Rimmer’s Farm, Worcestershire

Ground Source Review: Rimmer’s Farm

When Mr Sanders inherited his family’s 1920’s farmhouse in Worcester he decided to bring the property up to date with a complete refurbishment.

He wanted to install a renewable heating system as part of the refurbishment to provide the property with a sustainable supply of heating and hot water, and so called upon local renewables installer Worcester Renewables for an initial consultation.

However, with minimal insulation, solid stone walls and single glazed windows, an initial Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) revealed that the property had very high heat losses which would require a more expensive heating system capable of dealing with a high heat demand.

In consultation with Worcester Renewables, Mr Sanders considered biomass, ‘cascaded’ air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps; he had a preference towards ground source having plenty of space available for the ground arrays, but due to the high heat load of the property and the size of the heat pump needed to manage this, the cost was initially prohibitive.

Mr Sanders therefore decided to invest in measures to reduce the heat load whilst carrying out refurbishment activity to modernize the property. On the recommendation of Worcester Renewables, he added wall insulation and removed the floorboards to install multi-layer foil insulation below.

He also extended the property by converting the old garage into a brand new kitchen and sun-lounge, all constructed as close to current building regulations as possible. Despite the extensive refurbishment activity, Mr Sanders took care to preserve the traditional features of the property as far as possible, installing double-glazing into the original wooden window frames of the farmhouse.

All of these measures significantly reduced the property’s heat losses, and Worcester Renewables were able to specify a 12kW Kensa Twin Compact heat pump to provide space heating and hot water to the house. Mr Sanders’ ground source heat pump project is eligible for the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI: this scheme has now closed – please visit this page to explore other funding), generating payments every 3 months for 7 years to offset the cost of the installation.

Worcester Renewables installed x4 275m of straight pipe in an adjacent field to harness the heat energy from the ground. Mr Sanders chose straight pipe over slinkies as he had plenty of space and they were the more cost effective option for him. The pipework links up to the ground source heat pump which is housed in the basement. Although noise from Kensa ground source heat pumps are low compared to other technologies, Worcester Renewables mounted the unit onto a concrete plinth along with an anti-vibration device, further reducing the minimal noise output of the unit.

Worcester Renewables also upgraded the heat distribution system, installing underfloor heating throughout the downstairs of the property and new double-panelled radiators in the upper two floors to improve the efficiency of the heat pump. Worcester Renewables also installed room by room heating controls allowing Mr Sanders total flexibility and control over his supply of heating and hot water.

Although the heat pump has only recently been commissioned so has not been up and running for very long. Mr Sanders is very satisfied with the system. Worcester Renewables worked closely with Mr Sanders throughout the project and delivered a solution tailored to his needs.

Ground Source Review: Rimmer's Farm Heat Pump - 12kW Kensa Twin Compact

Ground Source Review: Rimmer's Farm Heat Pump - Trenches for X4 275cm straight pipe

Ground Source Review: Rimmer's Farm Heat Pump - Digging

Ground Source Review: Rimmer's Farm Heat Pump - Underfloor Heating

Ground Source Review: Rimmer's Farm Heat Pump - Exterior