Planning for the renewable aspect of the project started in early 2018 with all designs having to be issued for approval by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the environmental specialists, Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) and Gwynedd Council local planning department. This work was managed by the project architects Dyfi Architecture. isoenergy designed a bespoke solution that would be sympathetic to the local surroundings and acceptable to the three departments who were taking a keen interest in the renovation of the estate.
The idea is to install a ground source heat pump using the cascading water available from the mountain stream as a heat source. Along the stream are a series of holding ponds which are being cleared and re-opened. These are remnants of the flood defences that were put in place to protect the estate buildings.
Each of the ponds will be used to house a bank of EnergyBlade river heat exchangers, the rushing water providing the perfect energy source for the ground source heat pump. The heat pump in turn will supply heating and hot water to the Gate House, Gardener’s Cottage and the Hunting Lodge itself. The reduction in running costs, almost 40% against continuing to burn oil, and the 60% reduction in carbon are enormously attractive to the client.
Isoenergy are due to start work installing the system in spring of 2019, updates to follow.