A Grant VortexAir heat pump/oil boiler hybrid has been installed at the New Buckenham Village Hall, meeting the heating requirements of this busy community hub while also helping the premises to be more sustainable.
The New Buckenham Village Hall in Norfolk was built in 1995 and it provides the local community with the venue to host a range of activities, from pilates groups through to war reenactments. During this time, the hall has had an oil-fired heating system which provided its space heating and at the beginning of this year, when the oil boiler’s water jacket started to leak, an urgent replacement was needed. However, the village hall wanted to look at greener options rather than opting for a like-for-like oil boiler replacement and this was when a hybrid solution was chosen.
“The Grant VortexAir Hybrid was selected because it is a more environmentally friendly way of heating the hall,” explains David Barnard of DGPHE and Barnards Renewables Ltd, the G1 Installers who completed this installation. “New Buckenham Village Hall is quite large with eighteen radiators so this is why having the hybrid’s boiler as a back-up was needed, rather than a heat pump alone, so that all these radiators could be kept up to an acceptable temperature during the colder months.”
Available in two models, the VortexAir Hybrid combines an Aerona³ R32 17kW air source heat pump with either a 15-21kW or 21-26kW VortexBlue blue flame oil boiler. It provides a more sustainable alternative to an oil boiler replacement because the unit can be installed without needing to make significant changes to the rest of the system which makes the VortexAir Hybrid well suited to distress purchase situations. Using its advanced control system, the VortexAir will automatically monitor the temperature of the system to select the most efficient operating mode which can either be heat pump only, oil boiler only or combinations of both.
“We believe the hybrid will perform mainly using the air source heat pump with the oil-fired boiler supporting when the temperature needs to be boosted up,” continues David. “The hall has an existing twenty panel solar PV system and this is supplying free, renewable electricity for the heat pump’s operation so New Buckenham Village Hall has reduced its carbon footprint as a result of this heating system upgrade.”
The VortexAir Hybrid is meter ready and supplied fully pre-plumbed and wired which makes the unit installer friendly for heating engineers. “The hybrid was relatively easy to install,” David explains, “and, as we have been installing Grant heat pumps and oil boilers for many years now, we are familiar with all the components. We had no issues with setting up the appliance and the installation manual was very easy to follow.”
This installation exemplifies how community buildings, such as a village hall, can turn to more sustainable heating solutions with relative ease. New Buckenham Village Hall is now enjoying more sustainable heating and reduced fuel bills thanks to their new VortexAir Hybrid.
Please click here for further information on Grant’s hybrid heating systems.
