Low-Temperature Heating Design for Two Barn Conversions
Project type: Class Q barn conversions for two homes totalling approximately 310m²
Challenge
We were tasked with designing and specifying a heating and how water system for two barn conversions. Our priority was to provide low running costs, while ensuring year-round comfort and addressing potential summer overheating.
What we did
Firepower carried out detailed room-by-room heat loss calculations and heating system designs, including:
- Heat pump systems designed for a maximum 35°C flow temperature to keep running costs low.
- Open-loop, flow-balanced heating with weather compensation.
- Separate electric towel rails for hotter towels without raising the heating system temperature.
- Pipework sized to not impede the flow of water
- Extra volume added to reduce cycling in the shoulder months of the heating season.
- Assessment of MVHR and its potential to reduce heating demand.
- Identification of significant overheating risk from large west-facing glazing, with recommendations to address this during the design stage.
Potential savings and benefits
Early identification of the overheating risk from unshaded glazing offered the opportunity to address that at the design stage, avoiding future cooling costs and expensive remedial work.
The luxury of designing a totally new heating system meant we could start out using a very low maximum flow temperature which will contribute to excellent running costs.
