Telephone 0845 618 7113
Email sales@eartheat.co.uk
Web www.eartheat.com
Eartheat Ltd, Clarkes Road
Wigston, Leicestershire, LE18 2BG
Eartheat News
December 2011 - Ground-source heat pump heats and cools Weatherspoon Pub
Ground-source heat pump heats and cools Weatherspoon Pub Beneath the paved area in front of this Weatherpoon’s pub are 10 boreholes serving a Danfoss heat pump that provides heating and cooling. Read More
October 2011 - Eartheat features in 'Heat Pumps Today' magazine
Richard Walkden is md of Eartheat, the installing project team for the award winning Danfoss ground source heat pump installation in Swadlincote, Derbyshire. Read More
August 2011 - MP’s Home Fitted with an Energy Saving Danfoss Heat Pump
When the Hon MP for North West Leicestershire Andrew Bridgen commissioned a new-build home, he was keen to utilise a renewable energy system that would reduce his carbon footprint and lower his energy bills. Read More
June 2011 - Danfoss Installer Wins National Heat Pump Award
A Leicester-based renewable energy installer Eartheat Ltd has won the prestigious accolade of ‘Installation of the Year’ at the National Heat Pump Awards, held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham recently. Read More
December 2011 - Ground-source heat pump heats and cools Weatherspoon Pub
Beneath the paved area in front of this Weatherpoon’s pub are 10 boreholes serving a Danfoss heat pump that provides heating and cooling. As part of a major refurbishment following a fire, a ground-source heat pump from Danfoss Heat Pumps has been installed to provide heating and cooling for J. D. Weatherspoon’s Kettleby Cross pub in Melton Mowbray.
This 26 kW heat pump is supplied by 10 boreholes, each 90 m deep, under the paved area at the front of the building. They exchange heat with the ground via a glycol circuit. Installation work was carried out by renewable-energy specialist Eartheat of Leicester. Heating and cooling are provided by an underfloor installation in the pub itself. The control system is weather compensated.
Closed Loop Ground Source Heat Pump System - In a closed loop system a single or double probe is inserted into the full depth of the borehole and held in place with a thermal grout to ensure good heat conductivity between the probe and the surrounding area. The boreholes are joined to a manifold, and the manifold connected to the heat pump.
October 2011 - Eartheat features in 'Heat Pumps Today' magazine
Richard Walkden is md of Eartheat, the installing project team for the award winning Danfoss ground source heat pump installation in Swadlincote, Derbyshire.
I’m a heating engineer by trade but just over five years ago, I installed a Therma heat pump in my own home. Being a bit of an eco-warrior, I could see where the market was going so for nearly two years, all we did was install heat pumps for Eco Heat Pumps, now Danfoss. Today we work with all top manufacturers and our territory in everywhere between Birmingham and the East coast.
It’s critical to identify the motivation of your customer. Usually it is economic but for customers on mains gas, this might be based on how things could turn out in 10 years time. When you’re up against oil, bottled gas or mains electricity, heat pumps are not diffi cult to sell.
My preference is always to take ownership of the system design and specification, including the ground collectors, to make sure it is done right. We install more air source than ground source but I prefer ground source. Its design can be maximised to be more effi cient and delivers a predictability that you cannot get with air source, particularly in cold winters. Ground source is virtually maintenance free and is not another unwanted object in the garden.
Bore holes are an interesting case. When heat pumps came along, the guys in the bore hole market suddenly woke up and prices went through the roof. Now they’re coming back to more reasonable levels. I also prefer to fi t underfl oor heating as radiators need to run at higher temperatures, which makes the heat pump less efficient. High temperature heat pumps come at a price, as they do not operate with such effi ciency. Personally, I would rather not install one.
I only install heat pumps that are MCS approved. The current economic climate has put a restraint on decision making. I believe that when the RHI kicks in for domestic applications and for air source, the market for heat pumps will take off , but this could be two years away. It’s very competitive out there so we have to show that our experience brings added value. What Eartheat sells is not the heat pump alone, not even the overall installation, it is peace of mind. I will answer my telephone even on Christmas Day if one of my customers needs help!
Heat Pumps Today featuring Eartheat
August 2011 - MP’s Home Fitted with an Energy Saving Danfoss Heat Pump
When the Hon MP for North West Leicestershire Andrew Bridgen commissioned a new-build home, he was keen to utilise a renewable energy system that would reduce his carbon footprint and lower his energy bills.
The 581 sq m property named The Willows was built near Swadlincote in Derbyshire and is fitted with a ground source heat pump from Danfoss Heat Pumps UK to supply all of its hot water and space heating requirements. The project has been shortlisted in the ‘Installation of the Year’ category at this year’s National Heat Pump Awards.
The Conservative MP, who has campaigned on environmental issues, investigated a range of heating alternatives for his spacious five-bedroom home, which also contains a cinema, gym and billiard room. Mr Bridgen was advised by renewable energy specialists Eartheat Ltd of Leicester that a ground source heat pump was the most sustainable and cost effective solution to his space and water heating requirements.
Although Mr Bridgen and his family originally planned to live in the house he was selected as the parliamentary candidate for the neighbouring county, so has since put the house on the market.
