Air source heat pump and solar.

Payupfront

Been offered an air source heat pump and solar panels to replace an oil fired central heating boiler.

Anyone have experience of this?

Is this a good idea?

matt_drummer

A fantastic idea.

Even better with battery storage.

I have 13.5 kW of solar and 38 kWh of usable battery storage.

I also have a Daikin Altherma 3 monobloc heat pump installed by Octopus Energy.

I couldn't be happier.

Coupled with Octopus Flux for 8 to 9 months of the year and E7 for the rest I have a net income each year.

I pay Octopus £1 a month as a token payment to benefit from DD rates.

Netexporter

ASHPs and solar panels are both good ideas. However, their seasonality is opposite, so you are unlikely to get a large proportion of your heating from solar. Spring and autumn will have the best match, with a reasonable number of hours of sunshine and a limited heating load.

You say "offered". Is this a commercial quote or a grant aided scheme, such as ECO4?

Payupfront

It's grant aided, early stages yet. Not quite sure about it yet, weather to stick to my oil central heating.

Payupfront

I suppose it depends on the survey and what it costs me.

matt_drummer

Netexporter said:

ASHPs and solar panels are both good ideas. However, their seasonality is opposite, so you are unlikely to get a large proportion of your heating from solar. Spring and autumn will have the best match, with a reasonable number of hours of sunshine and a limited heating load.

You say "offered". Is this a commercial quote or a grant aided scheme, such as ECO4?

You are right to some extent.

But my solar panel export in the good months pays for what I need to import in the poorer months and then some.

It is not about running the heat pump from solar in the winter, it is maximising the solar export in the summer to pay for your heating in the winter.

It works for me, mine is a bit on the extreme side but it didn't need to be, it is just what I chose as I could afford the capital cost.

matt_drummer

Over the lifespan of my setup I expect to make a profit of £70,000.

Payupfront

By the sounds of it, it could be good, but the devil's in the detail

matt_drummer

Payupfront said:

By the sounds of it, it could be good, but the devil's in the detail

Mine is good and I know all of the detail.

Netexporter

There are a lot of variables to take into account. How well insulated and air-tight the property is, how much of the existing central heating can be re-used, etc. The installer should take you through all that, when they draw up their proposals. Once you have a firm proposal then come back and ask about anything you aren't sure about. There are plenty of knowledgeable people here who can talk you through it. 

matt_drummer

Netexporter said:

There are a lot of variables to take into account. How well insulated and air-tight the property is, how much of the existing central heating can be re-used, etc. The installer should take you through all that, when they draw up their proposals. Once you have a firm proposal then come back and ask about anything you aren't sure about. There are plenty of knowledgeable people here who can talk you through it. 

A poorly insulated property is of little relevance to heat pumps. They are just a source of hot water.

If the property is poorly insulated then any heating source will be less efficient than it could be.

A proper heat loss survey is key and as many improvements as possible should be made to the home and the heating system.

But poor insulation does not preclude you from having a heat pump