The Woolbeding Glasshouse

At isoenergy we have been asked to heat a wide variety of buildings, but never one quite like The Wooldbeding Glasshouse. This project at the National Trust’s Wellbeing Estate truly is a one-of-a-kind project.

The recently completed Woolbeding Glasshouse, was conceived in collaboration with The Woolbeding Charity and The National Trust. This unique structure draws its inspiration from the “spirit of Victorian ornamental terrariums” whilst acting as a protective shelter to a collection of subtropical species.

The Silk Route Garden creates a 12-step journey through a landscape influenced by the “ancient trading route between Asia and Europe where commodities such as the eponymous silk were exchanged and along which many plants species were brought back to Britain for the first time, such as rosemary, lavender and fennel”.

The glasshouse “opens its sepals using a hydraulic mechanism” during the summer months to allow plants direct access to the sunshine and turns into a protective shelter during the winter months. To keep the temperature inside regulated, a renewable solution was sought after, a heat pump to be exact.

During the early stages of this project, isoenergy was chosen to install the ground source heat pump that would provide sustainable and efficient heating for the glasshouse throughout the year, especially in the winter months.

The 30kW Nibe ground source heat pump was paired alongside a 500 Litre buffer tank to provide heating all year round. The energy for the heat pump is collected through a 1,200 metre horizontal ground array. The trenching process for the collector array was easier due to the ground being reworked anyway for the new Silk Route Garden.

As the UK begins to deploy more renewable energy technology across new projects, it is amazing to see how the application of a heat pump can benefit such unique projects. Whether it is heating a house or providing the perfect environment for a greenhouse, a heat pump can do it all.

By installing a renewable heating system for this glasshouse, the levels of nearby CO₂ will be drastically reduced, ensuring the various species aren’t harmed by excessive amounts of CO₂.

Key features:

• 30kW Nibe Ground Source Heat Pump
• 500 Litre Cordivari buffer tank
• 1,200 Metre horizontal ground array

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