Infrared heating solutions for property developers

Background

Latchmore Court, Hitchin, was a Residential Conversion opportunity in Hertfordshire that offered planning consent for the development of 38 apartments (36 conversion plus 2 new build roof/penthouse apartments).

The property comprised two commercial office blocks situated within a courtyard development; one property being a 1980’s purpose-built office building with six levels. The second block being the former Town Hall, a grade II listed building, with a 1980’s extension to the rear, over basement, ground and two upper floors, and with high ceilings and period features. Total development is circa 23,935 sq ft.

The project management, redesign, conversion and new build works were undertaken by Probuild Ltd, construction energy efficiency specialists. Probuild’s responsibilities included calculating, selecting and installing best solutions for upgrading the thermal efficiency of the building envelope along with selecting and installing most suitable energy efficiency solutions for SAP and EPC ratings.  Not only was energy performance compliance necessary but also consideration of the wellbeing and long term running costs to the owner.  As power to both of the buildings was being supplied by electric only, this was a challenge.

The conversion project sought an effective, efficient, space-saving electric heating solution that also delivered the finish required for a top-end development.  Following detailed investigations of all electric heating solutions on the market, Herschel Infrared heaters were selected.

Solution

Low wattage, stylish Herschel panels were installed across the one and two bedroom apartments. A mixture of Inspire and Select XL panels were chosen in a range of contemporary finishes including mirror, white glass and white aluminium depending on the type of rooms and the style preferred.

A one bed show flat can be viewed here showing Herschel Infrared slimline panels wall-mounted.

All the panels are controlled by the Herschel iQ, Eco Design (Lot 20) compliant thermostat controllers for simple, efficient control.

Herschel Infrared panels provide an easy to install, zero maintenance, cost effective and stylish heating solution that is perfect for development projects of any scale.

The Director of Probuild Ltd, Brad Kelly, is also a Domestic and Commercial Energy Assessor and was so impressed with the panels, controls, quality, performance and support from Herschel, that he has teamed up with Design Engineer and sister Ashley Kelly to form Thermoception Ltd – providing a turnkey service (consultancy, calculations, design, supply, installation and aftercare to SAP or EPC compliance) aimed towards developers, designers and architects.

Testimonial

“The finish in the flats is high-end and contemporary and the Herschel panels are well suited to this type of flat design. In addition, the comfortable heat generated from the panels is apparent as soon as someone walks into the flat from the unheated common areas”. Brad Kelly, Probuild.

Background

Honor Properties, a landlord and property development company with a vast portfolio of student and professional properties, had previously used Herschel infrared heaters within their student properties.  The benefits they found from the ease of install and control, combined with the affordability of this low energy heating solution, meant that Herschel was their first choice for heating rental properties in their latest flat development within the professional letting market. The owners of Honor Properties were also keen to get rid of gas so that they could minimise their CO2 footprint and work with the simplicity of one energy bill.

The development involved the conversion and extension of a period property which previously housed 3 x apartments with various rooms in each. The converted property has become a new development of 6 self-contained apartments, all interior designed to the highest specification. 3 of the apartments are studio apartments with combined living area, kitchen and bedroom whilst the remaining 3 have separate living spaces in which room by room thermostat control was a key objective. The redeveloped and extended property has been built to the latest building standards with very good levels of insulation throughout.

Solution

The property owners were keen to ceiling mount panels within the living areas and bedrooms so as to maximise the space within the studio apartments. Herschel Select XL white panel heaters have been used throughout the development providing a discreet solution that fits well with the clean, minimalistic design of these high-end apartments. Kitchens have wall-mounted Select XL panels.

All panels are controlled by the Herschel iQ MD1 hardwired thermostat, ideal for large renovations where cabling can be easily hidden during the build process. The MD1 thermostat enables simple control of heating requirements from an easy to use, lockable screen and ensures flexible, comfortable control, room by room.

As landlords, Herschel infrared panel heaters have provided Honor Properties with an easy installation, low maintenance solution for heating rental properties in their new portfolio.

Testimonial

Chris Honor, owner of Honor Properties, comments “We used these in our student accommodation and they went really well so we introduced them to our flats which are a little bit more high-end. They give us a space-saving option….eco-wise they keep our costs down, we’ve got rid of our gas and everything is electric so it’s only one bill so we know exactly where we stand. They keep the properties really nice and warm and we’ve been really happy with them”. Chris Honor, Honor Properties

See the full video testimonial from Chris about his Herschel infrared install.