Infrared heating and heat pump hybrid system in sustainable rebuild

Background
Our customers were keen to reduce their reliance on the grid and adopt a more sustainable approach to heating. When they embarked on a rebuild project of their home in Devon, efficiency and sustainability were prioritised. They installed an infrared heating and heat pump hybrid system alongside solar and battery storage.

Solution

The property has been completely rebuilt, however, the owners focused on ensuring a ‘salvage dismantle’ of the old house and, where appropriate, they re-used materials in the new house. These were then incorporated, both structurally and decoratively, alongside new and innovative materials to reduce waste and add to the design.

All the M&E and energy provision is new and the rebuild ensured high levels of insulation. The heating hybrid solution combines underfloor heating on the ground floor, linked with an air source heat pump (ASHP) and Select XLS infrared panel heaters were then installed in all first floor bedrooms. The owners identified that the ASHP was less useful when working alongside conventional radiators and made the decision that infrared heaters would be both space-saving and more efficient.

A solar array combined with battery storage have been added to reduce dependence on the national grid and the result is a beautiful, sustainable, efficient home which sits respectfully in its rural plot.

Testimonial

“We’ve installed an ASHP and solar panels in our Devon re-build and this energy is fed into a battery to reduce our reliance on the grid in a more sustainable approach. During our research we learnt that an ASHP is best linked with UFH, which we have throughout our ground floor, but less useful with conventional radiators. They would need to be very large to produce the equivalent heat. Also, our green oak frame and vaulted bedroom ceilings might mean a lot of heat was wasted using a convection heating system. So, we investigated the infrared option! Neither our architectural technologist (AT) nor our builder had installed them before but we made the suggestion, discussed and researched it between us and I can honestly say that so far we’ve been really pleased and recommended them to lots of visitors! I know that the AT has now suggested them to other clients of his too.

Their higher positioning means wall space isn’t ‘wasted’; they are silent, unobtrusive and the heat they produce feels cosy and enveloping. People are particularly impressed with the mirror panel and I bet this would work excellently in a bathroom too”.