Leading heating and hot water solutions provider Baxi has this week hosted the first official visit to its €13 million commercial heat pump R&D and laboratory site in Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain. Baxi is part of the €2.2 billion-turnover BDR Thermea Group, one of the largest producers of heating appliances
NIBE Energy Systems is delighted to have contributed to the opening of a new mobile heat pump facility as part of a collaborative effort to unlock essential training opportunities in Scotland, with a particular focus on addressing training gaps in remote and rural areas where there isn’t college training provision.
Parliamentarians and experts from across the heating industry gathered in the Cholmondeley Room at the House of Lords on 24 April, to explore the findings of Vaillant’s installer survey report looking into attitudes towards heat pump training, and for the launch of Vaillant Aspire, the new learning pathway designed to
A new homes development in Leicestershire is the first by Bloor Homes to have energy efficient air source heat pumps installed. The technology is being used for every home at the housebuilder’s Brooksby Spinney development in Brooksby, north-east of Leicester. Air source heat pumps are a low carbon technology, that
Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) are becoming an increasingly popular option for homeowners in the UK who are looking for a sustainable and cost-effective way to heat their homes. Unlike traditional fossil fuel-based heating systems, ASHPs use heat from the air outside to heat the home or building, making them
Energy Efficiency at City Plumbing is set to unveil its new Energy Efficiency Centre after agreeing a partnership with GTEC Training to provide accredited training courses for installers. The Centre, based in Farnborough, Hampshire is now open with an official launch planned to mark Earth Day in April. It will
Leading heating appliance manufacturer, Ideal Heating, has launched a new range of monobloc air source heat pumps to help improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on natural gas within commercial buildings. Available in six outputs and seven models (14kW, 14kW (single phase), 18kW, 26kW, 32kW, 50kW and 70kW), the ECOMOD
The BEIS Heat Pump Ready Programme is a part of the UK Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy to transition to Net Zero; BTS partners with Veritherm and Elmhurst Energy Consultancy to deliver project objectives Build Test Solutions (BTS), alongside Veritherm and Elmhurst Energy Consultancy, have secured support from BEIS under
The Heat Pump Federation and its members welcome the Chancellor’s decision to reduce VAT to zero rate on energy savings materials, including heat pumps. Bean Beanland, the HPF’s Director of Growth & External Affairs said: “We, in concert with others in the sector, have long argued that the tax regime
With the impending Boiler Upgrade Scheme set to accelerate the UK heat pump rollout, local manufacturing and support will be key to addressing demand for remote installations, says a sector expert. Set to launch this April, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) flagship Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Leading heating and hot water solutions provider Baxi has this week hosted the first official visit to its €13 million commercial heat pump R&D and laboratory site in Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain. Baxi is part of the €2.2 billion-turnover BDR Thermea Group, one of the largest producers of heating appliances worldwide. The 7,000m² Baxi factory, located near Barcelona and opened just last year, is focused on developing and producing commercial heat pump technology. The site boasts complete in-house capabilities spanning R&D, logistics, manufacturing and assembly, and including climatic testing chambers and a controls desk. During the visit, guests were provided with an exclusive preview of the new Remeha Effenca commercial heat pump series that was designed and produced at Vilafranca and is currently undergoing final testing. The new range, which includes high temperature R290 refrigerant air source heat pumps (ASHPs), will launch imminently in the UK with full Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). Harriet Evans, Renewables Director at Baxi said: “The focus on low carbon design is now critical in line with ambitious government decarbonisation targets. Heat pumps, which decarbonise heating at the point of use, are a big part of how we as a company are supporting our commercial and residential customers through the energy transition. We are proud to demonstrate our full in-house capabilities and competencies at Vilafranca, and of the wide expertise and support we have within Group in this technology. We are excited to be expanding our Remeha ASHP range in the very near future with both medium and high temperature ASHPs – watch this space!” BDR Thermea’s acquisition in 2021 of Barcelona-based Hitecsa, an important manufacturer in the Spanish market for commercial and industrial climate control systems, has enabled the Group to offer the entire range of heat pump solutions to suit all customer needs, from residential to large commercial applications. In the UK, Baxi launched its first Remeha commercial heat pump in 2022. The company recently announced its latest commercial ASHP project, a collaboration with Oakes Energy Services to decarbonise a series of school swimming pool buildings for the Priory Federation of Academies Trust. Heat pump production capacity at Vilafranca has scaled up by 50% in the last twelve months, with plans to triple in the next five years via new commercial heat pump solutions in development. For more information, www.baxi.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
