A 'Greener' Lifestyle with Space Airconditioning | 20 Mar 2007 |
The best known landmark in the small town of Wootton Bassett is its 17th Century Town Hall. Set in heart of the Wiltshire countryside, just 3 miles from junction 16 of the M4, The town will soon be able to lay claim to another landmark in the shape of a 'green' development known as The Wiltshire Leisure Village, for families wishing to enjoy a luxury holiday home in a country club community.
The Leisure Village forms the latest part of the 275 acre, Wiltshire Golf and Country Club and is the brainchild of owner and former newspaper Mogul, Eddie Shah. The first phase comprises 44 Scandinavian style, timber framed, holiday homes and is a superb example of an ecologically sound, sustainable and cost effective, residential style development.
Space Air, the Daikin distributor, has been specified to supply the new 'Altherma' air-to-water heat pumps providing both space heating and domestic hot water to all the luxury homes. The heat pumps further complement the highly energy saving equipment already specified for the Leisure Village, including grey water flushing systems, sun tubes, solar powered ventilation, energy saving lighting and other environmentally friendly features. These improve upon Swindon Council's guidelines requiring at least 10% renewables in all new build projects.
Mr Shah had originally considered ground source heat pumps but rejected them for economical and practical reasons. Following successful field trials in the existing Clubhouse and in Mr Shah's own Victorian built home, the decision was made to install the 'Altherma' in each of the properties, making this the largest installation of its type in Europe.
Described as 'the intelligent heating system', "Altherma" heat pumps provide energy efficiency at its best, exploiting renewable energy by absorbing free heat from the ambient air and typically delivering at least three times more heat (kW) than the amount of electricity (kW) consumed. A small back-up electric heater can boost water temperatures in (rare for the UK) extreme winter conditions.
Three models are currently available, rated between 6.1 and 9.6kW; larger capacity models will be introduced in 2007. According to Space Air, air-to-water heat pumps, are extremely cost effective. In addition to being significantly easier to install than ground source alternatives, highly efficient, cheaper to operate than gas-fired central heating systems and virtually maintenance free, air to water heat pumps have the potential in the UK to reduce global warming carbon dioxide emissions by 42%.
Eddy Shah comments "Being environmentally friendly is crucial to our design and development ethos. Both water to water and ground to water heat pump heating systems were considered but both proved potentially harmful to wildlife and the environment. They were also extremely costly, another example of suppliers using new technology and new ideas and thereby taking advantage of the public simply to maximise their profits. We decided, as we had done with newspaper technology, to source new and more affordable systems. We found that in Japan, the Daikin Altherma system works by taking heat directly from the air, into the systems providing 4 kilowatts of energy for every kilowatt used. On average, such systems will save up to 75% of energy costs depending on the efficiency of the system, the fuel it uses and the outside temperature.
It is also far cheaper to install than the other systems that use pumps to transfer heat. We were quoted at nearly £9,000 for ground source heat pump systems. The Daikin Altherma system recommended by their distributors Space Air plc cost nearly 70% less."
Neil Afram, Managing Director of Space Air, the largest distributor of Daikin in Europe, comments "The Altherma Air to Water heat pump is ideal for this highly eco friendly development. Eddy Shah proved it is possible to build homes incorporating available high energy efficient technologies without the extra costs. He believed in the Altherma technology because of Daikin's reputation, and he tested the unit in the Wiltshire Golf Club kitchen's hot water supply and his home where he converted his oil fired boiler to the Altherma Air to Water heat pump. This will save him at least 40% on running costs and will reduce the CO2 emissions by 59%. You can not have more faith than this."
As a result, The Wiltshire Leisure Village has met all the Part LA1 (2006) Building Regulations requirements and far exceeded the local authority minimum 10% renewable energy guidelines.
The air source system is complemented by other energy saving equipment including grey water flushing systems, sun tubes, solar powered ventilation and energy saving light bulbs. The 1st show home opened in December 2006 and The Wiltshire Leisure Village is due for completion by September 2007.
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