HAMBLEDON GREENING – SOME USEFUL  OBSERVATIONS BY TONY COATES.

 

These notes are written by Tony Coates who has lived at 3 Rushmere Gate since Dec 2014.

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3 Rushmere Gate. This is a 1991 built two storey mid-terraced house of 1,012 sq ft and with an EPC Rating of B.  It was fitted, in 2011, at a cost £11,000 with an Air Source Heat Pump and a ten panel Solar Panel Array.  Max 4.8 Kw?  The heating consists of underfloor heating pads and small radiators upstairs. Hot Water is stored in an insulated tank system.  There are controls for the heating and hot water, zone controls for temperature and thermostatic valves on the radiators. The loft is overrun with insulation!   There were some costs for repairs, £550 for the Condenser, in 2015 and we added a “Solar I Boost” which uses the generated electricity to heat water from May to Sept.  We switch off both heating and hot water from May to Sept.  Lighting in the main is provided by LED TP24 ceiling lights.  All other lighting uses low energy bulbs.  All domestic appliances are A++ energy efficient.

Energy Usage and Production.

Year           Mains Electric              Solar PV

2020                    4970                    2205

2019                    5766                    2129

2018                    6013                    2155

2017                    6151                    2071

For whatever reason our mains electricity consumption has reduced over the past four years.  Machinery serviced and repaired.  Temperature levels not changed. Heating and Hot water left on permanently in Autumn/Winter/Spring season.  It is disconcerting when daily readings show a usage of 40 to 50 kw on cold winter days at 15.4p per kw.  The figures do even out over the month as can be seen below.

Daily average usage by month – Mains Electric 2020

 

Jan 23.1

Feb 20.07

Mar 16.48

April 9.5

May 7.774

June 7.833

July 6.419

Aug 5.484

Sept 7.267

Oct 13.35

Nov 18

Dec

 

Dec 27.71.

According to the Energy Saving Trust web site Air Source Heat Pumps do not need servicing each year like Oil or Gas.  The EST website does list the procedures to be carried out.  For personal peace of mind, we service our system annually!! Cost £170 + spares if necessary.

 

Energy Saving in Hambledon. Air Source Heat Pumps.  I know of one other private sector house in Hambledon with an ASHP.  About 16  Council Social Housing properties were fitted with ASHPs at The Gardens and Old Barn Crescent before May 2014.  Other Council Houses in Stewarts Green were fitted with Bio-mass Boilers.  This system burns wood chip pellets. A small waste box only needed and the ash being emptied once every six months. These systems replaced inefficient, expensive to run night storage heaters.

Ground Source Heat Pumps. I know of two systems in private houses in Hambledon:  one where the system was drilled some depth vertically into the chalk in a small garden; and the other was laid horizontally under the lawn/tennis court.  I do not have any knowledge of the efficiency or cost effectiveness of these systems.