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Xmas Karting 2009
Wednesday 18 th December saw Anderson Floor Warming Ltd hold their annual Xmas outing, this time to Scotkart in Cambuslang. All employees participated in a Karting competition followed by Paintball.
2008 Winner David Eadie was looking to retain the crown for a second year in a row, but faced some stiff competition from Scott Eadie and Michael Johnstone looking to cause an upset. After 4 heats for qualification to the final, David looked set to repeat last year's victory with pole position in the final, closely followed by Scott, and a surprise appearance from Tomasz Cudzilo in third place on the grid, flying the flag for the office.
The final saw a thrilling battle at the front between David and Scott as Tomasz crashed out early dropping right down the grid and out of the running. This allowed Michael Johnstone to move up the grid and challenge the front 2. It didn't take long for him to catch up and take 2 nd place from Scott and give David a run for his money. His pressure paid off and he got in front of David, but an audacious overtaking manoeuvre coming off the ramp put David back in front. This didn't deter Michael who stayed on his tail for the rest of the race, but despite his best efforts, just couldn't get past David again. They both crossed the line within a fraction of a second of each other, with Scott not too far behind.
David took his place on the podium again retaining his crown from last year, with the unlucky Michael having to make do with 2 nd place despite recording the fastest lap time. Scott took the remaining medal position. Special mention goes to young Michael Craig for the impressive feat of recording one of the slowest best lap times in a final and still finishing with a few racers behind him.
The Karting was followed by a break for pizza and then outside for some paintball. We split into two teams, the Wolves and the Vipers.
The Wolves took the first game comfortably, but a change of ends saw the Vipers take victory in a similar manner. After a short break to compare war wounds, we returned to the battlefield with the Vipers continuing where they left off with another convincing victory to take a 2-1 lead. But the Wolves weren't giving up and held out for victory in a tense final game. By now most of us had used up our ammo, and a draw was declared.
A great evening was had by all and everyone is looking forward to the next outing and hoping they can oust David from the top spot.
Plumbheat Article
Ground source heat pumps (GSHP's) are one of the fastest growing, yet already long established, renewable energy sources. They are electrically powered systems, which utilise the largely unexploited resource of the earth's relatively constant temperature to make use of energy from the ground heat to provide space heating, cooling and hot water. As they become increasingly commonplace, it is of paramount importance that designers and installers are aware of the pertinent environmental and financial factors affecting system design and installation.
Most commonly GSHP's are indirect systems where a water/antifreeze solution circulates through the ground loop and energy is transferred to or from the heat pump refrigerant circuit via a heat exchanger, and work by applying some basic principles of physics
- Heat will always move from a warm surface to a colder one
- Liquid absorbs heat as it boils, and emits heat as it condenses.
- When a liquid or a vapour is compressed its temperature rises and when that pressure is released, its temperature falls.
A heat pump is essentially a vapour compression refrigeration cycle working in reverse, collecting heat instead of rejecting it. Low-pressure refrigerant is boiled at the evaporator by the heat capacity of the source. The saturated refrigerant vapour is then pressurised by the compressor. The mechanical work done by the compressor is transferred as heat energy that raises the temperature of the vapour. The high temperature, high pressure vapour is condensed to a liquid at the condenser, thus releasing its heat. The high-pressure liquid is finally passed through an expansion device that reduces the pressure and temperature to restart the cycle. The Coefficient of Performance (COP) is a measure of the efficiency of a heat pump.
The temperature difference between the ground and the fluid in the ground heat exchanger drives the heat transfer therefore it is important to determine the ground temperature. At depths of less than two metres the ground temperature will show marked seasonal variation above and below the annual average air temperature. As the depth increases the seasonal swing in temperature is reduced and the maximum and minimum soil temperatures begin to lag the temperature at the surface. At a depth of about one and a half metres the time lag is approximately one month. Below ten metres the ground temperature remains effectively constant at approximately the annual average air temperature (between 10-14 O c in the UK depending on local geology and soil conditions). Therefore, the design of the ground loop(s) is of paramount importance and if not designed and installed correctly could jeopardise the operation of the system.
Ground source heat pumps work most efficiently at lower temperatures (around 35°C) This makes heat pumps the ideal heat source match for underfloor heating, which also works on the principle of low temperature heating. The lower the temperature required to be delivered to the underfloor heating, the more efficient the heat pump is and the cheaper to run.
The underfloor heating system should be designed to operate at a mean temperature of 35 o C, within a very well insulated building. Nibe VIP installers and specialist system designers Anderson Floor Warming achieve this by installing the 16-20mm dia. PEX pipes at 100 to 200mm centres, giving a large volume of water within the screeded floor.
