He comments: “Luke’s entry was selected as a great example of a retrofit where the installer had switched a boiler out and replaced it with a heat pump, with relatively little adaptation to the property. And the results speak for themselves, with Luke and his family enjoying an easy-to-use system that maintains a comfortable temperature year-round.
“As a more typical property seen throughout the UK, Luke’s home is a shining example of the capabilities of heat pumps, and we’re confident that Vaillant’s Heat Pump Possible campaign will support even more homeowners to better understand how low carbon technologies, such as heat pumps, can work effectively in their homes.”
You can watch the full video here: www.vaillant.co.uk/heatpumppossible.
