Community pavilion scores renewable heating and hot water

Historic sports group the Lovat Shinty Club will benefit from low-cost heating and hot water for its new community pavilion, following the installation of two Vaillant air source heat pumps.

The new facility, including showering areas, was almost entirely funded by charities and European funding groups, and, as the Lovat Shinty Club is not-for-profit, keeping future running costs low was a core consideration.

With this in mind, the club turned to Vaillant, who, along with local renewable heating installers, R&I Cruden, worked to design the most energy efficient and cost effective system possible. Ultimately, Vaillant’s air-to-water heat pump, aroTHERM, was selected.

Air-to-water heat pumps are a highly efficient solution as they safeguard against fluctuations in oil and LPG prices that can leave owners vulnerable to ever-rising energy bills. Available in four models from 5 – 15kW, aroTHERM is a compact unit which can be easily sited and offers quiet operation with sound power as low as 58dB(A).

The pavilion system utilises two aroTHERM air source heat pumps in cascade with a 200 litre buffer tank for an efficient and reliable supply of heating and hot water. This system is complemented by the Vaillant VRC 700 weather compensating system control which intelligently communicates with all Vaillant appliances, and further contributes to the efficiency of the system.

John MacRitchie, president at the Lovat Shinty Club, commented: “As a not-for-profit organisation, cost is a major factor for us, but equally, for a sports pavilion, reliable heat and hot water is a must. Vaillant worked with us, and with the installers at R&I Cruden, to design and install a renewable system which will not only keep running costs low, but effectively meet our heating and hot water needs. We are delighted with the support and service we received from Vaillant throughout the project.”

John Bailey, sales director, commercial and renewable, at Vaillant, adds: “The Lovat Shinty community pavilion required dependable heat and hot water which could run at an affordable rate. We recommended our aroTHERM air-to-water heat pump as it ticked all the boxes for ease of siting, reliability and energy efficiency – as well as the sustainability benefits inherent to this technology. By working closely with R&I Cruden we were able to design a system which will meet the needs of the Club for years to come.”