There is a lot of discussion about installing heat pumps in churches across the UK, many people don’t realise it can be costly and inefficient for their church.
How do you currently heat your church?
When you look at churches across the UK over the years, you will see that the majority have been warmed using gas boilers or oil boilers. There are usually radiators throughout the building with some under floor heating in some areas.
Many churches have no insulation so your heat pump would need additional heat sources such as electric heaters to ensure that people can keep warm during winter services.
It is vital to find out if your church has been insulated before installing a new heating system such as a heat pump because without it, there will not be enough warmth to stay comfortable in most areas of your building.
Heat pumps are more sustainable, but will they work?
Now if you are thinking about changing over to more sustainable heating system for your church and want to go green then an air source heat pump is an option. Before deciding on an air source heat pump take notice of the following;
- The size of your church
- The temperature you want to achieve in different rooms as well as the overall average temperature
- The number of people in each room at any one time, this will help determine which type of equipment you need e.g., a small unit or a large one is required depending on how much space there is available
- The size of the rooms where they are placed
- How many radiators there are currently installed in each room (if any)
- Whether insulation has been installed recently or not
How much demand does your church require from its heating measures?
A heat pump is not suitable for churches because they need to be switched on all day long when the church is open. Also, churches have no insulation so they lose a lot of heat. This will mean that you will need a large enough heat pump to cope with this demand and loss of heat from a church.
If you are still keen on going ahead with getting a heat pump installed in your church then it would be best if you get an expert to provide quotes for the installation process as well as providing advice on which size of equipment would be needed for your particular building
It may not be the best choice to incorporate a heat pump into your church, it can be costly and provide limited benefits.
Here are a few key factors released by The London diocese on Diocesan Synod Report 2022 on the Environment and Sustainability
- “There are significant implications of replacing a traditional boiler with a heat pump, such as up-sizing of pipework and radiators, and ensuring sufficient insulation.”
- “Larger churches may be less able to benefit from heat pumps.”
- “We will still likely need to use some gas to heat our churches.”
- “Constraints on planning permission for solar panels (and heat pumps).”
- “Heat pumps took the great majority of costs in the solutions proposed by Wayfinders.”
- “The technology is developing and improving.”
To read the full report and find out more detail, click this link : https://www.london.anglican.org/kb/diocesan-synod-report-2022-on-the-environment-and-sustainability/
To speak to a church heating specialist about your best option forward, click here: https://churchheatingspecialist.co.uk/contact-us/
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