Daikin UK is celebrating the 1000th Altherma air-to-water heat pump installation for the Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership (DGHP).
The landmark installation means that DGHP is more than two-thirds of the way through one of the largest projects of this type in Britain. As well as reducing fuel poverty, the project upgrades existing housing to meet the 2015 Scottish Housing Quality Standards by reaching an RdSAP rating of 63.
Dumfries and Galloway has many small towns and villages that are off the gas grid. The programme of improvements includes the supply of renewable central heating installations to around 1650 homes across the district.
The project aims to help alleviate the incidence of rising fuel poverty within the area by installing energy efficient central heating systems in hard-to-heat properties. As well as easing tenant hardship, the installations help to protect the building fabric, delivering increased warmth and reduced carbon emissions as part of the Government's Carbon Reduction programme.
Individual property surveys were carried out through Scottish Gas Community Energy and Coolheat Energy Systems to identify insulation and heating requirements for every household. A range of model sizes were specified from 5kW to 11kW input depending on the dwelling size and heat loss identified at each property.
Upgrades to the insulation of the building fabric were carried out in order to optimise efficiency of the air-to-water heat pump installation. Measures included cavity wall, loft and under floor insulation.
Alex Dingwall, Area Operations Manager for Scottish Gas Community Energy, who has overseen the project across the Dumfries and Galloway area, said: 'the air-to-water heat pumps ticked all the boxes on British Gas' green agenda which aspires to provide new, modern ways for heating customer housing'.
