Case Study

Nancemellin House

James Everest of Kernish, a ground source heat pump installer based in Cornwall, fitted his first Kensa Evo as part of a farmhouse modernisation project.

LocationCornwall
Completion DateSep 2019

Key Facts

Nancemellin House, Cornwall
117sqm 4 bedroom detached farmhouse
7kW Kensa Evo ground source heat pump
2 x 50m slinky ground array
Used Kensa's MCS Umbrella
Eligible for Domestic RHI (this scheme has now closed)

Installer James Everest of Kernish (https://www.kernish.com/) has a positive outlook on the market for ground source heat pump technology. In this interview, he shares his feedback on the new Kensa Evo (https://www.kensaheatpumps.com/ground-source-heat-pump-products-services/evo-ground-source-heat-pump/) and tells us about a recent retrofit installation (https://www.kensaheatpumps.com/heat-pumps-for-retrofit-projects/) in an old farmhouse.

Tell us a bit more about your business.

Kernish (https://www.kernish.com/) has been trading for five years now. We focus solely on renewable heating technology, including ground and air source heat pumps, as well as solar. The market is looking positive at the moment and we’re receiving a steady number of enquiries, for both new build and retrofit projects.

Ground source, in particular, is proving to be more popular. I think people view it as a long term investment.

What was your latest project?

The project at Nancemellin House came through website advertising. The customers had bought an old farmhouse set on five acres of land, which was in a poor state and needed modernising. Being pretty much in the middle of nowhere, the couple were limited to oil or LPG as their heating options, and weren’t keen to use either. They wanted to be self-sufficient, so decided on a ground source heat pump.

Was this where Kensa stepped in?

Yes. I’ve had dealings with Kensa over the past couple of years and attended ground source training in Exeter. I like that they are ground source heat pump specialists, but also a Cornish business; my customers were keen to use a local firm as well.

Kensa specified a 7kW Evo ground source heat pump (https://www.kensaheatpumps.com/ground-source-heat-pump-products-services/evo-ground-source-heat-pump/), able to provide 100% of the property’s heating and hot water needs. The product is really excellent, simple to install, and it looks great, nice and modern.

Tell us about the installation.

As there was plenty of exposed land on the plot, we opted for slinkies (https://www.kensaheatpumps.com/the-technology/heat-sources-collectors/surface-soil/), of which there were 100m. My customers chose to employ a local contractor for the ground-works. The Evo heat pump was located in the garage; the couple have a borehole on site for drinking water and the garage already houses a mini water-treatment plant.

They turned the renovation around really quickly, within 4 months! The heat pump install went very smoothly and I made the handover as simple as possible for my customers. Due to the unseasonal weather we’ve been having, the couple have been in need of the extra warmth – so far, so good they say!

What will the future bring?

I’m confident that the demand for ground source heat pumps (https://www.kensaheatpumps.com/the-technology/applications/) will continue to grow and I’m keen to work with Kensa to fulfil the requirements that can be matched by their products. I’m already liaising with them about some more projects that I have quotes out for, so that’s looking good.