Elco heat pumps chosen for church rebuild
The extensive restoration of St Mary’s Church in Westry, Cambridgeshire, includes space heating delivered by a 32 kW air-source heat pump. The Aerotop T unit was supplied by Elco UK and is connected to underfloor heating beneath the stone flooring. Radiators below nave windows are available for boosting the temperature.
The restoration includes nearly everything being rebuilt from scratch — including the lectern, pulpit, wooden pews, oak carved armchairs and a new font. The building is used for church and community use.
The heat pumps were specified by Karen Ayms, M&E consultant with Roger Parker Associates of Cambridge. She comments, ‘The restoration of the church allowed us to consider a completely new heating system. With gas and oil unavailable, air-source heat pumps were the preferred option. The system was designed to be highly energy efficient.
‘We’ve work with Elco UK on a number of projects and, as always, their service and support was great throughout the entire design stage.’
The heat pump is sited outside the church in a wooden-clad steel housing that complements the surrounding grounds.