Daikin heat pumps chosen for major Dublin scheme

Drumnigh Manor is a low-density development in Portmarnock, Co Dublin, by leading Irish developer Shannon Homes, consisting of 300 large A2-rated three, four and five-bedroom houses of “superior quality and design”. As part of its NZEB specification, Drumnigh Manor will also feature a highly insulated, airtight cavity wall structure and heat recovery ventilation.

Having worked with the Shannon Homes Group for more than 30 years, Dublin-based contractors M&P Mechanical knew that choosing the right heating system was a central part of delivering a reduced carbon footprint and lower bills for residents, and opted for the Daikin Altherma 3 air-towater heat pump. Mark O’Rourke, managing director at M&P Mechanical, said: “The heating specification at Drumnigh Manor was very much a whole-system approach from the outset. We picked highly efficient low temperature radiators and the Daikin Altherma 3 integrated heat pump because they pair so well together. Getting the best out of any renewable heat source means matching it with an emitter that’s designed to deliver high outputs at lower flow temperatures.”

As a renewable energy technology, heat pumps make it easier to comply with NZEB standards than conventional fossil fuel heating systems. Daikin’s Altherma 3 boasts an A+++ efficiency label for space heating, and an A+ rating for hot water production. It was also the first heat pump on the market running on R32 refrigerant gas, which has one of the lowest global warming potentials of any refrigerant gas on the market. The Altherma 3 system ranges from 4-16kWs of heating output, and comes with integrated or free-standing storage hot water tanks up to 300 litres, and space saving wall mounted versions.

Computer simulations by Daikin estimate that the annual cost to run an Altherma system for a typical house at Drumnigh Manor, with four occupants, is 35-40% less than the cost of heating the same house with natural gas.