“In the process of restoring and extending a pair of ancient cottages in the Dartmoor National Park, we had to drill a borehole for our water supply. The contractor suggested that if we increased the bore we could also use the water as our source of heat by installing an open loop system rather than the more common ground source, which would have involved digging a network of trenches. Both systems employ a heat pump, but the open loop system is more efficient and more reliable year round as the water always emerges at around 12 degrees regardless of the weather. Soleco produce the only heat pump designed for this system – it is possible to use others but they need an additional heat exchanger reducing the efficiency. Through this system we’ve achieved an SPF of 4.1 meaning that under the RHI scheme our annual grant should not only cover our electricity bills but also our Council Tax. For us it’s been a no-brainer and Source Energy worked closely with our builders and Soleco to install what is a very effective system with underfloor heating throughout. In the meantime we’re enjoying a very comfortable home, with no utility bills for the next seven years!”
Mr Clench, August 2014
