Kensa Heat Pumps Company Profile
Kensa Heat Pumps was established in 1999 and specialises in the design and manufacture of performance leading ground source heat pumps. The comprehensive range of heat pumps has been developed to handle both space heating and domestic hot water production. The company has many years of industry experience and expertise to assist with any domestic or commercial project.
The team at Kensa can provide unbiased and honest guidance on specifying the most appropriate ground source heat pump and offers the very latest advice regarding the Renewable Heat Incentive, a financial encouragement to install ground source heat pumps. Kensa is ISO 9001 approved and is accredited by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (formally the DTI) and has created over one thousand heat pumps for numerous domestic and commercial applications throughout Europe.
What is a Heat pump?
Ground source heat Pumps (GSHPs) are revolutionary, energy efficient technology producing around four units of heat for every unit of electricity used. This is known as the Coefficient of Performance (COP) and will be dependent upon the entry temperature from the ground loop heat pump which is generally 0 degrees centigrade and the output temperature to the building which is normally 35 degrees centigrade. The COP of the heat pump will therefore dictate the unit’s running cost.
Ground source heat pumps use the earth as a heat source, taking advantage of the moderate temperatures in the ground to boost efficiency and reduce operational costs of heating and cooling systems. GSHP’s are environmentally friendly, produce very few carbon emissions and can be installed anywhere using a borehole or shallow trench. Heat collecting pipes in a closed loop which contain water are used to extract the stored energy, which is then used to provide space heating or cooling and hot water.
Key Advantages of a Heat Pump
There are many advantages gained from installing a ground source heat pump including:
- Cheaper to run than direct electric, gas and oil heating
- Heat pumps can be fully automated and demand less work and maintenance than biomass boilers
- Space saving and can be combined with underfloor heating systems
- Extremely reliable and durable
- Easy to install
- Reduces the carbon footprint of a property, providing a green solution
- No fuel storage requirements
- No combustion involved and no dangerous gases or carbon emissions
- Cooling in the summer and warming in the winter
- A well designed heat pump is likely to increase the value of a property
- Ofgem will pay 3.2p per kW/hour generated every quarter for the next 20 years and for systems operating under 100kW, 4.5p per kW/hour under the Renewable Heat Incentive
Ground Source Heat Pumps - How do they work and what are the benefits?
Domestic Compact Heat Pumps
The Kensa domestic heat pump range is split into single 4-12 kW and twin 12-24kW compressor heat pumps which incorporate ground and underfloor circulation pumps, high specification acoustic hoods, double vibration isolation and soft start installed as standard to reduce noise. The compact heat pumps should be installed in utility or plant rooms or in a garage, away from sensitive areas and will operate on a single or three phase power supplies and can provide hot water and space heating.
Commercial Plant Room Heat Pumps
The plant room range of commercial heat pumps has been developed for professional installations in larger buildings and for commercial applications. The heat pumps are built as individual modules which are slotted together to form higher outputs which enables greater flexibility to match the heat pump output to the heating/cooling load of the building. The systems are ideal for installation in schools, hospitals and retail outlets as well as communal properties where they can be utilised for generating heat for a number of dwellings.
Buffer Tanks
Kensa has joined forces with a leading cylinder manufacturer Advance Appliances to design and manufacture a buffer vessel to be used with heat pumps. Buffer vessels have been developed to avoid short cycling within heat pump applications where full temperature control is required for all underfloor zones. The buffer vessel will enable full control without the heat pump short cycling and should be used in a two connection piping configuration.
Single Coil and Twin Coil Cylinders
Kensa can supply indirect hot water cylinders which are designed for use with heat pumps. The cylinder has a large surface area coil which provides a better heat transfer from the heat pump into the cylinder which improves the stored water temperature and the time taken to reach this temperature. The vessels are manufactured from corrosion resistant Duplex stainless steel which allows for an industry leading 25 year guarantee for the cylinder shell. The twin coil cylinder has a second coil so it can be installed to allow for solar thermals to heat domestic hot water in the summer, with the heat pump taking over in the winter.
Installation
Kensa heat pumps have been designed to be easily installed without specialist training by a competent builder or plumber. Kensa does not offer an installation service but is accredited under the MCS scheme, the qualifying criteria for the majority of grants including the RHI. Providing MCS guidelines and Kensa’s instructions have been followed, Kensa can remotely commission the unit and provide a commissioning certificate for a project.
Kensa prides itself on offering a comprehensive array of domestic and commercial ground source heat pump solutions for a wide range of applications. The company is well positioned to offer professional advice, expertise and technical support to clients and consultants at any stage of a project. Kensa’s client base includes installers, self-builders, housing associations, architects and developers who are all looking to install energy efficient, environmentally heating and cooling solutions in homes and businesses.