NIBE Energy Systems is delighted to have contributed to the opening of a new mobile heat pump facility as part of a collaborative effort to unlock essential training opportunities in Scotland, with a particular focus on addressing training gaps in remote and rural areas where there isn’t college training provision. The initiative is the result of a collaboration between Energy Saving Trust, Energy Skills Partnership (ESP), South Lanarkshire College and NIBE Energy Systems, and has been fully funded by the Scottish Government. The facility was officially launched by Mr Graeme Dey, Minister for Higher Education, Further Education and Minister for Veterans at South Lanarkshire College on 2nd August. Hosted by South Lanarkshire College, the BPEC approved training and assessment centre will be a shared resource available to all Scottish colleges. Installers can visit the centre to undergo training and certification on heat pumps, as well as obtain their Water Byelaws/Regulations and Domestic Vented and Unvented Hot Water Storage qualifications. It is designed to provide flexible training opportunities across the country and encourage the industry to gain the skills needed to decarbonise homes and buildings in line with Scotland’s plans to become Net Zero by 2045. The Scottish Government has stated that the availability of an inclusive, diverse and capable supply chain will be key to delivering on their ambition for the decarbonisation of heat in buildings. They estimate that an additional 16,400 jobs will be supported across the economy in 2030 as a result of investment in the deployment of zero emissions heat in new and existing buildings. This initiative will play a key part in achieving these objectives. NIBE Energy Systems is proud to have assisted with the design of the centre and to have provided the facility with some of its latest air source and ground source heat pumps so that installers can gain hands-on-experience with innovative, low carbon heating technologies. Phil Hurley, Managing Director of NIBE Energy Systems said: “We’re so pleased to have been a part of this project. We have made it our mission at NIBE to do as much as we can to empower installers through removing barriers to training and unlocking opportunities. Heat pumps will play a key role in decarbonising homes and buildings in Scotland, and we can’t roll them out without installers. “The Climate Change Committee has outlined that net zero has the potential to create between 135,000 and 725,000 jobs by 2030, but that the availability of workers in the sector must increase to meet the demand for low carbon technology. Flexible training facilities like this will be fundamental in making sure they can access the skills and qualifications they need, and we’re honoured to have provided the facility with NIBE heat pumps so that they can get to grips with the technology as they learn.”
Parliamentarians and experts from across the heating industry gathered in the Cholmondeley Room at the House of Lords on 24 April, to explore the findings of Vaillant’s installer survey report looking into attitudes towards heat pump training, and for the launch of Vaillant Aspire, the new learning pathway designed to upskill heating engineers to fit heat pumps. The event – Aspiring to a Green Future – was hosted by Baroness Parminter, Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, who was joined by key speakers Dr Alan Whitehead MP, Lord Callanan and Vaillant’s Director of Technologies and Training, Mark Wilkins. In her opening remarks, Baroness Parminter highlighted the House of Lords recent review of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) which found that a lack of heat pump installers remains a key barrier to the uptake of low carbon technology in the UK. Referring to the launch of Aspire as a ‘positive step forward’ in tackling this issue, the Baroness also voiced that she was ‘delighted’ to support Vaillant’s work in this area, including Vaillant’s recent survey of installers to better understand their attitudes on upskilling to fit heat pumps. Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Net Zero, Dr Alan Whitehead, also welcomed the launch of Aspire as a robust response to the challenges in rolling out heat pumps in the UK. Making it clear that the UK needs to be committed to supporting the deployment of heat pumps in the short and medium term, he stated that heat pumps are ‘crucial’ to the decarbonisation of domestic heating. Dr Whitehead also outlined Labour’s position on heat pumps, commenting that supporting homeowners with insulation and fabric efficiencies was a top priority through its comprehensive Home Retrofit Programme. With an aim of making 19 million UK homes more energy efficient, the programme would provide support for ‘whole home treatment’ to prepare domestic housing for low carbon heating systems. He said: “Making heat pumps core to the net zero agenda was an important first step, however we now need to look at what the key blockers to progress are. This includes the lack of qualified installers available to install them; the cost of heat pumps which is something we can look to address through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme; and finally, availability of the product itself. The scaling-up of heat pump production here in the UK is vital to ensuring security of supply and meeting domestic demand. “I’m therefore delighted to be here today, as Vaillant is helping to address all these challenges through its new heat pump production line in Belper, to the