4-bed home in rural Wexford reaps benefit of combined solar PV and heat pump installation
CHALLENGE: MOVE AWAY FROM OIL, HELP THE PLANET
For this Daikin customer, a retired person living on her own in rural Co. Wexford, the decision to install a heat pump was prompted by a mix of practical and environmental concerns.
She had been heating her home, a 4-bedroom house built in 2007, with an oil boiler supplemented by a free-standing stove, going through around 1.5 tanks of oil during the winter months and noticing the fuel bills starting to mount.
In tandem, she knew that burning fossil fuel to heat her home was not a sustainable way of living and wanted to do her part for the planet. Having done her research, she decided that a heat pump was the way forward.
SOLUTION: SOLAR PV AND HEAT PUMP – IN TWO STAGES
Next, the homeowner approached the Monaghan-based solar panel and heat pump specialist NRG Panel, a Daikin partner installer, to discuss her options. Given the dimensions of her home and its BER (then BER B3), the installer recommended carrying out a home energy upgrade in two phases – first solar PV and then a heat pump.
The customer applied for – and received – an SEAI grant that would allow her to carry out the necessary upgrades. In September 2019, NRG Panel fitted her 3.7 kW solar PV, and then in May 2022 the company installed a 14 kW Daikin Altherma M heat pump.
The Altherma M is an air-to-water low temperature monobloc heat pump, which is one of Daikin’s most popular solutions for properties where space is limited. The single unit can be installed outside and underneath a window to save space, while no additional indoor units are needed.
RESULTS: BER B3 TO BER A2, AND NO MORE EXPENSIVE OIL TANK REFILLS
In two simple phases – first solar PV, then heat pump – the house’s energy rating (BER) was transformed from a BER B3 to BER A2, increasing the value of the property.
For the homeowner, however, the biggest transformation was the peace of mind that comes with her heat pump. Instead of chasing more warmth during the colder months – burning up expensive oil in the process – she doesn’t have to think about her heating system. “It comes on and off at set times, it works well with the solar PV and of course it’s green and renewable,” she says.
In terms of energy bills, the homeowner is playing the long game. Switching to heat pump technology has meant no more costly oil tank refills, and although her electricity bill was quite high during her first winter with the heat pump, she has seen a significant reduction in 2023. Having also received the Government’s energy credits, she is hoping for a further reduction in her energy bills in 2024.
HOMEOWNER:
“IT WORKS, AND I DON’T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT!”
“With the heat pump and solar PV, you need to look at the system as a balancing game – it can be a little scary in the winter months but over the course of the year, it definitely balances out. I found the installer (NRG Panel) very good and once I saw the savings (with the solar PV) I trusted them to install the heat pump as well.
- Daikin customer
