New Build in Titahi Bay

The Goal

The owner had a clear goal that took into account their increasing preference to work from home and retirement plans, where heating throughout the day was both cost-effective to run and convenient to operate. With central heating and hot water often running from a gas-fired boiler, it was important to find an alternative for safety reasons, future-proofing and to maximise energy savings.

The Challenge

It was decided that a new build on the property they already owned was the best way forward. Warmth, comfort, convenience, safety, low-run costs, and minimal maintenance with some flexibility for family or friends to visit were some of their priorities when considering what they would want in their forever home.

The Solution

From the outset, the builders helped with planning and made sure all preferences and priorities were taken into account. Levels of insulation throughout the fabric of the build meant that warm air was kept within the building envelope with minimal air changes.

With hot water and space heating using the most energy, Ecodan by Mitsubishi Electric was chosen to minimise this. The Ecodan outdoor unit uses electricity to absorb freely available heat energy from the surrounding air and then transfers it to your home, so it can provide energy efficient hot water and space heating. This met both the low-run costs and safety needs with the homeowner’s aversion to the flammable, noxious, natural gas alternative – the fact that Ecodan is also more environmentally friendly is an added bonus!

Super-Efficient Ecodan Hot Water Heat Pump

An 11.2kW capacity Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan System was the natural solution for this home as it provides potable water with the ability to effectively heat water up to 60°C.

A packaged system was chosen that conveniently comes pre-plumbed and pre-wired. This incorporates a 200-litre water cylinder and the heat exchanger all in the one package. The system features fast heat-up times through the use of Plate Heat Exchanger Technology that works in conjunction with smart energy monitoring and control.

Built-In Smart Control with Energy Monitoring

The integrated controller offers state-of-the-art energy monitoring and management of the Ecodan Hot Water Heat Pump System. As a result, the homeowner now has the visibility and freedom to efficiently manage their overall water heating power consumption. The weekly scheduler enables them to take advantage of off-peak tariffs, to save even more on their electricity bill.

The Flow Temperature Controller enables heating of hot water by intelligently switching between the heating and hot water modes. It allows for the legionella prevention function by switching on the booster heater to maintain water above 60°C when needed.

The Result

The owner’s wishes have come true on every part of the build. The ideas and application of modern building techniques in conjunction with cutting-edge technology for hot water and space heating have ensured a warm, comfortable, convenient, safe forever home.

Delighted, they said “I was previously set on gas central heating before the events in Christchurch in July 2019 which put me off completely, so I asked my builder to come up with an alternative solution where I could have whole home heating but without the potential risk involved. The low-run costs and advanced control options that Ecodan provides is just an added bonus for me!”