launch of this bespoke learning pathway to support the upskilling and reskilling of traditional gas boiler installers. What innovative businesses, such as Vaillant, need now is clear direction and a partnership-based approach from Government. The low carbon heating sector presents enormous opportunities for the future, and we must ensure this potential is fulfilled.” Mark Wilkins, Vaillant’s Technologies, and Training Director presented the key findings of Vaillant’s recent installer survey, which helped to develop the Aspire learning pathway. Vaillant surveyed more than 1,100 installers to get a deeper understanding of their barriers and motivators behind reskilling to install heat pumps. Encouragingly, the majority of those who took part in the survey recognised a need to train, with 87% of installers answering ‘yes’ or ‘maybe’ when asked if they were interested in undertaking air source heat pump training in the next 12 months. The top three motivators of these installers looking to undertake heat pump training were future-proofing their business or career development, the benefits for the environment by supporting the net zero agenda, and personal financial benefits from installing a diverse range of heating technologies. Mark commented: “It’s clear that the target of installing 600K heat pumps by 2028 will be a significant challenge, and part of that challenge is building a community of expert installers. Vaillant estimates that to achieve this target we would need 40,000 installers working full-time on heat pumps only. However, as most installers will also still be servicing and maintaining gas boilers at least in the short to medium term, Vaillant estimates up to 100K installers will need to be trained to meet the 600K heat pump target. The launch of Aspire will be a significant step in achieving this goal, to ensure that consumers can find appropriately skilled installers for heat pump installations, as well as traditional heating systems. “Vaillant’s Installer Survey: Aspiring to a Green Future revealed one of the biggest barriers to undertaking heat pump training was a lack of support from Government. This was prior to the launch of the Heat Training Grant, which Vaillant is delighted to be supporting in order to provide our installers with £500 towards heat pump training. I’m also incredibly pleased that we were able to hold this event in Parliament with messages of support from Government Ministers, and positive feedback about our new Aspire training offer.” Out of the 994 installers surveyed by Vaillant who expressed an interest in upskilling, 55% felt that they would prefer ‘entirely in-person training’ when it came to air source heat pumps, whilst ‘a combination of in-person and online’ was preferred by 40% of those surveyed. Mark added: “Aspire is a pioneering learning pathway that is bespoke to each individual and their current skill set, with a mix of online and face-to-face modules held in one of our six Centres of Excellence. We are also working with higher-learning facilities across the UK to upskill college lecturers, as this ensures that the next generation of heating engineers receive relevant training reflective of this new, low carbon landscape. It’s important that we recognise NAPIT and MCS too, for supporting this Aspire pathway with accreditation – fundamental for installers when they are putting their heat pump training into practice.” Guests were treated to a House of Lords afternoon tea, whilst Lord Callanan, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance) gave the closing remarks. He said: “We want to see
A new homes development in Leicestershire is the first by Bloor Homes to have energy efficient air source heat pumps installed. The technology is being used for every home at the housebuilder’s Brooksby Spinney development in Brooksby, north-east of Leicester. Air source heat pumps are a low carbon technology, that uses the environment to generate 75 per cent of heating and hot water. Just 25 per cent comes from electricity, which also means that the user is not reliant on other forms of energy. Mike Kelly, Managing Director for Bloor Homes East Midlands, said: “The air source heat pumps are exciting for a number of reasons. Firstly, the heating system will protect homebuyers’ from spiralling energy bills, removing the stress and strain so many are feeling. “The technology is also more sustainable, allowing buyers to reduce their carbon footprint – an aim that many of us share. 75 per cent of the energy that a buyer will use comes from a sustainable source, which makes a huge difference. “We are also very pleased to be building the first development for Bloor Homes which will use the technology here in the Midlands. It’s a blueprint which may well become more prevalent in the coming years, so we are delighted to spearhead the use of the technology here.” The Vaillant aroTHERM plus air source heat pump is designed for a peaceful home, with sound levels as low as 54 decibels. The technology will also be compatible with apps, meaning that users can control their heating on the go. Steve Cipriano, Commercial Director at Vaillant adds: “Ahead of the introduction of the Future Home Standard in 2025, it’s encouraging to see national housebuilders, such as Bloor Homes, already leading the charge when it comes to creating homes that have energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies at their heart. “The Brooksby Spinney development is a shining example of the how UK homes will support a sustainable future, and we’re delighted to have worked alongside Bloor Homes on this project.” For more information on the homes at Brooksby Spinney, visit bloorhomes.