Get it installed before April to be sure of RHI payments
If you have been thinking about installing one of our of specialist high-temperature heat pumps it may be prudent to act sooner rather than later.
Why? Well, alongside the introduction of the new domestic renewable heat incentive scheme (RHI) in April there will also be stricter eligibility criteria for air source heat pumps, which means that those deemed by the government to be less efficient (and running at 55 °C and above) will not be eligible.
Unfortunately, the guidelines do not take into consideration the efficiency of the specialist Daikin high temperature units we use, which are ideally suited to the many older, less efficient buildings in the south west. These specialist heat pumps, which are designed to work specifically with retrofit properties, act as a direct replacement for oil fired or LPG boilers by providing water for heating and hot water at up to 80°C.
As a result, if you’re interested in a high temperature heat pump solution, it’s important that you act now so that we can install and commission the technology for you before 1 April 2014 to ensure that you receive the generous RHI payments.
The technical bit
The government’s guidance document – the heat emitter guide (http://goo.gl/qmJg8S) – states that only heat pumps with a ‘seasonal performance factor’ (SPF) of 2.5 or greater will be eligible for RHI payments. SPF is the term used to describe the average efficiency of a heat pump over a year.
The guide shows how heating-flow temperatures affect the efficiency of an air source heat pump (ASHP) and how the SPF is affected by the different temperatures that systems are designed to run at. The document will be used as the basis for determining eligibility criteria for the domestic RHI. In addition to stating that any heat pump running at 55°C or above will not be eligible for the RHI, it also states that any heat pump with a seasonal performance factor (SPF) of less than 2.5 will not be eligible for payments.
As many south west properties are older, less efficient buildings, they are generally not well suited to traditional ‘low temperature’ heat pumps, which may may require oversized radiators or under floor heating to be installed and can be very costly. Our high-temperature Daikin units have worked excellently for those customers whose properties weren’t suitable for low temperature units.
For more information on how we can design and install a system for you before the April deadline, email a member of our design team on designteam@sungiftsolar.co.uk or call us on 01392 213912.
