Retrofitting Your Home Heating

What is Retrofitting?

Simply put, retrofitting is a service that combines your existing heating system with new, modern components to make it work as effectively as possible.

By combining an older heating system with new fittings and new technology, you can effectively increase the heat output and retention of your home heating system without having to completely remove your existing system. Not only is this cheaper than installing an entirely new system from scratch, but it also prevents you from having to dig up floors and break down walls in your home to allow for installation.

Overall, retrofitting is quite a quick and simple solution to increasing your home’s energy output that doesn’t come with many negatives.

What is a deep retrofit?

Deep retrofits are the process of carrying out multiple energy upgrades at once to achieve a Building Energy Rating (BER) of A. By combining multiple energy upgrades at once, you can get a more energy-efficient home that is much warmer and cosier than before.

Why Should I Choose Retrofitting?

If you want to upgrade your heating system but can’t justify having to destroy some of the structure of your home to install new pipes and cables, retrofitting is a fantastic option. Not only is the process of retrofit heating far less invasive than installing a brand new system, but it’s much cheaper too, with SEAI grants available to help you along the way.

Retrofitting your home heating system is a fantastic way of boosting the heat retention of your home, and also creates a more energy-efficient and cheaper heating system, as the modern design of our Daikin heat pump retrofits is created to be as energy-efficient as possible.

This level of heat retention combined with efficiency guarantees greater heat and lower bills in the long run, saving you money down the line.

What work is included in a typical retrofit?

One of the key aims of a retrofit is to reduce the level of heat your house is losing. In other words, the main goal is to keep heat inside your home for longer.

A deep retrofit project would include a variety of measures including wall insulation, solar panels, installation of mechanical ventilation, or upgrading windows and doors. In some instances an efficient renewable heating system will also be considered.

The driving factor with a retrofit is to move away from the use of fossil fuels such as oil and gas. The typical heating system installed on a deep retrofit project is a heat pump. Heat pump systems take energy from free, renewable sources outside of the home such as air, water and the ground to heat the home or produce hot water.

Retrofitting your home heating system with a heat pump

Replacing your traditional gas heating system with a more sustainable heat pump is a great decision both environmentally and economically.

Not only can heat pumps improve your home's energy efficiency up to an additional 350% (depending on your home's requirements), they can also help to lower future energy costs and reduce your overall carbon footprint too.

How do heat pumps work?

Heat pumps work by extracting as much renewable, free energy from the environment as possible in order to heat the home or produce hot water.

There are a variety of heat pumps available on the market including air source, ground source, and water source.

Air source heat pump systems

Air source systems take the heat from the air and use an outside unit. These systems don't require any underground piping so are relatively easy to install. They are also incredibly cost effective too.

There are a few types of air source heating systems available. Air to water systems circulate heat through radiators or heating sources and also produce hot water. Exhaust air to water systems circulates heat in a similar way but use air taken from the home. Air to air systems circulate heat through the use of air units installed in the home although they do not provide hot water.

Ground source heat pump systems

Ground Source systems use the earth as a source of renewable energy. Heat is taken from the ground via pipes and then circulated through to the heat pump.

Water source heat pump systems

Water source systems utilise open water (lakes, rivers etc) to generate energy. It uses submerged pipework to absorb energy from open water sources - similar to a ground source heat pump.

Which heat pump is best for my home?

Determining which heat pump is right for your home depends on the available space and budget you have available. In Ireland, 95% of the heat pumps retrofitted are air-to-water pumps. One of the main brands was the Daikin heat pump.

Can Any Heating System be Retrofitted?

The good news here is: yes - almost any heating system can be retrofitted with modern components to make your heating system more effective and efficient.

If you’re interested in finding out more about retrofit heating systems, or even about how to hire a professional to install a retrofit heating system in your home, why not get in touch with RTS Heating & Cooling Systems today? We provide top-of-the-range retrofit Daikin heat pump systems, with a team of expert professionals who are qualified and experienced in the installation of these fantastic upgrades.

Cost of Retrofitting your home

The cost of retrofitting your home depends on many factors including property size, age, and its current energy efficiency rating. Unfortunately, there is no set cost when retrofitting your home.

Although you may pay a lump sum at the start, you will get this back in long-term energy savings.

What retrofit grants are available?

On Tuesday 8th February 2022, the government announced a package of support to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners undertaking energy upgrades.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) runs the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme where deep retrofit grant funding is available for up to 50% of the cost of a typical B2 home energy upgrade with a heat pump.

The upgraded scheme gives homeowners a hassle-free way to undertake home energy upgrades through the use of one-stop shops that provide an end-to-end service for homeowners from surveying the home to working with contractors to deliver the work and assisting with the grant process.

Homes owned by private homeowners, non-corporate landlords and Approved Housing Bodies are also eligible for the scheme.

What heat pump grants are available?

The SEAI is offering grants of up to €6,500 for heat pumps.

A grant of €200 is also available for the technical assessment of your home.

Is Retrofitting Your Home Heating Worth It?

Retrofitting is a cheaper and easier way of increasing the power and heat retention of your home heating system without having to install an entirely new heating system.

It seems that there are a huge amount of benefits to retrofitting your home, but many people are still unsure of the ins and outs of this service.