After winning £20,000 from the Technology Strategy Board to devise a way of retrofitting older housing stock to bring it up to modern standards of thermal efficiency, EMHA asked Ideal to design a heating system for 'Project Cottesmore'. Situated in Cottesmore Road, Leicester, the house was a typical two-up two-down mid-terrace - a very common type of property in the UK, and one that isn't known for its thermal efficiency.
"Since the house would be insulated very heavily, the boiler output could be lower than you might otherwise expect," said Roger Barber, Key Account Executive at Ideal Heating. "In addition, we specified a solar thermal array on the roof, which meant that we could use the lowest output version of our flagship Logic boiler, the 15kW System." "We approached Ideal because we had an existing supply chain partnership set up, and we'd always been impressed by their service and products," said Tarif Javid, Property Refurbishment Officer at EMHA. "They didn't disappoint, being happy to take into account the idiosyncracies of the property and also our specific goals. They were pivotal in enabling us to reach our target of reducing energy consumption by a massive 80%, and it was a very positive experience all round."
Following the submission of their proposal, EMHA then won full funding of £144,000 to carry out the project - which is one of just 89 nationally, and the only example within Leicestershire. Huddersfield-based plumbing, heating and construction company Aqua Interiors was chosen for the installation, thanks to their existing relationship with EMHA and experience of Ideal's new Logic family of boilers.
"We've fitted many Logic boilers through our EAGA scheme installation work, so we know it's a good solid product that's easy to fit," said Phil Johnson, Contracts Manager at Aqua Interiors. "Although we have plenty of experience of installing renewables, we'd never fitted Ideal's solar thermal, so we attended the manufacturer's training course before beginning work. It's a classy product, nice and straightforward to fit, and we were particularly impressed with the fixing kit."
Along with a variety of other measures including triple glazing, wall, floor and loft insulation, plus a ventilation system, Ideal's energy-efficient heating system will ensure that 59 Cottesmore Road is as close to a 'passive' house as possible - and provide a blueprint for tackling the thermal efficiency of other properties of a similar age.