Renewable Energy Installer December/January 2014 | Page 22

Knowledge: PV
Special delivery
With many thousands of people in the UK using solar PV to generate electricity
from their roof, Panasonic’s UK country manager, Marc Diaz explains how
combining PV with air source heat pumps can further reduce electrical
consumption and CO2 emissions
s the winter nights begin to draw in and the sunshine of
this summer becomes a distant memory, it may come as a
surprise to learn that the UK is in the midst of a solar boom.
Solar power is the fastest growing energy technology in
the world and this rapid growth shows little sign of slowing down.
A
Key technology
Solar capacity has increased 25 fold in less than three years with
1.7GW capacity installed under the Feed-in Tariff scheme - almost half
a million installations across the country and it is a key technology for
meeting the government’s 2020 renewable energy targets.
The attraction of super energy-effi cient heat pump technology also
continues to grow. Despite their signifi cant cost and energy effi ciency
benefi ts, air-to-water heat pumps have often been overshadowed by
conventional heating methods and in the renewables market, its solar
that continues to dominate.
Cost effective solution
With unpredictable weather forecasts and steep fuel costs continuing
to be a factor, more and more households are researching cost effective
heating solutions for their homes and how they could benefi t from
renewable technology.
ASHPs are easy to integrate into most heating systems and are
also highly compatible with other renewable energy sources,
including PV.
Working together
Panasonic has recently been involved in an interesting residential
property where both solutions have been installed and are working
together to provide maximum energy savings.
Originally a four-bedroom residential property situated in a village
in Warwickshire, the homeowners enlisted the help of Nexus Building
Solutions for a complete refurbishment and extra two-bedroom
extension. The family were looking for a heating solution that would
not only fi t in well with the existing oil burner and radiators, but also
provide reliable and superb-quality performance.
Specifying 4kW Panasonic 250W HIC panels to accompany
Panasonic’s 6kW T-CAP Monobloc Aquarea heat pump, Nexus Building
Solutions has helped the property to benefi t from extremely energy-
effi cient and cost-effective underfl oor heating that runs through six
different zones within the house. Supplying heat to an extension for an
elderly relative, the bedroom, living room and downstairs bathroom, as
well as a two-storey bedroom and living room, the entire family now
all benefi t from renewable technology. Not only is the house warm
22 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
Doubling up: Surplus energy generated by the solar PV is fed to an ASHP
at this home in Warwickshire to further lower its energy consumption and
carbon footprint
and cosy, but the extra energy generated from the solar panels is
transferred straight back into the pump.
Energy effi cient
It is important however to choose the correct air-to-water heat pump
for the job in hand. For example, heat pumps typically work much more
effi ciently at a lower temperature than a standard boiler system would.
So they are often used in underfl oor heating systems or larger radiators,
which give out heat at lower temperatures over longer periods of time.
The Aquarea air-to-water heat pump range leads the market in
performance and we have recently extended the range to offer a variety
of solutions for the UK energy effi cient housing market. Because the
housing stock in the UK is extremely varied, not only with regard to the
type, size and construction methods of the properties themselves, but
also from a power point of view, we have developed a wide range that
answers most requirements.
ASHPs are easy to integrate into most
heating systems and are also highly
compatible with other renewable energy
sources, including PV