New Build, GSHP, Suffolk

Our customer was undertaking a self-build project, building his own home. When R A Brown were asked to be involved in the project, the shell of the house had been built using Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF). ICF is made from polystyrene which is used as a mould into which you pour ready-mixed concrete and it is this concrete that forms the structure of the house. In addition to the shell of the house having already been constructed, the first floor boards had been laid and the internal walls had also been erected.

He was looking for a ground source heat pump system with boreholes and underfloor heating to be fitted on both the ground and first floor of the property. Ideally, when project managing the building of a new property, getting the correct timing and schedule of different types of work, between contractors can make the project easier.

The timescales on the project were tight, there was concern the impending Government Autumn Spending Review in 2015 would see a cut in the Renewable Heat Incentive and understandably, with the project part way through, our customer was keen to ensure it was installed promptly to avoid any future problems with RHI payments.

When the ground floor underfloor heating pipework was ready to be laid it was laid as a normal staple and screed system. The first floor underfloor heating was laid differently as chipboard had already been laid. The first floor was due to have an engineered wood flooring finish. James recommended additional batons to be fitted as this would minimise movement in the floor, by ensuring all aspects of the flooring had been considered, this meant that he was able to prepare the floor batons prior to our arrival, which enabled our engineers to cut the insulation board, to fit, on site. Therefore the floor was able to be laid within the necessary timescales.

Boreholes were drilled in the garden and the heat pump was fitted and housed in a 2 storey lean-to building attached to the house. This meant that our work for fitting the heat pump, could continue without any impact on the internal work in the house to avoid any delays, which could have arisen if we had to wait for the floor screed to cure. In addition to this, pipework to both ground and first floors could be concealed in the lean-to building with easy access to each floor.

The customer also fitted Solar PV panels to the roof of his new property to enable him to generate electricity. Solar PV panels work well in partnership with heat pumps, as heat pumps run on electricity, therefore by installing solar PV this will reduce the customer’s expenditure on electricity costs.

                                   Ground Source Heat Pump System over 7 years / Oil Boiler System over 7 years

Installation Cost                                                                         £15,900.00          /         £8,200.00
Running Cost                                                                                £ 2,763.25             /         £5,400.91
Total Cost                                                                                       £18,663.25             /         £13,600.91
RHI Payback Received                                                                £16,703.26         /         £0.00
Overall Expenditure (Cost minus Payback)                        £ 1,989.99            /         £13,600.91
CO2 Emissions                                                                                13,187.89           /          28,650.95