Martin Singleton, St Austell, Air Source

We installed an air source heat pump at this retrofit, 3-bed semi-detached in the Cornish village of St Stephen.

This  was a really smooth, straightforward install. Clients often come to us unsure if renewables are suitable for existing properties – they absolutely are and it’s hardly ever as complex as people fear.

Martin said: “Nothing was too much trouble. Harvest really planned it through and made me part of the process. It was exactly how it should be, when you’re the customer and there’s all this pipework it’s good to have that reassurance and input where you can. I had quite a confined space for the cylinder to fit in and Harvest successfully managed it. Very good customer service, I couldn’t fault.”

Martin already had solar panels so we wanted to ensure the two systems integrated well despite the heat pump and panels being installed separately. We explained the benefits of having a solar power diverter. We offer a range of manufacturers, most commonly we fit an iboost or an Apollo Gem. Having one of these fitted allows for any excess solar PV that your array is generating but your home isn’t using to divert to heat your hot water tank instead of exporting back to the grid. It is a very useful way to get the most out of your solar.

There was a slight concern over space for the hot water cylinder on this project. We commonly install cylinders in small spaces and it’s about informing our clients of all their options and selecting the best one for their home. We always do our best to fit the hot water cylinder in the clients preferred location.