Hybrid Heat Pump Scotland Funding

aCanOfSuperLager

Good morning all. I am exploring a hybrid heat pump for my home. I currently have a worcester system boiler and unvented cylinder. I have had a heat loss calculation at 6.5kw. I am considering a Vaillant arotherm plus 7kw unit with a 250L unistor cylinder and a Vaillant system boiler.

I know MCS changed the rules about compliant hybrid installs and I believe mine would be MCS compliant. As I understand it MCS now states that the heat pump must deliver at least of 55% of the load at 55 degree flow temp at design conditions. Which my spec would.

My main question is around the grant and loan scheme in scotland. It says I need to prove my house cannot be heated by one heat pump or I dont have enough space for radiators etc. I understand that my home can be heated by one heat pump alone but I really want the back up of a gas boiler.

Can anyone shed any light on wether or not I will be able to get funding? TIA.

Reed_Richards

Sorry, I'm not answering your question but given that your heat pump will meet your heating requirements it's going to take you a very long time or some exceptionally cold winters to pay back the extra cost of that superfluous gas boiler.  Somebody needs to talk you out of the idea of getting a hybrid system.

aCanOfSuperLager

Reed_Richards said:

Sorry, I'm not answering your question but given that your heat pump will meet your heating requirements it's going to take you a very long time or some exceptionally cold winters to pay back the extra cost of that superfluous gas boiler.  Somebody needs to talk you out of the idea of getting a hybrid system.

Thanks for the reply. I understand. For the 2k extra I would rather have the gas boiler there. 

matelodave

The rules and regulation on a lot of stuff differs in Scotland to that of the rest of the UK so its only there that you'll get the answer to your question. Even if it's considered MCS compliant that doesn't necessarily imply compliance to the specific rules to qualify for a grant.

In the end, we all may have an opinion but you really have to ask the administrators of the grant or loan scheme in Scotland as it will be them who will interpret and apply the rules. 

NedS

aCanOfSuperLager said:

Good morning all. I am exploring a hybrid heat pump for my home. I currently have a worcester system boiler and unvented cylinder. I have had a heat loss calculation at 6.5kw. I am considering a Vaillant arotherm plus 7kw unit with a 250L unistor cylinder and a Vaillant system boiler.

I know MCS changed the rules about compliant hybrid installs and I believe mine would be MCS compliant. As I understand it MCS now states that the heat pump must deliver at least of 55% of the load at 55 degree flow temp at design conditions. Which my spec would.

My main question is around the grant and loan scheme in scotland. It says I need to prove my house cannot be heated by one heat pump or I dont have enough space for radiators etc. I understand that my home can be heated by one heat pump alone but I really want the back up of a gas boiler.

Can anyone shed any light on wether or not I will be able to get funding? TIA.

You would have to be able to argue that you are so limited for space to install radiators that you would need flow temperatures above those achievable by an ASHP system to meet the 6.5kW heat output required at the design temperature. I don't know what MCS says about maximum recommended flow temps, but I'm guessing it's maybe 50C.

Start by calculating the heat output of your existing radiators at 50C, or turn your existing boiler down to 50C and see if it can still keep the house warm. Even so, you could upgrade to K3 radiators (triple panel) so unlikely to be space limited.