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Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan air source heat pumps are ideal for use on new-build projects.
The low running costs and excellent heating performance make Ecodan an
attractive option for homeowners, housing associations and developers alike.
Highfield Orchard in Shrewton, Wiltshire, consists of eight executive homes.
The developer specified Ecodan to supply the space heating and hot water for
a number of reasons.
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Highfield Orchard in Shrewton,
Wiltshire, UK
As the site is off the gas grid, the developer
originally considered oil. However, this was ruled out as both the
installation and running costs were considerably higher than Ecodan.
Highfield Orchard saw Ecodan as a highly cost effective solution for
this development.
All the properties have underfloor heating systems.
These use lower flow temperatures than radiators and are a more
efficient heat emitter. Underfloor heating helps to maximise the
long-term energy and running costs savings available from Ecodan.
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The Highfield Orchard site includes varying sizes of
property, with heating loads between 5.2kW and 8.3kW. Ecodan uses the
latest inverter technology to ensure that the system delivers exactly
the right performance to match the load requirement of each property.
That meant that the developer was able to specify the same system for
every house, without the need to re-size or order different units.
Furthermore, Ecodan is supplied as a sealed system so it
does not have to meet the new F-Gas Regulations. As a result the
developer does not have to find specialist refrigerant handlers to
install the equipment. Ecodan is straightforward to install, using
normal plumbing skills. |
At Shrewton, Ecodan is linked to a Gledhill BoilerMate HP
DEM Water Storage unit. This system designed for use with Ecodan includes
pumps, valves and a specially designed control system to optimise the
overall system efficiency. Installers simply have to link the flow and
return to the Gledhill Boilermate and then to the central heating system as
they would with a traditional condensing gas boiler.
For any housing developer, the real test of the technology
is its popularity with buyers. Heat pumps have certainly met with approval
at Highfield Orchard and the developer considered the
Ecodan an excellent
selling point: it is viewed as ‘sustainable’; has low running costs; and
also leaves extra space in the kitchen where a conventional boiler would
normally be positioned.
Perhaps most importantly, homeowners will notice very little
difference in use between Ecodan and ‘traditional’ gas fired central heating
- unlike some other sustainable heating systems. Even the user controls for
Ecodan operate in the same way to those found on a traditional domestic
heating system. Ecodan certainly makes it easier for home owners to
significantly reduce carbon emissions while cutting their energy bills.
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Mitsubishi Ecodan air source heatpump domestic boiler for new builds