Domestic
Heat Pumps

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Our domestic heat pump services are tailored for homes requiring a thermal input of up to 20 kW, though projects can be larger for more generous properties with multiple buildings. For these projects we offer a streamlined service, utilising our wealth of technical expertise from developing larger commercial systems, to offer our customers the best water or ground-sourced heat pump solution for their needs. Note that we work with water-source and ground-source heat pump systems only, and not air-source heat pumps. At Renewables First we strongly believe that water and ground-source systems offer a better long-term solution for both our clients and the environment. Their improved efficiency, lower running costs and reduced carbon emissions teamed with superior reliability and longer working life make them the technologies we have chosen to focus our efforts on. Yes, air-source is considerably cheaper and easier to install, but with a growing awareness of our environmental responsibility we all know easier isn’t always better.

Remember that domestic projects may benefit from a ‘Boiler Upgrade Scheme’ (BUS) grant of £7,500.

We follow a structured development process with four distinct stages. Each is costed separately, and progression from one stage to the next will only happen on written approval by the client. The standard process for a domestic heat pump system is:

1. Complete our Heat Pump Initial Assessment and Enquiry Form.
   Our online enquiry form will take you through a (free) structured online process to assess your needs and outline the (approximate) project costs. It also reports potential carbon and cost savings over more traditional heating systems. If you choose to proceed, your project details will be forwarded to one of our experienced heat pump engineers who will perform a more detailed feasibility assessment of your project, the findings of which will be reported back to you in a document.
2. Heat Loss Assessment and System Specification.
   To correctly size the heat pump and collection system we will calculate the heat loss of every room in your property in accordance with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) ¹ specification. These results along with proposals of suitable collector installation locations and consent requirements are provided in a report which concludes with a more accurate costing for the project and a recommendation of next steps. (typical costs £1,000 – £1,650).
3. Detailed Design and Consenting.
   The amount of work required in this stage is heavily dependent upon the number and complexity of consents required. Alongside the progression of the system design, in collaboration with your appointed plumber/heating engineer, we will produce all documentation to support consent applications, government grants and installation activities. (typical £2,750 – £3,850 + consent application fees and time).
4. Installation & Commissioning.
   Once all the consents are in place and the design finalised, we have a team of experienced engineers to install your system. On completion we will oversee the commissioning of the heat pump and its optimisation to maximise efficiency.

Ready to find out how much a heat pump will reduce your CO₂ emissions and heating costs? Domestic heat pump projects always start with sending us your details on enquiry form, so click the link to work through this.

1. MCS certification for Heat Pumps is provided through an umbrella scheme from Kensa Heat Pumps, where we are their installation contractor and are responsible for the design and efficient operation of the system. We can provide plumbing & electrical contractors or we can utilise your own local contractors.

2. Coefficient of Performance (CoP)  will depend on the source temperature of the collector and the desired supply temperature. Please see the following link from the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) for their verification of the likely CoP White_Paper_Heat_pumps-1.pdf(page 32).