As you might have read in the last Heating News, cheap PV panels have radically changed a few of our preconceptions about heating. The heating system layout has become much simpler (and less expensive) as under-floor heating and wet solar panels are deleted and heat pump connections are simplified.

heat pump – heating and cooling

The heat pump connections are easier thanks to the Original Twist Hybrid Heat Pump which indirectly supplies chilled water without breaking the rules for the RHI incentives. Note that the system copes with 2 set points from the heat pump; hot water is routed to the hot tank while the heating is kept going with stored energy from the cooler tank. For a lower set point heat is sent directly to the heating side without disrupting the stratification in the tank. The system can heat either tank while simultaneously supplying chilled air – how cool is that? An extra immersion heater helps use all that extra PV energy, useful now that FITs are trivial.

You can see the original system here along with a long list of all the benefits which still make this the best system on the planet.

You might have sussed that with 2 tanks here and 2 from the heat pump system your tech room is going to be large and, dare I say, impressive. I imagine all the tanks raised slightly on a low wall with wooden slats across the top. This allows most of the pipes to be hidden. The tanks are often raised when a wood burning stove is connected and gravity circulation is required.

What’s the point? Well it’s all about integration of multiple input sources, like a wood burning stove or a gas boiler along with a heat pump. Many experts say you can’t integrate all these things but they are wrong.