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) are becoming an increasingly popular option for homeowners in the UK who are looking for a sustainable and cost-effective way to heat their homes. Unlike traditional fossil fuel-based heating systems, ASHPs use heat from the air outside to heat the home or building, making them a great investment as a renewable energy source. Another benefit of ASHPs is their high efficiency, measured by the Coefficient of Performance (COP), which is the ratio of heat output to energy input. Modern ASHPs have a COP of 4, meaning that for every unit of electricity used, the system produces 4 units of heat, making them significantly more efficient than traditional heating systems which can have a COP as low as 0.8. In addition to the environmental and efficiency benefits, ASHPs can also save homeowners money on their energy bills in the long run. While the initial installation costs can be high, the long-term savings on energy costs and less frequent maintenance make this more cost efficient than traditional heating systems. When considering investing in an Air Source Heat Pump, it is important to consult a professional to determine if the system is a good fit for your home or building. Factors to consider include: Make sure that the installer is also properly qualified and that the system is installed to the highest standards. There are three main types of Air Source Heat Pumps: The monobloc system has all the components housed in one unit, usually installed outside of the home. Its benefits include: The split system has an outdoor unit that houses the compressor and heat exchanger, and an indoor unit that circulates the heat around the home. The outdoor unit is connected to the indoor unit through pipes and electrical cables. Benefits of this system include: Finally, the hybrid system combines a conventional boiler system with an air source heat pump. The benefits of this system include: by David Johnson, Technical and Category Manager at The Underfloor Heating Store Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Energy Efficiency at City Plumbing is set to unveil its new Energy Efficiency Centre after agreeing a partnership with GTEC Training to provide accredited training courses for installers. The Centre, based in Farnborough, Hampshire is now open with an official launch planned to mark Earth Day in April. It will focus on showcasing renewable energy home heating technologies such as heat pumps, underfloor heating and solar panels – and training engineers to install them., The Centre will be open to the public and include a range of fully kitted-out zones, highlighting how alternative home heating solutions work in real life, as well as an accredited training room. Adam Foy, Managing Director, Energy Efficiency at City Plumbing, said “We are very excited to announce that Energy Efficiency at City Plumbing has partnered with GTEC Training to deliver accredited training courses to our installer base in England and Wales – and help our customers make the transition to low carbon technologies. “Our industry-leading Energy Efficiency Team has been in place for over a decade, offering an indemnified design service along with impartial advice on technologies and manufacturers. “As the market evolves, we are looking to support our installers through their journey and this partnership, and the Energy Efficiency Centre are crucial steps in this process.” The partnership has been boosted by news that it has secured government funding through the BEIS Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition to reduce the cost of courses to installers until the end of March 2023. Adam added: “This funding allows us to offer installers based in England subsidised heat pump training and qualifications through a range of locations, with funding available to SMEs.” Griff Thomas, Managing Director of GTEC Training, added: “GTEC is delighted to be playing a part in Energy Efficiency at City Plumbing, with our first in-merchant training facility at the Energy Efficiency Centre in Farnborough. “Heat pumps are playing a key role in the UK’s drive to reduce the carbon footprint of our buildings – the ideal solution for energy efficient properties. “Thanks to the partnership between GTEC and City Plumbing, installers will be able to access everything they need to enter this growing market; from purchasing the latest heat pumps and associated equipment, to undertaking our industry-leading training. “All heating and plumbing installers should consider upskilling into heat pumps. Demand is growing steadily and will outstrip gas boilers over the next 10 years. Training is designed for tradespeople, providing an exciting opportunity for the existing installer-base. The Energy Efficiency Centre is the first step in an ongoing, industry-wide campaign to raise the number of heat pump installers in the country. For further details and to book a course, visit: https://eecityplumbing.co.uk/gtec-training/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading heating appliance manufacturer, Ideal Heating, has launched a new range of monobloc air source heat pumps to help improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on natural gas within commercial buildings. Available in six outputs and seven models (14kW, 14kW (single phase), 18kW, 26kW, 32kW, 50kW and 70kW), the ECOMOD range provides a minimum A++ Energy related Products (ErP) efficiency rating and high co-efficient of performance (COP) rating of up to 4.85. R32 refrigerant ensures a low global warming potential (GWP). The heat pumps also include an inverter-controlled compressor that can control the building temperature based on