Daikin hybrid heat pump (CP759)

After the successful delivery of a project that replaced electric storage heaters with hybrid heat pumps Home Group were invited to run an additional hybrid heat pump project. This project replaced gas boilers that were due for renewal with Daikin Altherma Hybrid heat pumps. The hybrid system combines an air to water heat pump alongside a condensing combination gas boiler to provide heating and hot water. The system can automatically select the most cost effective and efficient heating mode based on external and internal temperatures, the space heating and hot water demand, and the current cost of gas and electricity.

Home Group led on identifying suitable properties to install the hybrid systems, organising the installation and ensuring residents were able to use the new systems.

The project had the following aims:

• To establish the running costs of the Daikin Altherma hybrid heat pump and compare them against the running costs of the replaced gas boilers.
• To examine the impact of the new heating system on residents’ comfort levels.
• To examine whether residents can control the system effectively.
• To establish how the performance of the system is affected when retaining the existing radiators. Primarily, how this impacts the Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) and ratio of heat provided by the gas boiler and ASHP.
• To determine if a hybrid heating system is a cost effective replacement for housing associations when carrying out boiler renewals.