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Altherma in Social Housing

A renewable energy Heat Pump solution for domestic heating and hot water.
Altherma, the renewable energy Heat Pump solution for domestic heating and hot water. A flexible alternative for a refurbishment program to replace oil and electric heating in council social housing.

Overview
Babergh District Council has an ongoing refurbishment plan for the heating and hot water systems in their older rural properties. Many of these properties do not have gas supplies and over recent years costs for electric storage heating and particularly oil fired systems are becoming unaffordable both for the council and their tenants. There were several other issues for the Building Services Manager, Mr. Ben Hancock, to consider when deciding on what was the best solution for the future. High on the list was the need to meet the new Government and EEC directives regarding CO2 emissions & Building Regulations renewable targets. There also had to be consideration of maintenance costs to ensure the new systems were cost effective, with a satisfactory payback. Furthermore, the system had to offer flexibility to fit in to the many different types of properties included in the District Council housing stock. As with so many rural locations many properties are fitted with old oil fired systems and these also posed an environmental risk should there be an oil spill.

Solution
Altherma provided the solution for the Babergh District Council refurbishment programme in the following way:

To meet the new Government & EEC targets involving the reduction of carbon emissions. To also meet The District Council defined targets for carbon emissions and the use of renewable technology. To meet the requirements of part L of The Building Regulations. Altherma installation would increase the average SAP rating for its properties (an important goal). (SAP = standard assessment procedure for energy rating of dwellings). The solution helped provide affordable heating and hot water to the council tenants. Altherma was a competitive solution compared with the cost to install a replacement oil fired installation. The installation would be straightforward and flexible enough to fit into a variety of different property types and sizes. Altherma is a quiet and non-invasive solution and would meet environmental requirements.

Conclusion
Daikins Altherma system provided an optimum solution for Babergh District Council for the refurbishment of properties.

that suited the overall heating and hot water needs of each property. No investment was required in the incorporation of fuel pipes or oil storage tanks.

1. Cost Effective:

Daikins Altherma heat pump system with unique inverter technology provided a highly efficient heating system. Energy savings for the end user gave reduced energy costs by up to 40% compared to existing E7 installations and 25% against oil systems. (In one semi detached, two bedroom house, the annual cost for heating, hot water, lighting and cooking is now around 500 for a full year, saving around 250 annually.) The cost to install the Altherma system was more than competitive compared to the cost for a similar oil system. The installation cost was actually slightly lower than the average 6100 cost associated with suitable oil fired installations.

The Altherma system was simple to install and its use of external heat units to extract warmth from the air could be implemented in all of the selected properties - Installation was normally accomplished in 3-5 working days.

4. Environmentally Acceptable and Safe to Use:

The systems noise level output was tested and not deemed intrusive or in breach of any environmental regulations. No possibility of oil pollution problems. The benefits of being environmentally sound and cheap to run proved highly positive and a key feature for the tenants. The system is inexpensive to maintain with saving of 200-300 over ten years compared to a similar oil or gas installation. With no dangerous gas or explosive fuels Altherma is extremely safe to operate compared to fossil fuel boiler installations.

2. Reduction in Carbon Emissions:

The use of a renewable energy solution was important to achieve The District Council goals for local planning acceptance. Carbon emissions would be reduced by up to 40% compared to existing solutions. Building Regulations and The Code for Sustainable Homes requirements would be easily satisfied.

A heating system that operates to a low carbon footprint and is highly effective Mr Ben Hancock, Building Services Manager Babergh District Council, says: We have always known Daikin products are reliable and of excellent quality. The Altherma system has provided a top quality solution for the refurbishment of our old oil fired hot water and heating systems. The solution satisfies firstly our tenants and as importantly the operational goals and cost targets set by The District Council.

3. Flexibility and Installation benefits:

The choice and range of internal heating units to accompany the Altherma system gave the design team the ability to choose products

For more information visit www.daikin.co.uk