Georgian timber frame with sustainable heating from Total Home Environment
Front elevation of the Georgian-inspired home
Garden view
During first fix installation stage, ductwork hidden within 253mm posi-joists of the project.
HPV Series 2 located in garage loft providing heat recovery ventilation, energy efficient space heating and cooling.
HPW 300 air-to-water heat pump neatly installed in ensuite cupboard for all the family’s domestic hot water needs
When it came to a new-build project, Mark and Helen Jackson’s existing Georgian home provided the design inspiration for their dream home, brought up to date with modern technology from Total Home Environment.
Located in a Conservation Area, the design for the new home had to fit into the local Oxfordshire vernacular, but it also had to be carefully designed as the size was also limited, meaning they were restricted to creating a three-bedroom home.
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The couple chose a highly-insulated timber frame from Potton customised to create their three-bed and three bathroom 190m² home.
Sustainability was factored in from the start as the couple wanted to combine Passivhaus principles with a heat recovery ventilation system to ensure running costs were limited.
Consultations with Total Home Environment led to the installation of a HPV Series and HPW 300, combining a heat recovery ventilation system with an integral heat pump for all their ventilation, heating, cooling and hot water needs.
Highly energy efficient, the heating system is suitable for well insulated and airtight homes with small heat loads. Planning this in at the very start ensured a fabric-first approach, combined with space for ducting built in seamlessly.
The HPV Series 2 unit was located in the cold space above the garage, while the HPW unit is in the en-suite cupboard.
The HPV system provides responsive, energy-efficient space heating, utilizing the ventilation ducting and ceiling terminals, exchanging the stale air in the home for fresh filtered air.
In addition to the heat exchanger recovering as much heat as it can, the heat pump takes even more energy from the stale air by compressing a refrigerant that absorbs heat and transfers it back to the supply air. A bypass in summer prevents this heat exchange together with active cooling and dehumidifying provided by the heat pump.
The system also includes an HPW 300 air-to-water heat pump integral to a 300 litre hot water cylinder to provide up to 1,000 litres of domestic hot water.