Space was at a premium in Donnington Cottage so a variable-speed Ecoforest heat pump was used which requires a smaller buffer tank. To save space in the house, the heat pump was installed in the garage and highly efficient pre-insulated pipe connects the heat pump to the heating and hot water distribution systems in the house.
One of Ecoforest's inverter-driven 3-12 kW heat pump provides energy for the heating and hot water. The inverter allows the heat pump to vary its output depending on the energy demand, making it more efficient. The heat for the heat pump was collected from 800 metres of pipe buried in the garden.