Howard Porter of Polgate Ltd, Wiltshire

Between 2018 through 2021, Polgate Ltd built a small development of luxury new properties in Ramsbury, Wiltshire. Howard Porter from Polgate Ltd shares his feedback on the Grant renewable products they installed at the four properties.

Located in the heart of Wiltshire, Ramsbury village is a prestigious development of four sustainably built homes including two four bedroom, semi-detached cottages, a large barn and a 3,500 square foot farmhouse. Aerona³ air source heat pumps were installed at each of the properties along with a Grant hot water cylinder and in the farmhouse property, Uflex underfloor heating and Afinia radiators were also fitted.

The development was completed by Polgate Ltd, a local property developer who has been building homes throughout Wiltshire and Berkshire since the 1980s. Howard Porter, a former Chartered Surveyor, is their Managing Director and he founded the Company, working closely on all of the projects that Polgate Ltd have completed. They develop mainly new build residential and commercial properties within a 25 miles radius of Newbury.

Sustainable development
Sustainability was central to the build in Ramsbury, hence why the developers chose renewable energy for the properties’ central heating coupled with high levels of insulation well above Building Regulation Standards. "It had to be a renewable source of energy for heating these homes as we have not used oil, gas or solid fuel for over a decade," explains Howard Porter, Managing Director at Polgate Ltd. "After working with our independent energy assessor at the design stage, we were easily able to achieve the Planner's requirement of a Code 4 level of efficiency using a high insulation input with the Aerona³ heat pump.”

Products installed
Grant's smallest heat pump, the 6kW Aerona³, was installed at both the cottages with the larger single fan unit, the 10kW model, being installed at the barn. For the largest of the four properties, a 17kW Aerona³ heat pump was installed. Alongside each heat pump, one of Grant's efficient hot water cylinders were installed ranging in size from 250ltr up to 300ltr. 

“I have known and used Grant oil boilers for many years,” writes Howard. “The Grant brand is synonymous with quality, efficiency and reliability so when it came to selecting the right heat pump technology for this particular development, the Aerona³ was our preferred choice and it has not disappointed."

Support from Grant
Throughout the project, Grant UK worked closely with Howard and his installer. Grant UK's in-house Design Team completed the heat loss calculations and helped with specifying the required products to suit the heating demand of each of the property types. A member of Grant UK's team also provided on-site support with the customer handovers as well. 

Feedback on the systems
The two cottages were completed in 2018 so their owners have been living with their renewable heating system for a number of years. Meanwhile the final property, the Farmhouse, was completed in May 2021. "We are impressed with the heat pump units and have developed a good working relationship with Grant UK", continues Howard. "With the 6kW model, two of the unit’s key features impressed me the most – its size and quietness. The physical size of the 6kW Aerona³ is small due to its compact design, and its incredibly low noise levels are equally notable. This combination makes the unit very unobtrusive, something which was essential for this build because aesthetics were important.”

"At the Farmhouse, the 17kW unit’s running operation went well and we were also impressed by how quiet it is. We are also pleased with the Afinia radiators which look great.”

Please click here to read more about Grant's renewable heating products.