Copas Brothers Construction has fitted four Baxi air source heat pumps at Hedsor Billinghurst in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, a rental-focused new-build development designed to meet the upcoming Future Homes Standard.
Four Baxi air source heat pump (ASHP) systems are supplying efficient, low-carbon heating and hot water at Hedsor Billinghurst, a new-build housing development in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, comprising two four-bedroom and two five-bedroom properties.
Copas Brothers Construction, part of the progressive, family-run rural estate Copas Farms, now specifies heat pumps for all its new-build development homes, future-proofing the properties ahead of incoming low-carbon regulations under the Future Homes Standard.
Unlike many housebuilders, Copas retains its properties as rental homes, making long-term reliability and ease of maintenance key considerations when selecting a heating solution.
As part of the Baxi ASHP service, the company’s experts were at hand to offer their support and expertise at every stage of the project. Frequent site visits to understand the project requirements and early design support, including heat-loss calculations and Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) inputs, helped Copas make informed specification decisions from the outset.
At Hedsor Billinghurst, the completed scheme consists of:
- Two Baxi HP50 7kW ASHPs paired with two Baxi ASHP 250L cylinders
- Two Baxi HP50 11kW ASHPs paired with two Baxi ASHP 300L cylinders
The systems were selected to provide residents with highly efficient, low-carbon heating while maintaining comfort and performance throughout the year.
Copas Brothers Construction’s in-house plumber also attended a Baxi Heat Pump Installer course to gain in-depth knowledge and practical skills on air source heat pump design principles, installation and application requirements and commissioning.
The course includes a supervised day on site with Baxi’s specialist heat pump engineers for the first commission. This ensures the systems are set up in line with the design and requirements of the homes while instilling installer confidence and competence to commission future heat pump installations.
The Hedsor Billinghurst project was led by Sang Duong, ASHP business development manager at Baxi, who worked closely with Ian Mason, project manager at Copas.
Ian said: “With this being our third project involving heat pumps, it’s clear to us that the level of support you receive from a manufacturer can make a monumental difference to the smooth running of the project. From early conversations through to installation and commissioning, the Baxi team was available whenever we needed them.
“This was our first project with Baxi, and from system sizing to technical support, we always knew there was someone we could pick up the phone to for advice. Heat pumps are more complex than gas boilers, and, like many developers, they are still comparatively new territory to us. This is why having a direct route to the manufacturer, alongside expert training, is incredibly valuable.”
Barney Wharton-Jones is Baxi’s National Sales Manager for the company’s residential specification division.
Barney said: “Developers are looking for partners who can back them throughout every stage of a heat pump project. It’s imperative that we work closely with customers to simplify the transition to low-carbon heating while ensuring systems are optimised for each application.”
“This project typifies that approach. The homes are now occupied, and the systems have been running well with no complaints. Copas has already chosen to work with Baxi again on a five-home development. This says a lot about its confidence in both the solutions and support we have already provided and will deliver on the next project.”
For more information on Baxi’s heat pump solutions and services for new build projects, click here.