Heat is lost through the floor, walls and roof, and particularly doors and windows. Without careful design, thermal bridging lets heat escape easily, and wastes energy in heat generation.

Modern A-rated double-glazing is used, generally with solar/thermal glass, gas-filled cavities and warm-edge insulated spacer bars. This reduces heat loss and maximises solar gain. The frames are compartmented to reduce heat loss, and weather-seals provide full protection from the elements.

Air source heat pumps are installed as standard on all homes at Baldow Meadows — converting energy from the outside air into useful heat inside through hot water supply, underfloor heating on the ground floor, radiators on the first floor and towel radiators in all bathrooms.

WHAT KIND OF AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS ARE INSTALLED?

Your home will be fitted with a Vaillant aroTHERM* heat pump — one of the most energy efficient and unobtrusive of air-to-water heat pumps available. With development and manufacturing in the UK, as well as overseas, Vaillant Group is globally renowned for its environment-friendly heating and air-conditioning products.

HOW DO THEY WORK?

Discreetly installed on the exterior of your home, the air source heat pump transfers ambient heat from the outside air by absorbing it into a fluid, which is then passed through a heat exchanger into the heat pump — raising the temperature and transferring this heat to the water in your heating system.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THIS SYSTEM?

The combination of air source heat pump and underfloor heating is a significant one in terms of energy efficiency. In drawing heat from the ambient temperature outside, the heat pump is able to reduce the amount of fuel usage required to run and heat the household, which is good news for both the environment and your energy bill. Households who switch to an air source heat pump system have seen their energy costs reduce by as much as 50% (Source: Energy Saving Trust Case Study), and the efficiency of underfloor heating only adds to the practical benefits, providing an even distribution of heat to all ground floor rooms.

In addition to reducing carbon emissions and lowering household running costs, one key benefit for homeowners is that it’s very easy to maintain, scale and adapt. The Vaillant aroTHERM system is compact and largely self-contained — only requiring connection to water and electricity to function effectively. This minimises the risk of disruption during maintenance or other work.

*Please consult the selling agent for further information. Scotia Homes Limited reserves the right to vary the above specifications where necessary but to similar or higher standards.

The basics matter too. Each home will have a simple energy-saving meter installed as standard — allowing you to see actual electricity consumption in real-time, and make adjustments as needed. This often results in 10-20% self-imposed reductions in energy usage, which keeps those bills down too.