A developer in Fife, Scotland, has chosen to maximise use of renewable energy to reduce running costs and lower the carbon footprint for six stunning eco holiday homes.
Grangeview Holiday Homes is a development of six luxurious self catering cottages built on the site of a former farmhouse, for which the developers Mr and Mrs Keddie chose ground source heat pumps from Danfoss.
The three and four bedroom cottages were fitted with DHP-L Opti heat pumps, between 6-8kW in output.
The ground source heat pumps were supplied through 300m of horizontal ground loops, which were laid in 1.5m deep trenches in land near the properties.
The heat pumps were part of a complete renewable energy system installed by Danfoss – approved installer Eco Coil Heating, based in Glasgow. The system also utilises extender buffer tanks from Danfoss, which enable the heat pump to be combined with solar thermal panels to maximise the annual efficiency of the heat pump and hot water system.
Use of the Danfoss extender means that the solar thermal panels pre-heat the hot water, which maximises efficiency, with the heat pump providing the added energy to boost to a higher temperature. Danfoss also supplied a separate hot water tank (Danfoss DWH Opti) to each property.
Eco Coil Heating fitted underfloor heating throughout the properties and also integrated an MHVR (mechanical heat ventilation recovery) system, which provides fresh air and improved climate control, while also saving energy by reducing heating (and cooling) requirements.
Stephen Craig, Managing Director of Eco Coil Heating, said: “It made perfect sense to install ground source heat pumps for these eco friendly holiday homes. The other options of oil or LPG would not have been appropriate, whereas ground source heat pumps, combined with the solar thermal and MHVR system means they are some of the most efficient and environmentally friendly heating holiday homes available.”
A renewable energy system was the perfect choice for the holiday cottages, which are set in a beautiful scenic valley, with holidaymakers able to take advantage of other environmentally friendly options including an electric vehicle and electric bicycles.
Developers Mr/Mrs Keddie said: “We are really pleased with the Danfoss heat pumps, which provided us with the green energy solution we wanted for our holiday homes. Eco Coil Heating has done a great job of designing a complete heating system for the properties that reduces their carbon footprint and optimises their running cost.”
The DHP-L Opti heat pump uses technology that incorporates an intelligent control system using speed controlled circulation pumps to ensure that the output is constantly adjusted to the prevailing requirements and conditions of both the heating system and collector. This means the heat pump will always operate under ideal conditions, therefore guaranteeing maximum efficiency, second by second and hour by hour.
Chris Dale, Director of Danfoss Ltd., said: “Many developers of high specification properties are choosing to fit heat pumps, due to their affordable running costs, sustainability and greater efficiency than some traditional heating methods. They were a great choice for Grangeview Holiday Homes, as customers looking to visit this scenic area of Scotland will be drawn by the fact that they would have minimal impact on the environment, whilst they will be able to enjoying the comforts of consistent heat and efficiently produced hot water from the heat pump.”
Danfoss Ltd. has extensive experience in the manufacture of heat pump systems for homes, schools, community buildings, developers, local authorities, housing associations and self builders.
