Green energy keeps congregation (and the vicar) warm

St Peter’s Church in Rhoose, South Wales, has gone the “green” route to keep its congregation warm in winter, cool in summer and, as added bonus, keep heating costs down.

When the Parochial Church Council (PCC) decided something needed to be done to improve heating in the church – and then found that the cost of connection to the gas supply would be £2000 – they contacted Worcester Bosch for advice on renewable energy options and qualified installers. We were recommended.

We removed the six existing inefficient and expensive to run 3 kW convector heaters and replaced them with two 6 kW air–to–air heat pumps that draw in the latent energy present in outside ambient air and converts it into heat thereby delivering low-cost, energy-saving heating all year round. This extremely efficient process can produce up to 5 times more heat than the electrical energy used to run the pumps. Moreover, in summer, the system can be set to deliver cooling air.

The indoor units measure just 860mm long x 292mm high and blend in with the fabric of the church. They have been mounted on walls at each end of the building so that the processed air flows in the most efficient way.

Both vicar and congregation are delighted with the improvement; in fact the system has often to be turned down as it gets too hot. Commenting, Mr Conway Jones, Churchwarden and Treasurer of St Peter’s Church PCC said “It was a very good decision and we are very happy with the outcome. The work was finished in just two days and one would not know that the workmen had even been in the church”.