Green Homes Grant

Solar Thermal also known as solar heating technologies, turn sunlight into heat.

Solar Thermal panels or solar collectors are devices that are mounted on to your roof to absorb the sun’s heat and use it to heat up water, stored in a cylinder. The liquid flowing through the panels is a mix of water and antifreeze. This technology is great for space and water heating. They are a popular solution for swimming pool heating.

The benefits of installing Solar Thermal:

• Reduce your electricity bills.
• Cut your carbon footprint.
• You could earn income through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)

Maintaining a Solar Thermal system

Maintenance costs for solar water heating systems are generally very low.

Most solar water heating systems come with a five-year or ten-year warranty and require little maintenance.

I’m interested in installing a Solar Thermal system, what should I do next?

Search for an MCS certified Installer using our directory of approved installers.

MCS is a mark of quality. Using an MCS certified installer ensures that equipment meets good standards of performance and that installers are technically safe and competent.

Make a decision based on three quotes. Trust your instincts and go with a good value quote with an installer you feel you can trust.

As with solar photovoltaic cells, solar heating technologies require sunlight, so ideally you would install the technology on a south-facing roof that receives sunlight for most of the day. You don’t need planning permission to install a solar thermal system unless you live in a listed building. If you live in a listed building please note the restrictions.

You may need a new hot water tank to store the hot water produced by your system. If you have an older hot water tank linked to an existing boiler then it is likely that you will need a new tank.

Useful links

Here are some great information sources and resources if you would like to find out more about Solar Thermal:

• Energy Saving Trust

A Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) uses pipes that are buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground. This heat can then be used to heat radiators, underfloor or warm air heating systems and hot water in your home.

A GSHP circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe, called a ground loop. Heat from the ground is absorbed into the fluid and then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump.

The ground stays at a fairly constant temperature under the surface, so the heat pump can be used throughout the year.

The length of the ground loop depends on the size of your home and the amount of heat you need. Longer loops can draw more heat from the ground, but need more space to be buried in. If space is limited, a vertical borehole can be drilled instead.

Water Source Heat Pumps (WSHP) can be used to provide heating in homes near to rivers, streams and lakes. They extract the heat from open water such as rivers, lakes and canals and can also extract water from sea water.

The Benefits of installing Ground/Water Source Heat Pumps:

• Reduce your electricity bills.
• Cut your carbon footprint.
• You could earn income through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)

Maintaining Ground/Water Source Heat Pumps

GSHP/WSHP require regular scheduled maintenance but you can expect them to operate for 20 years.

There is no need for safety checks for ground source heat pumps and routine maintenance requirements are very low. These may include pre-heating season checks of the water pump, external pipes and fittings and electronics.

I’m interested in installing Ground/Water Source Heat Pumps, what should I do next?

Search for an MCS certified Installer using our directory of approved installers.

MCS is a mark of quality. Using an MCS certified installer ensures that equipment meets good standards of performance and that installers are technically safe and competent.

Make a decision based on three quotes. Trust your instincts and go with a good value quote with an installer you feel you can trust.

Good design and an experienced MCS certified installer are the most important factors when considering the installation of the Ground/Water Source Heat Pump. You should also consider the state of the insulation in your home. This needs to be to a good standard so that heat loss through the walls, roof and floor is minimised and therefore the fact your home is heated to a lower temperature will not be an issue.

Useful links

Here are some great information sources and resources if you would like to find out more about Ground/Water Source Heat Pumps:

• Ground Source Heat Pump Association
• Energy Saving Trust

An Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) is a system which absorbs heat from the outside air. This heat can then be used to heat radiators, underfloor heating systems, or warm air convectors and provide domestic hot water in your home.

ASHPs can get heat from the air even when the temperature is as low as -25°C.