In a conventional radiator system the surface area of the radiator and the average temperature of the water flowing through it determines the heat output, therefore, for a given radiator size, the output can be varied by changing the mean water temperature. When this principle is applied to UFH where the size of the emitter, in this case the floor, is so large that the water temperature is reduced to well below that commonly used in radiators and still provide the required heat output. Therefore the UFH system operates at the temperature efficiently achieved by the GSHP.
Underfloor heating is not capable of meeting typical design criteria room temperatures within bathroom/en-suite areas, mainly due to the limited floor area and mechanical ventilation. Therefore, an additional source of supplementary heat, such as a towel rail is required. As previously described for radiators, the temperatures required are higher than a GSHP can efficiently produce. If a conventional wet towel rail were to be fitted with an electric immersion, to raise the temperature from 35°C to 60°C, there is a possibility that the immersion would run for longer periods, heating the entire system. The simple, cost effective solution is to use an electric towel rail controlled by a timer and electrical thermostat.
The generation of domestic hot water requires careful consideration. Domestic hot water should be delivered at a temperature of around 50 O c, with the facility to reach 60 O c to kill bacteria. Therefore, a supplementary heat source, usually an electric immersion heater utilising an economy mode, within the hot water cylinder, or heat pump is required to reduce running costs.
Heat pumps have many positive points such as high reliability, fewer moving parts and lack of exposure to weather. This also gives a higher level of security, as there are no visible external components to be damaged or vandalised. The lifetime of a heat pump is expected to be 20 to 25 years and up to 50 years for the ground coil, in comparison to a gas or oil system of 10 years. The maintenance cost of the heat pump is also expected to be around one third that of a conventional system. Also as a heat pump has no flue or fuel tank, there are no combustion or explosive gases within the building.
These benefits contribute to heat pumps being one of the fastest growing renewable energy technologies. Anderson Floor Warming Ltd welcome enquires from anyone interested in learning more about ground source or air source heat pumps and can be contacted on: 0141646 6716, e-mail: mail@andersonfloorwarming.co.uk web: www.andersonfloorwarming.co.uk
Anderson Floor Warming Ltd have been appointed as VIP installers for NIBE in Scotland.
Anderson Floor Warming Ltd were officially appointed as VIP installers for NIBE in Scotland at the NIBE Energy Systems Limited installer conference on Wednesday 21st October 2009 held at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel.
This appointment means that, in addition to being listed as VIP installers on NIBE’s website, all NIBE heat pumps installed by Anderson Floor Warming Ltd are now also covered by a FIVE year guarantee.
Anderson Floor Warming Gain BRE Microgeneration Accreditation
Anderson Floorwarming are proud to announce that they have achieved BRE accreditation as Microgeneration Installers of Heat Pumps, one of only six companies in Scotland to date.
The BRE Microgeneration Certification Scheme is designed to ensure that the Government's (i.e. taxpayers) grant money is spent in an effective manner, and give greater consumer protection. As such, grants are only available to applicants using installers and products certified under MCS or equivalent schemes.
What are Heat Pumps?
Heat pumps take heat from the ground, air or water, and transfer this into heating and/or hot water.
Why consider a Heat Pump?
Buildings account for 47% of carbon emissions in the UK . Britain has committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020, and by 80% by 2050. Heat pumps can achieve a substantial reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Green electricity can be purchased, or renewable electricity generated, to run the pump, to achieve a totally renewable solution.
Energy costs have almost doubled in price since 2003, and are set to rise even further.
Typical savings of up to 70% can be achievable depending on type and price of fuel.
Payback period of under 10 years for a well insulated dwelling.
SCHRI provides grants to householders for accredited ground source heat pump installations, of up to 30% of the costs to a maximum of £4,000.
Low Carbon Buildings Program provide grant funding to householders for accredited ground source heat pump installations, of up to 30% of the costs to a maximum of £1,200, and to public sector buildings and charitable bodies of up to 50% of the costs to a maximum of £30,000.
For commercial and industrial schemes, an Enhanced Capital Allowance is available, allowing the full cost of an installation to be written off against the taxable profits of the period in which the investment is made.
- Suitable For All Locations.
Planning Permission is no longer required for Ground Source Heat Pumps.
No requirement for ‘ hot springs ' or water courses.
Air source heat pumps suitable for tight sites.
20-25year pump lifespan
Minimum 50 year lifespan of ground coils
Low maintenance (approximately 1/3 rd of a conventional system)
High reliability (few moving parts, no exposure to weather).
