Wales’ premier heating and renewable energy installers Heatforce Wales have helped Llandaff based RC2 (property & regeneration consultancy) in their journey to achieve “net-zero” carbon status.
Spearheaded by business owner Robert Chapman, RC2. has been on a path towards carbon neutrality for many years, and the project with Heatforce is the latest in a series of investments.
“Over several years now, we have continually invested in Bush House (our head office) as part of our goal to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and to become more sustainable,” said Robert.
These investments have included:
- Installing 14 Solar Panels
- Improving the fabric of the property to improve energy efficiency and sound insulation
- The installation of LED lighting throughout both floors
- The installation of insulation material in the attic space
- The installation of smart meters
However, in 2021, Robert decided to completely remove his dependence on fossil fuel gas to heat the property and began looking at alternatives.
“After a considerable amount of research, I decided that an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) would be the most efficient means of heating the property without using gas,” said Robert.
“However as this was not a “new-build”, I needed to find a company that could retrofit an ASHP, and so began my journey towards Heatforce”, he continued.
He initially found a national firm that could provide the ASHP, however, it became apparent that while they could indeed install the system, they were unable to connect it to the existing heating system in the property.
All looked lost until a chance meeting with Jake Maddocks, Director of Heatforce, gave hope that the project could remain on track.
“Robert had used Heatforce previously, but was unaware we had moved into renewables,” said Jake. “We both share a passion for the environment, so when he explained the predicament he was in, I knew instinctively it was something we could help with,” he continued.
With extensive experience in transferring both commercial and residential buildings across to renewable forms of energy production, Jake and his team were not only able to install the ASHP but also retrofit it to the existing heating system.
Planning was submitted by Robert at the end of July 2021 and within a month, the project was given the green light. Fortunately, the lockdown meant no staff were on-site, so the Heatforce team were able to move quickly.
“We started by upgrading the existing heating infrastructure (installing new pipes and replacing the old single radiators with double radiators) and then installed the ASHP, before connecting it all together,” said Jake.
Once switched on, the system worked perfectly.
Robert was able to remove his dependence on gas to heat the property and thanks to the system installed, he gets 3.86 watts of energy for every 1 watt used.
More importantly, the project fits in with his ethos of “Massive Small.”
‘‘Massive Small responds to the frustration of failed grand plans and vast rollouts,” said Robert, “and builds on the success of distributed ‘small’ projects that model new solutions to old problems. These are small initiatives with massive impact’’.
What’s more, the installation has taken Bush House from an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) from a D to a B – a huge jump.
“If more and more businesses realised the savings they can make from replacing fossil fuels with renewables,” said Robert, “not only would they be better off financially, but using the ethos of Massive Small, we could make huge improvements to the environment at the same time.”