specific requirements of the space, further enhancing the efficiency of a building. Ideal ECOMOD heat pumps can be used alone or cascaded to meet the heating requirements of larger commercial buildings. They can also be installed alongside other Ideal solutions, such as the EVOMAX 2 and the IMAX XTRA 2 commercial condensing boilers, to build a low carbon hybrid heating system. The range output models are light and compact units in comparison to similar products, making installation and delivery easy. All products also come with a five-year warranty – when commissioned by Ideal Heating and noise levels as low as 68dB(A) – the equivalent of a quiet refrigerator. Chris Caton, Product Director – Commercial Product Management for Ideal Heating, Groupe Atlantic UK, ROI & NA, said: “The ECOMOD range launches at an important time, as businesses accelerate their decarbonisation efforts to work towards net-zero targets, meet new standards for building regulations, and reduce their exposure to volatile energy prices. With high COPs our new heat pumps enable businesses to reduce a building’s carbon footprint and improve heating efficiency. “What’s more, the range of outputs available means we can cater for many commercial buildings. For example, our 14kW single phase unit is suitable for sites without access to three phase electricity, such as care homes or community halls, while all units can be cascaded to meet the needs of larger spaces, making them a versatile and cost-effective choice.” Ideal Heating delivers commercial heating solutions that are at the forefront of technology and developed in line with the latest market trends and legislation. For more information visit: https://idealcommercialboilers.com/products/ecomod
The BEIS Heat Pump Ready Programme is a part of the UK Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy to transition to Net Zero; BTS partners with Veritherm and Elmhurst Energy Consultancy to deliver project objectives Build Test Solutions (BTS), alongside Veritherm and Elmhurst Energy Consultancy, have secured support from BEIS under the Heat Pump Ready Programme to focus explicitly on the role of using on-site measured building performance parameters to optimise and validate heat pump system specification, design, and management. The Heat Pump Ready (HPR) Programme forms part of BEIS’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP), which aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes through the 2020s and 2030s. As a key solution for decarbonising homes, heat pumps will be critical for meeting the UK’s legally binding commitment to achieve net zero by 2050. The Heat Pump Ready Programme will support the development of innovative solutions across the heat pump sector. The Government’s recently published Heat and Buildings Strategy sets out several key commitments for helping to ensure that the transition to low-carbon buildings is affordable and achievable for all, including delivering a package of measures to scale up the deployment of heat pumps to 600,000 a year by 2028 and to support industry to reduce the costs of heat pumps. The Strategy set out the ambition to work with industry to reduce the upfront costs of heat pumps by 25-50 per cent by 2025 and to parity with boilers by 2030, as well as making them as cheap to run as a gas boiler. The capital cost, lifetime operational cost and lifetime efficiency of both ground and air source-based heat pumps are all fundamentally linked to establishing the required combined space heating and hot water demand profile. Get it wrong and an undersized heat pump cannot adequately heat the home, while oversized heat pumps cost more and don’t run as efficiently. In most cases, approximately two-thirds of this demand is driven by space heating requirements. However, this is currently determined through heat loss calculation software underpinned by a series of assumed inputs. This can be useful as a guide but with the introduction of smart meters, low-cost sensors, and newly established techniques, it is now possible to measure key performance parameters directly on a per property basis at scale. The awarded 15-month project is to be delivered by BTS in partnership with Veritherm, both of whom are leading providers of thermal performance measurement solutions, along with Elmhurst Energy Consultancy. Together the businesses will work together to determine: “Veritherm are delighted to be working alongside BTS and Elmhurst to explore how measured building performance can play a crucial part in the mass rollout of heat pumps,” says Tom Fenton, Founder and CEO of Veritherm. “We believe the project will highlight a new methodology that uses real-world data to improve system specification, design, and management. The collaboration brings together the UK’s leading innovators in building performance measurement and we hope the outputs from our research will help to break down barriers to adoption, whilst providing valuable insights that can be shared with the industry.” Richard Jack, BTS Technical Director, adds: “The argument is simple. No two buildings are ever the same and yet desktop heat loss calculations rely on identikit assumptions and fixed parameters. We are delighted to have been awarded this project and we are going to take this opportunity to demonstrate that the measurement of building heat loss is not only cost-effective and highly scalable, but it also delivers better outcomes including, crucially, optimal lifetime heat pump system functionality and performance.” For more information, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heat-pump-ready-programme-successful-projects/heat-pump-ready-programme-stream-2-projects.
