18 Dec 2013
A Norwegian household is now benefiting from Discrete Heat’s ThermaSkirt after the renovation of their home. Mr and Mrs Hoel found the ThermaSkirt skirting board heating system to be the perfect solution for heating their three-bed property in the town of Eidsvoll, north of Oslo.
Keen to decrease their fuel consumption, Trond Hoel, who has a plumbing and heating masters degree, installed an air source heat pump that could supply the heating systems. It was essential that the heating system was as energy efficient as possible to be compatible with the heat pump.
The renovation required careful thought due to the many factors that needed consideration. Significantly the harsh Norwegian winters had to be accounted for with temperatures reaching as low as –25°C at times. They required a heating system that would be robust enough to cope with this extreme weather but not disturb the design of the interior or damage the 50 year old timber flooring.
A Samsung EHS Mono air to water pump was installed, with a capacity of 9kw, which extracts heat from the outside air to supply the hot water and central heating system. Switching from an oil boiler required improving the insulation of the external walls to 0.25u and the windows to 1.9u, however this extra cost is offset by the superior energy ThermaSkirt provided the heating solution by having the ability to operate at low temperatures and offering a cost effective installation that underfloor heating could not. Fitted as a radiant panel skirting board, it provides evenly distributed heat around the room while not interrupting the aesthetics of the interior design.
Trond first heard of ThermaSkirt whilst in Germany and has found it the ideal system to work with the air source heat pump. He explains, “The beauty of ThermaSkirt is that it can run at 40°C water for most of the year. And then accept the higher 55°C water from the back up immersion on those very few really cold days. Underfloor heating cannot do this”.
The simpler retrofitting onto existing renewables within buildings allows the installation of ThermaSkirt to be quicker than underfloor heating. The advantage of having the response time of a radiator combined with a comfort pattern indistinguishable from UFH adds to ThermaSkirt’s appeal.
The Scandanavian love of clean, sleek lines was also maintained by avoiding the use of bulky radiators and the keeping of the Hoel’s beloved timber floors ensured that minimal disruption to the client was caused. Trond praises the ThermaSkirt product adding, “I have recommended the ThermaSkirt to many people in Norway and I am very delighted with the performance”.
The ThermaSkirt system is now available in Norway from distributors Qviller Klimaprodukter in Skytta, near Oslo.
Further information on ThermaSkirt is available from Discrete Heat on 0845 1238 367 or by visiting the company’s website at http://www.discreteheat.co.uk/
