Client brief
The owners of a new-build family home in Hertfordshire wanted a single renewable system that could:
- Deliver comfortable space heating via underfloor circuits throughout the property.
- Provide dedicated heating for an indoor swimming pool.
- Offer summer comfort through fan-coil-unit cooling.
- Supply plentiful domestic hot water, all while minimising running costs and carbon emissions.
Our solution
Better Planet designed, supplied, installed and commissioned a high-capacity ground-source heat-pump (GSHP) system that meets every element of the brief.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Heat pumps | 3 × NIBE F1345-40 brine-to-water units (total 120 kW) operating in master-slave configuration |
| Ground collectors | 30 horizontal loops, each 200 m, giving 6 km of 40 mm PE pipe buried 1.2 m deep in adjacent fields |
| Thermal storage and distribution | 2 × 500 L unvented cylinders for DHW, 1 × 750 L buffer for space heating, 1 × 750 L buffer for pool heating, 1 × 1000 L cooling buffer |
| Low-temperature underfloor heating across living areas; fan-coil units (4-pipe) connected to the cooling buffer for active summer cooling | |
| Swimming pool | Plate heat-exchanger and dedicated circulation pumps linked to the pool buffer to keep water at set temperature year-round |
| Controls and compliance | Full MCS design (room-by-room heat-loss, ground-loop sizing) and commissioning to MIS 3005 with NICEIC electrical compliance certification |
Design performance
- – Estimated annual heat demand (space, pool & DHW): ~162 MWh with an SPF ~3.8, giving substantial electricity savings compared with oil or direct electric options.
- – Seasonal space-heating energy-efficiency class A+++ for the package
- – Heating flow temperature: 45 °C for optimum COP and UFH compatibility.
Project success
-
Whole house comfort – Underfloor circuits supply gentle, even warmth; fan-coil active cooling maintains summer comfort without high electrical loads.
-
Carbon and cost savings – Replacing fossil-fuel options with a high-efficiency GSHP cuts annual CO₂ emissions by an estimated 60-70 % and shields the household from volatile fuel prices.
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Pool perfection – The dedicated pool buffer keeps swimming temperatures stable year-round while recycling “waste” heat back to the ground loops during summer operation.
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Future-proof resilience – With MCS certification, premium NIBE warranty and built-in monitoring, the system is ready for smart-grid incentives, annual servicing, and decades of efficient operation.
