A Grant Vecta internal biomass boiler has recently been installed alongside a Grant Solar Thermal System and ThermaWave store in a Bedfordshire home, demonstrating how well Grant’s renewable heating solutions integrate and work together.
Completed just prior to Christmas, this installation brings together three of Grant’s product ranges under one roof to deliver heat efficiently throughout the property. The combination of these renewable technologies will not only reduce the household’s dependence on finite resources, but it will also help lower their annual energy bills.
The property, which dates back to the 1930s, was previously heated by old electric storage heaters which were inefficient so the homeowners made the decision to install a modern central heating system. Taking place in Stewartby, near Bedford, the installation was carried out by AGMS Independent Energy who are one of Grant UK’s G-One Accredited Engineers. Chris, from AGMS, explains the decision behind the choice of products installed,
“There is no mains gas in the village of Stewartby and the clients were environmentally conscious so a biomass boiler combined with a solar thermal hot water system and thermal store was an obvious choice.”
The Vecta is a 4-16kW internal biomass boiler with a white case which makes it an ideal choice to suit utility room environments. MCS approved and therefore eligible for RHI payments, the Vecta incorporates patented condensing technology which delivers nett efficiencies of up to 94.8%. With its self-cleaning automatic wash system, the Vecta is simple and easy to maintain with its user-friendly controls clearly indicating when the burner is on, when pellets are running low, and when ash removal is required.
The Vecta has a 60kg integral pellet hopper as it is designed to be bag filled (an optional 140kg pellet store is available), making it compact to allow for greater flexibility when it comes to siting the appliance. Chris continues, “The clients’ main interaction is just ensuring that the boiler is topped up with pellets which they do not mind at all. They are also very pleased with how quiet the boiler is when running.” With its low noise and sleek casing, the Grant Vecta makes biomass heating a viable option for most off-gas homes in the UK.
Installed alongside the biomass boiler was a Grant Solar Thermal System which consisted of two collectors and an on-roof mounting arrangement. Working all year round, not just in the summer, the solar collectors will capture the sun’s free energy and use it to heat the property’s water. Not only can Grant Solar significantly reduce a household’s annual hot water bills, the components which complete the system are built to be durable and long-lasting to provide many years of reliable hot water.
Storing this hot water is a 300litre Grant ThermaWave Store which allows multiple heat sources to be connected. This thermal store connects the biomass boiler with the solar thermal system allowing the property to combine several heating technologies. Made from Duplex stainless steel and with a 25 year guarantee on the cylinder shell, the ThermaWave is designed to help homeowners lower their home heating costs by benefiting from multiple fuel sources.
Commenting about the installation, Chris writes, “We are very impressed with the Grant Vecta biomass boiler. The installation was reasonably straightforward – the unit was practically ‘plug and play’ once it was all connected and burned very cleanly.” Meanwhile, Chris’s customers are also happy with their new heating system: “They are very pleased with the efficiency of the installation with the addition of the thermal store and solar thermal system providing mains pressure hot water on demand.”
Grant’s award-winning heating products are innovative in their design yet simple to install and live with. This installation epitomises how successfully each of Grant’s technologies can work together to sustainably deliver reliable home heating.
