An elegant and airy "Huf Haus" was erected in a fine, wooded site in Surrey. In line with the green principles that are part of the attraction of the Huf design (timber construction from renewable sources, exceptionally efficient insulation to conserve energy, etc.)The new owner was determined to install a NIBE Heat Pump in order to fuel his under-floor central heating and domestic hot water from renewable energy. An underground collection scheme was designed and installed in consultation with the specialist consultants, ISO Energy of Horley, Surrey, with the harvested energy processed through a Fighter 1120 brine/water pump unit manufactured by NIBE in Sweden and supplied by ISO Energy, whose input at the design stage was also crucial. To complete the operation, Huf Haus supplied a solar panel assembly as the prime source for the hot water cylinder during the months of late spring to early autumn.
Before the large garden was professionally landscaped by the owner's wife, around 800 metres of 40mm pipe was laid at a depth of approximately one metre deep, ready to absorb the latent energy accumulated in the soil from solar radiation and the heat present in precipitation. The pipe, filled with environmentally friendly, non-freezing liquid, conducts the heat to the 17kW pump NIBE Fighter 1120 in the plant room, a waist-high, white coloured unit with a sloping top that contains a small, easy to read, easy to use control panel. The liquid is compressed into gas, which is put through a heat exchanger. The increased heat is passed to a liquid that is conveyed to a specially designed double jacket water tank that feeds into the central heating circulation and, as required, the domestic hot water system.
At times of peak demand or when extreme weather conditions prevail, an immersion heater in the tank automatically cuts in to maintain the heat. The NIBE system and the solar panel are designed to meet all the energy requirements for central heating and domestic hot water, making a massive saving in both running costs and environmental impact.