How do Ground Source Heat Pumps Work
There are three main elements to a ground source heat pump:
- The ground loop. This is comprised of lengths of pipe buried in the ground, either in a borehole or a horizontal trench. The pipe is usually a closed circuit and is filled with a mixture of water and antifreeze, which is pumped through the pipe absorbing heat from the ground.
- The heat pump (the exchanger). The heat pump is essentially a vapour compression refrigeration cycle, collecting heat instead of rejecting it. This transfers this heat to the distribution system or to a hot water buffer tank.
- The primary heat distribution system . Heat pumps work most efficiently with heating systems which are optimised to run at lower temperatures (typically 35 o C at external temperature of -5 o C). As such, they make an ideal partner for well designed underfloor heating systems.
Points to Consider
To ensure that your ground source heat pump works efficiently, it is worth considering a few points.
- Site survey - the location and ground conditions can influence the design of the heat pump. A site survey ensures that the designer has sufficient information to ensure that the system is designed to take into account site conditions.
- Space available - This influences the choice between a borehole, straight horizontal or loops.
- Choice of heat distribution system – a radiator system generally requires a higher water temperature, which is less efficient to run. Radiator size can be increased (around threefold) to give adequate output at the lower water temperatures involved, however underfloor heating, due to the larger emitter area, requires a much lower water temperature, making it ideal for use with heat pumps. Systems should be designed to give a large volume of water at low temperature, as the lower the temperature required to be delivered to the underfloor heating, the more efficient the running of the heat pump. Using an accredited company who designs and installs both the underfloor heating and the heat pump ensures that they are completely co-ordinated, and gives a single point of responsibility.
- Quality of design and installation . The ultimate efficiency and output depends upon the design and installation of the system. The ground loop must have sufficient pipe is included, at sufficient depth, to generate the heat requirements,
- Accreditation. Design and installation by a fully accredited company not only gives consumer protection, ensures that high standards are met, but also enables grant assistance to be applied for.
Anderson Floor Warming Gain BRE Microgeneration Accreditation
This accreditation demonstrates Anderson Floor Warming's continuing commitment to maintaining high levels of service quality, while emphasising their expansion into the renewable energy market, offering not only ground and air source heat pumps, but biomass, solar and wind energy. All are fully compatible with Anderson Floor Warming's established underfloor heating and manifold plumbing systems, enabling clients the opportunity to have complete integrated systems designed, supplied and installed all by one company, giving a single point of contact and responsibility, and ensuring that the interface is completely co-ordinated.
Anderson Floor Warming Director, Mike Anderson comments ‘ we aim to provide a one stop shop for our customers, and specialise in the design, supply and installation of complete integrated systems….BRE Microgeneration Accreditation is a rigorous test of procedures and installations, and we are delighted receive this prestigious certification'.
Heat Pump Grants Explained
Question. I am interested in using a heat pump to heat my home and provide my hot water, and have heard that there are grants available for this. Could you explain how much is available, and how this can be claimed?
Answer. This is an interesting question, as much of the information available on the internet is written from an English bias, and in actual fact there is a much higher cap on grant assistance available in Scotland !
In Scotland, under the Scottish Community Household Renewables Initiative (SCHRI), grants of up to 30% of total installation costs, with a cap of £4000, are available for both ground, water and air source heat pumps, as well as other renewable energies , including solar photovoltaic, micro hydro-electric, micro wind, solar water heating, solar space heating, automated wood fuel heating systems (boilers and room heaters/stoves), and connections to the Lerwick District Heating Network .
The total installation cost includes the cost of the renewable part of the system and associated works, together with the costs of any required planning permission and non-recoverable VAT. For example with a ground source heat pump this would include the costs of the equipment such as the heat pump and ground loops, the cost of the ground works, and the connection to the electrical supply and to the heat distribution system within the property. This would not include any extended guarantees, or the costs of upgrading radiators or other aspects of the central heating system.
All products and installers require to be accredited under the BRE Microgeneration Certification Scheme. To gain accreditation, installers need to demonstrate previous experience in the installation of the relevant technology.
The Low Carbon Building's Programme scheme offer grants throughout the UK (including Scotland), however though the percentage is the same, at 30% of installation costs, the cap for heat pump installations is only £1,200 per property for ground source, and £900 for air source. Unfortunately you cannot apply for both grants for a single installation!
The best way forward is to contact a BRE Microgeneration Certification accredited company in your area, who will be able to discuss options available to you, and provide a design and quotation for a system suitable to your property and/or site, which is required to enable you to apply for the grant. Anderson Floor Warming, based in Glasgow, operate as accredited installers throughout Scotland, would be happy to offer free advice on all types of heat pump installations, and can be contacted on 0141 647 6716.
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