In the outdoor unit there is an evaporator (grill with fins), a fan draws air across it, latent heat in the air crossing the evaporator is used to increase the temperature of the refrigerant within the evaporator, the refrigerant is now a gas. Once it has absorbed the latent heat this gas is then passed through a compressor which in turn compresses (squeezes) the gas, this compression cycle of the refrigerant increases the temperature to between 25°C – 75°C. Now the higher temperature gas is passed through a plate heat exchanger this is where the high temperature from the gas is absorbed by the primary water within the heat pump system, this primary water, just like your boiler, is used to heat the house or produce domestic hot water.

There are two main types of air source heat pump systems:

• An air to water system distributes heat via your wet central heating system. Heat pumps work much more efficiently at a lower temperature than a standard boiler system would. This makes them more suitable for underfloor heating systems or larger radiators, which give out heat at lower temperatures over longer periods of time.
• An air-to-air system produces warm air which is circulated by fans to heat your home. (Please note, an air-to-air heat pump isn’t eligible for RHI)

An ASHP is installed outside your home, the unit can be fitted to a wall or placed on the ground. It will need plenty of space around it to get a good flow of air.

The benefits of installing an Air Source Heat Pump:

• Reduce your heating bills, although as an Air Source Heat Pump uses electricity, you will stay pay for electricity
• Cut your carbon footprint.
• You could earn income through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
• Can heat your home as well as your water.

Maintaining an Air Source Heat Pump

An ASHP requires regular scheduled maintenance but you can expect them to operate for 20 years. You are likely to be advised to carry out a yearly check that the air inlet grill and evaporator are free of leaves or other debris.

Any plants that have started to grow near the ASHP will also need to be removed.

To prevent freezing in a power cut Monobloc heat pumps require anti-freeze to be used.

I’m interested in installing an Air Source Heat Pump, what should I do next?

Search for an MCS certified Installer using our directory of approved installers.

MCS is a mark of quality. Using an MCS certified installer ensures that equipment meets good standards of performance and that installers are technically safe and competent.

Make a decision based on three quotes. Trust your instincts and go with a good value quote with an installer you feel you can trust.

Make sure you receive a design for your new system including the location of your new Air Source Heat Pump. You’ll need enough space in your garden for the external condenser unit (comparable in size to an air-conditioning unit). When considering the location of your new Air Source Heat Pump note that the condenser units will generate noise and also blow out colder air to the immediate environment.

Useful Links

• Energy Saving Trust
• Heat Pump Association

Biomass is also known as wood-fuelled heating systems. They burn wood pellets, chips or logs to provide warmth in a single room or to power central heating and hot water boilers.

A stove burns logs or pellets to heat a single room – and may be fitted with a back boiler to provide water heating as well. A boiler burns logs, pellets or chips, and is connected to a central heating and hot water system.

The benefits of installing Biomass:

• Reduce your electricity bills.
• An affordable heating source.
• Cut your carbon footprint.
• You could earn income through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)

Maintaining a Biomass system

Biomass boilers and stoves should be kept clean and swept regularly to remove ash.

Some appliances, particularly boilers, have self-cleaning systems which will collect ash from the combustion grate and the heat exchanger tubes. If there is no automatic ash cleaning mechanism in place the boiler will need to be shut down periodically so that this can be done by hand.

If you have a wood burning stove or boiler, the chimney and flue pipe must be swept regularly to remove all soot deposits and prevent blockage.

A Biomass system will also require an annual maintenance check.

I’m interested in installing Biomass, what should I do next?

Search for an MCS certified Installer using our directory of approved installers.

MCS is a mark of quality. Using an MCS certified installer ensures that equipment meets good standards of performance and that installers are technically safe and competent.

Make a decision based on three quotes. Trust your instincts and go with a good value quote with an installer you feel you can trust.

You should consider the space you have available for both the boiler plant and fuel storage. The larger the storage facility, the less fuel deliveries you will need.

The design of any heating system is critical to its success and with Biomass it is no different. You should understand how your new Biomass will work for your home before signing a contractor for its installation.

Useful links

• HETAS
• Energy Saving Trust