An abandoned water tower on the outskirts of Harrogate, Yorkshire, has been converted into a stunning family home by Carol and Majid Nadry from Bradford. Sustainability and energy efficiency were at the heart of the project, so they chose an air source heat pump from Panasonic to provide a low-Carbon heating and hot water solution.
The four-storey water tower, which was built in the 1940s to supply a nearby village, was in need of significant refurbishment, as it had lain derelict for several years. However, this offered the Nadrys a blank canvas on which they could design their home - and exactly the way they wanted it. Energy efficiency was one of the core principles of their restoration project, and this presented a number of challenges to Cumbria-based renewable heating firm Heacol, who were asked to design and install the heating and hot water system.
System design has a significant impact on how efficiently it runs, as a heating system that is not designed and installed correctly will not deliver optimum performance. As a large four storey building, it was crucial that the property had a powerful water flow to provide an even capacity around the building, and that all this was achieved with energy efficient technology. As the water tower was so old and run down, the installation had more in common with a new build project than a retrofit. Heacol were therefore able to design the whole system themselves, rather than adapt it to existing infrastructure, which appealed to the Nadrys as it meant that they could ensure it was as efficient as possible.
Heacol specified a Panasonic Aquarea T-CAP heat pump, which was integral to delivering the efficient solution and capacity they needed to heat a large home like the converted water tower. The T-CAP was the ideal solution as it is not just efficient and powerful, but also extremely reliable and provides advanced control options to make the system more efficient. The T-CAP also works well with underfloor heating, which was chosen as the primary method of delivering heating to the building, to increase the efficiency of the system.
“We never have any problems with the Panasonic T-CAP” says Brendon Uys of Heacol. “It is one of the most reliable heating systems I’ve ever come across, in three years of installing it I haven’t had to do one repair job, I would go so far as to say it’s bulletproof. Another really important feature for me is how simple it is to install, it makes completing a project so much easier. It provides a really efficient solution as well, which is great for a family like the Nadrys who were keen to reduce their energy bills and be environmentally friendly.”
Heacol installed two Panasonic Aquarea T-CAP heat pumps to provide the necessary capacity for the house. The T-CAP includes weather compensation controls as standard, so that when the outside temperature falls, the water temperature rises, meaning the system is always running at peak efficiency. Heacol also installed proportional thermostats so that when the outside temperature drops below 17°C the system will run 24 hours a day. This enables the system to run at a much lower flow temperature when providing heating and hot water, and therefore it consumes significantly less energy while still performing at peak efficiency. Heacol also installed a thermal store, which heats the water as it flows through a pipe rather than in a tank, which not only reduces the risk of legionella but also lowers the running costs of the system.
Completely restored, the Pannal Water Tower is equipped with an efficient, fully-controllable heating and hot water system. With monitoring equipment recently installed, Carol and Majid Nadry will soon be able to see the significant savings on their energy bills generated the Panasonic Aquarea T-CAP.
