Case Study – Estate reap the rewards of the fields..

Brief: Hafod were appointed to design and install a new heating system for Bodrhyddan Estate at Bryn Cwnin Farm.  Bryn Cwnin was a  dilapidated farm and farmhouse with a range of historic outbuildings. The farm had not been used for some time. Boryhddan Estates converted the L shaped brick built outbuildings and barns and developed six high specification dwellings.

Execution: The Main Building contractors , M&C  wanted to install a low maintenance heating system.  The client’s brief was that the heating system must be reliable and ‘would not break down on Christmas day’!

The new conversions were built to new building regulation standards and the insulation put in was a very high specification. Underfloor heating was selected on the ground floor and radiators on the first floor  Biomass was an option but due to the awkward fuel deliveries and reliability issue of the feed systems, ground source heat pumps provided an excellent solution both in terms of low running costs and an excellent payback.

Hafod selected an IDM ground source heat pump with a horizontal collector pipe.  The site proved to have good resources , with a 3 acre field adjacent to the development and good conditions as the soil was saturated clay/silt which is ideal conditions for a GSHP.

Hafod installed a cascade heat pump system meaning 2 heat pumps were placed side by side resulting in a net capacity of 46kw ( single phase).  A district heating system was designed & installed teeing off into each property and installing a heat meter in each dwelling.

The ground loop was designed to allow for a 3rd heat pump to be ‘plugged’ in to the system at a later date.  This allows for expansion of the system as the client was looking at a further development on the site.

  • Technologies installed

    Ground source heat pump set using an IDM Terra 26kw /230v & IDM Terra 20kw /230v
    2400 meters of 40mm collector pipe was installed 1.2 m deep in the field
    • 500 Litre accumulator cylinder
    • Rehau district heating system and Sontex heat meters.

  • Customer benefits

    • The Ground Source Heat Pump heats the properties efficiently and provides a steady income for the estate for 20 years through the government backed Renewable heat incentive scheme
    • Installing heat meters in each property meant they could manage the energy used in each dwelling as well.
    • The heating system requires no fuel deliveries , it is fully automatic and linked to the internet so the client and hafod can remotely monitor the system.
    • Reliability- The ground source heating system is extremely reliable and has the added bonus of having a back up in the form of 2 heat pumps.
    • The Estate has built upon its ‘green credentials’ they have installed many solar PV schemes and also a hydro scheme nearby.