The Heat Pump Federation and its members welcome the Chancellor’s decision to reduce VAT to zero rate on energy savings materials, including heat pumps. Bean Beanland, the HPF’s Director of Growth & External Affairs said: “We, in concert with others in the sector, have long argued that the tax regime in the UK has favoured the burning of fossil fuels, so this is a particularly welcome measure. We also understand that all materials and services are included. This level of simplicity is essential for the installer community, many of which are micro-businesses that struggle with overly complex tax rules.” “Setting the intervention for five years gives future visibility which will encourage investment in both skills and capacity, by the whole sector in the UK. When taken in conjunction with the new Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which also starts on 1st April, domestic scale heat pumps are going to be that much more affordable for both homeowners and landlords. “ “Capital costs are only one half of the equation, operational costs for heat pumps do still have to be addressed through the rebalancing of taxation on electricity and fossil fuels that reflects the relative carbon and other emissions. But for today, the VAT outcome is to be celebrated and the Government commended for the message that this sends to consumers and to the industry alike.” For interviews/information, please contact Bean Beanland: 07393 399685 / bean.beanland@hpf.org.uk / www.hpf.org.uk
With the impending Boiler Upgrade Scheme set to accelerate the UK heat pump rollout, local manufacturing and support will be key to addressing demand for remote installations, says a sector expert. Set to launch this April, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) flagship Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) will offer homeowners grants of £5,000-£6,000 to facilitate the installation of air and ground source heat pumps. This development aligns with the Prime Minister’s earlier target of achieving 600,000 heat pump installations per year by 2028, and will drive uptake of this technology in order to achieve this goal. However, Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical at REHAU Building Solutions, warns that immediate availability of manufactured parts will be required to meet these ambitious objectives. “At present, around 30,000 heat pumps are installed per year in the UK,” said Steve. “In order to increase this by a factor of twenty before the end of the decade, the Government’s push for installations is going to need to be backed by a comprehensive supply chain. “This necessitates opting for locally manufactured parts where possible in order to cut down lead times and meet the anticipated boom in demand. This extends to accessories as well as heat pumps themselves. REHAU’s RAUVITHERM pre-insulated pipe, for example, has been manufactured in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales, since 2012, making it the only pre-insulated PE-Xa pipe to be made in the UK.” As some heat pump installations take place away from the property itself, the availability of pre-insulated pipe will be key to covering all bases in the Government’s heat pump rollout, and enabling the wider success of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. However, Steve highlights that as each heat pump installation is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the uptake of this technology. “It’s important to recognise that air source heat pumps are not able to be installed directly next to every property,” he explains. “This can be for a variety of reasons – heat pumps need good air flow to work effectively, and noise can also be an issue in some cases, so situating them on the side of the property is not always feasible. “For this reason, some installations require the heat pump to be located at the end of the garden or similar. However, this must be coupled with effective pre-insulated pipe between the heat pump and the home to ensure that there are minimal thermal losses. Polymer solutions such as RAUVITHERM can address this particular concern.” Steve concludes: “In an effort to further streamline the process of sourcing materials for remote heat pump installations, we’ve launched a dedicated landing page for installers to receive a quick quote. This tool, combined with UK manufactured parts, will be vital to ensuring an all-encompassing approach for achieving a prompt and effective transition to low-carbon heating.” For more information on RAUVITHERM and to receive a quote, visit: www.rehau.uk/heatpumps
