Andy Smith, National Sales Manager at Grant UK, explains how the installation of an HVO-compatible boiler has provided the homeowner with an efficient heating system today, which is ready to convert to a low carbon liquid fuel in the future.
In 2023, a church near the banks of Loch Tummel in Highland Perthshire began transformation from a place of worship to a beautiful home. The church had kept its traditional features – pews and a pulpit, large stained-glass windows and pitched pine floorboards.
But as is typical with so many churches, it had no heating system. This meant a major part of the renovation was to design and install a suitable central heating system that would meet the heating demand of this unique building.
Building type and insulation
The building materials of the church presented the homeowner with plenty of challenges when it came to minimising heat loss and improving the insulation of the property. Sitting 600ft above sea level, in an area that has a lot of rain and may still have snow in May, the church is built from 3ft thick granite blocks so was extremely cold.
In fact, the homeowner once arrived on site on a January day to find all the doors and windows open because the workmen said it was warmer outside than in.
The church was insulated wherever possible, including the attic which has double thickness insulation. There were however, some areas that simply could not be insulated including two large stained-glass windows and the pitched pine floor which had cold air circulating beneath where there were no foundations, just cold earth.
Choosing the right heating system
With no heating system previously fitted in the church, the homeowner had to start from scratch. A number of factors prevented a heat pump system from being feasible for the church. Firstly, the homeowner wanted to keep the traditional floorboards and, as these had been put in with deadhead nails, it was not possible to take them out or cover them, so installing an underfloor heating system was not an option.
The homeowner also wanted a heating system which would inject quick boosts of heat into the property.
The homeowner was keen to reduce their carbon footprint so, as a heat pump was not considered suitable, they opted for a boiler that could use HVO – but they needed one which could initially use normal kerosene heating oil and then switch over to HVO at a later date when the fuel becomes more readily available.
HVO biofuels
HVO is 100% biofuel. It is created from lipids like vegetable oil, tallow, or used cooking oil and can be used as a ‘drop- in fuel’ to replace kerosene oil. Compared to kerosene oil, HVO can reduce carbon emissions by up to 88% (SAP 10.2) and can be used in homes that are not currently suited to low temperature heating systems, to reduce their carbon emissions in a cost-effective way.
HVO generates fewer pollutants compared to traditional fossil fuels thanks to a hydrotreatment process that removes impurities, so when burnt it produces less carbon emissions. HVO is also known for its high energy content, which facilitates efficient combustion and heat generation in boilers leading to cost savings too.
While HVO can currently be difficult to source, this is hopefully changing, with a recent private members’ bill proposing to make its supply compulsory by heating oil companies.
All of Grant’s Vortex floor standing boilers are HVO compatible, meaning they can be converted to HVO operation in a few simple steps as part of an annual service. The Vortex Pro Internal Combi 21kW was therefore the chosen oil boiler for this church installation.
Quick and easy
The installation of the new Vortex Pro Combi boiler was completed in spring 2024 by Richard Folkes of Rannoch Heating Ltd. It was a quick installation that took less than a day. The boiler is straightforward to use, heats the building well and the homeowner can now control it remotely, helping to reduce bills.
The boiler has been commissioned and the central heating system, which is currently using kerosene oil, is fully operational. The homeowner is planning to convert the system to HVO operation as soon as the fuel becomes available.
Image credit: Grant UK