The property was designed and built by Bridges Developments Ltd of Derbyshire, who specialise in low carbon properties, and Managing Director John Bridges says: "There were a range of challenges on this project, in particular the issue of achieving a high level of energy efficiency within a realistic budget. This involved a complete redesign of the original plan and we decided upon an innovative technique which used an insulated concrete form construction. This is a cost effective method of achieving a very high level of thermal efficiency."
"We worked closely with Eartheat on the design of the heating and hot water system. The original plan included solar thermals to supply hot water, but we added an extra hot water storage tank to the heat pump system to ensure there was an adequate supply. The quality and flexibility of the Danfoss heat pump, backed by the company’s technical support, was vital in achieving these design improvements."
Because of the high level of air tightness achieved by the concrete walls, Eartheat was able to specify a 16kW heat pump, which is smaller than would usually be required for a new build property of this size and therefore uses less electricity.
A DHP-H Opti Pro heat pump system was installed with an additional 200 litre hot water cylinder to supplement the pump’s internal 180 litre tank. Figures recorded over the first six months show that the system will supply an estimated 49,000kWh of energy per year, while consuming just 11,000 kWh of electricity.
The pump is supplied by a ground loop buried in horizontal trenches, which extracts heat from the ground. It provides continuous hot water and feeds an underfloor heating system, which runs throughout the three-storey property.
The DHP-Opti Pro pump is one of the most advanced on the market and incorporates an intelligent control system on the circulation pumps to ensure maximum efficiency. It supplies both space and water heating and includes the latest HG technology, utilising the compressor as a 'super heater' to raise the temperature of the domestic hot water supply.
Eartheat’s Managing Director Richard Walkden explains: "We were able to provide a highly cost effective solution for heating and hot water. This was achieved by using our bespoke design for the ground loop collector system which does not require a collector manifold. The developer and MP are so pleased with the result that they have written in support of our entry in this year's National Heat Pump Awards."
Eartheat has a strong reputation for customer service, which includes providing a dedicated helpline for its customers.
Chris Dale, Director of Danfoss Heat Pumps UK, explains: "The Hon Andrew Bridgen MP is among a growing number of self builders who are concerned about the environmental impact of their developments and who realise that a ground source heat pump system will minimise the home’s carbon emissions for decades to come. An added benefit is the long term saving in energy costs, which is likely to become ever more significant as gas, oil and electricity prices continue to rise."
Eartheat Ltd can be contacted at www.eartheat.com or by calling 0845 6187113.
June 2011 - Danfoss Installer Wins National Heat Pump Award
A Leicester-based renewable energy installer Eartheat Ltd has won the prestigious accolade of ‘Installation of the Year’ at the National Heat Pump Awards, held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham recently.
Eartheat fought off fierce competition to win the award for the Danfoss heat pump it installed in a new build house built by John Bridges of Bridges Developments and owned by Andrew Bridgen, the Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire. Judges praised Eartheat's dedicated support for the client at all stages of the installation and afterwards.
Managing Director of Eartheat Richard Walkden shown on the left of the picture (with Chris Dale MD of Danfoss and comedian Fred McCauley) says: “We are delighted to have won this award which is a credit to the expertise and dedication of our entire team. We believe in supporting our clients before, during and after installation, which is why we are so frequently recommended by existing customers.”
A DHP-H Opti Pro heat pump from Danfoss Heat Pumps UK was installed to supply space heating and hot water for the extensive five-bedroom property. The heat pump will supply an estimated 49,000kWh of energy per year for the large property, while consuming just 11,000 kWh of electricity. The DHP-Opti Pro pump is one of the most advanced on the market and incorporates an intelligent control system on the circulation pumps to ensure maximum efficiency. It supplies both space and water heating and includes the latest technology, utilising the compressor as a ‘super heater’ to raise the temperature of the domestic hot water supply.
Chris Dale, Director of Danfoss Heat Pumps UK, comments: “It has been very exciting to see the high calibre of entries for the first National Heat Pump Awards, reflecting the level of expertise among heat pump installers throughout the UK. We congratulate Eartheat on their well deserved success.”
When planning the property Mr Bridgen MP investigated a range of environmentally friendly heating alternatives, and had initially decided to install solar thermal panels as well as a ground source heat pump. However, following advice from Eartheat, he was able to significantly reduce his building costs with a bespoke solution which meant that all of the hot water could be supplied by the Danfoss heat pump, removing the need for the solar thermal panels. This was achieved by fitting an additional 200 litre hot water cylinder to supplement the pump’s internal 180 litre tank. The pump is supplied by an Eartheat design of low loss ground loop buried in horizontal trenches, which extracts heat from the ground.
Eartheat further, designed and installed the bespoke underfloor heating delivery system which runs throughout the three-storey property. The system provides efficiency gains whist saving on material cost.
Eartheat worked closely with the developer John Bridges of Bridges Developments Ltd, to design the ground source heating system. The developer and MP were so impressed with the technical advice and service Eartheat provided that they wrote in support of the company’s entry in the Heat Pump Awards.
This is the inaugural competition of the National Heat Pump Awards, which has been set up to celebrate excellence in the industry. It is supported by major suppliers and trade organisations including national body The Heat Pump Association.
Eartheat Ltd can be contacted at www.earthheat.com or by calling 0845 6187113
