What is the Code for Sustainable Homes?On 13 December 2006, the Code for Sustainable Homes was launched by Central Government - this is a new national standard for sustainable design and construction of new homes and is to be read in conjunction with Part L of Building Regulations to understand its full purpose and potential impact on home design and construction. The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against defined criteria which have been established to measure the sustainability of home design in totality. The Code uses a 6 star rating system to indicate sustainability of a home – the higher the star rating, the more sustainable the design is believed to be. The Code also sets minimum standards for energy and water use and, within England, replaces the EcoHomes scheme, developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE). The Code for Sustainable Homes is the pre-cursor towards all new homes being designed and constructed as “zero carbon” by 2016. It is expected the Code will become mandatory in the near future.
Heat pumps produce less CO2 than any conventional boiler and are more energy efficient – they are therefore a significant feature for a truly sustainable home. |
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Can I use a heat pump with radiators?Yes. You need to consider several points before doing this. To get any heat out of a traditional radiator the water temperature coming out of the heat pump must be 50°C. Even at this temperature, to be effective at all, the radiators will need to be oversized. With a temperature of 50°C the COP of a heat pump will drop. Also, off-peak tariffs cannot be used as there is no thermal storage in radiators. This means higher running costs and this has a consequent impact upon the “pay-back” period for the unit. Any micro-bore pipe would also need to be replaced. To avoid all of this Earth Save Products has partnered with “Smith’s” to offer the “Ecovector” unit – this is an extremely efficient alternative radiator design that works effectively and very efficiently at the lower operating temperature of a heat pump. |
Can I use a mix of under-floor and radiators?Under-floor heating combined with radiators is not what we would recommend in a system design. Under-floor heating absorbs all of the heat generated by a heat pump and holds the radiator inlet water temperature low. This means that the radiators will not give out any heat until the under-floor heating is at its design operating temperature. If an under-floor zone opens when requiring heat, this will lower the temperature of the water reaching the radiators and they will stop emitting heat. We would recommend using one or other – radiators or under floor heating – not both. |
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FAQ's
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Over 40% of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions, the main greenhouse gas which causes climate change, actually come from the energy we use every day - at home and when we travel.