Engineer’s quest for efficiency and comfort proves a real game-changer

Former RAF aircraft engineer David Rose and his wife Sadie have lived in their four-bedroom house in Downham Market for five years. They aim to make  the house as energy efficient, green and comfortable as possible – without spending too much money in the process.

Why was the main problem with the house?

“The archaic gas fire in the lounge and the gas boiler we inherited with the house were unreliable and expensive to run – so the system as a whole was not adequate for our heating and hot water requirements.” 

Was that the only problem?

“The solar panels we put in were doing an amazing job, but not enough. I reasoned that an air source heat pump could be a good solution especially when our energy supplier, EDF, told us about Daikin and the subsidy opportunities through the government’s Green Deal.” 

What happened next?

“EDF put us in touch with Robert Hill at EOC Services, Downham Market-based Daikin Premium Partner. EOC Services is a sister company of East Anglia Renewables Centres which partners Daikin in the region’s first Sustainable Homes Centre.” 

What solution was proposed?

“Installation of a 7kW Daikin Altherma monobloc heat pump, following additional insulation to minimise heat loss, and solar photovoltaic panels on the south-facing slope of the roof.” 

Did you need a new hot water cylinder?

“The existing cylinder was retained as it has a wet coil and two immersion heaters, one of which is powered by the solar panels. If necessary, the heat pump raises the temperature via the wet coil. The second immersion heater is switched on in extreme circumstances or for legionella control.