Housebuilder trials roof-mounted heat pump

Housebuilder Bellway has installed what it claims is the UK’s first rood-mounted air source heat pump as part of a new trial.

Bellway is testing the heat pump at its experimental eco house, The Future Home, at the University of Salford.

It is hoping the trial will help to make it easier to install heat pumps, which usually sit adjacent external wall, taking up space, as well as dominating the external appearance.

Gas boilers are due to be phased out in new UK homes from 2025 and air source heat pumps are expected to gradually replace them.

Bellway has engineered the eco house to support the 200kg air source heat pump within the roof space. It will compare the unit’s performance with a second fitted to an external wall.

Bellway is building The Future Home inside a climate-controlled chamber at the university as part of its £16m Energy House 2.0 research project. The project receives part of its funding from the European Regional Development Fund. The home will test low-carbon technologies and their impact on the cost of living.

Other technologies include underfloor and infrared heating. The house will also test mechanical ventilation, double versus triple glazing, battery storage for solar energy and a shower which transfers heat from wastewater to warm the incoming mains supply.

Bellway has worked with home heating manufacturer Worcester Bosch to prepare for the trial, with the company providing the Bosch 3400i Hydrotop Solution unit. Donaldsons Timber Systems redesigned the home’s timber frame to accommodate the unit.

Jamie Bursnell, group technical and innovations manager for Bellway, said: “Installing an air source heat pump within a loft space is a bold move – one that no UK developer or retrofit project has previously attempted.

“During the research period we will have people living within the home to test the performance of the heat pump during real-life use. If the unit in the loft performs well, it could create a new way for homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint without compromising on space or aesthetics.

“It is well documented that air source heat pumps could increase running costs, but so far there is little reliable data on their performance. We are looking to find the optimum settings to maximise effectiveness and minimise cost for our customers.

Professor Will Swan, director of Energy House Labs at the University of Salford, added: “The growing challenges of climate change and the cost-of-living crisis mean we need to consider how we build and operate our homes. Energy House Labs’ mission is to work with industry and policy makers to provide evidence for what works in meeting these challenges.

“Energy-efficient, high-performing homes can change people’s lives. The importance of this agenda is one of the main reasons behind the University of Salford’s major investment in Energy House 2.0, which is a critical piece of research infrastructure that can help us find solutions to these problems.”

In the new year, guests will stay in the home to help generate data on the effectiveness of each innovation. Experts at the university will analyse the results to help determine the most viable ways for the industry to move towards net zero.