Micro-CHP adds to environmental benefits of home refurbishment
As part of £22 000-worth of environmental improvements to a 1950s terraced house in Sale, a micro-CHP system from BDR Thermea (formerly Baxi Group) has been installed to provide electricity and heating. Designed to showcase innovative green measures to reduce fuel poverty and lower carbon emissions, this family home is the first property of Trafford Housing Trust to be given an ‘eco retrofit’.
M&E contractor Dodd Group installed the micro-CHP unit into this 3-bedroom home. Other work included solar panels, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, low-energy lighting and insulation. A sun pipe has been installed to brighten the landing.
A further £24 000-worth of improvements include new kitchen, bathroom, roof, windows and a rewire.
The Baxi micro-CHP is based on a free-piston Stirling engine in a case similar to a standard domestic boiler and can generate up to two-thirds of the electricity needed for a typical dwelling. About half of that electricity can be used in the home, wit the rest exported to the grid. The installation benefits from the Feed-in Tariff.
