Waste Water Heat Recovery for Showers
Taylor Wimpey’s Zero-carbon Homes Trial Featuring WWHRS
Recoup Energy Solutions’ waste water heat recovery systems for showers (WWHRS) are featured in all five of Taylor Wimpey’s zero-carbon ready trial homes at the Westland Heath development in Sudbury.
Taylor Wimpey is on its journey to becoming ‘zero-carbon ready’ in anticipation of the UK’s target to be net zero by 2050. The leading housebuilder called on the support of supply chain partners as an important part of the solution. As a result, five prototype dwellings have been launched utilising the latest green technologies to reduce carbon emissions and meet Government deadlines.
Recoup Pipe HEX WWHRS: Installed in all Five Dwellings
Taylor Wimpey has used the Recoup Pipe HEX WWHRS for showers on all five of the trial homes to reduce shower hot water demand and energy use with a variety of water heater technologies. These include Air Source Heat Pumps, Exhausts Air Heat Pump, Heat Pump Cylinder and Smart Cylinder. WWHRS can work with any water heater type that can accept a preheated cold water feed, providing flexibility along with energy savings.
The Recoup Pipe HEX is a vertical WWHRS system, using a copper heat exchanger it recovers the heat energy from waste shower water to create preheated water. This preheated water and recovered heat energy is then used in the shower and/or water heater, this reduces hot water demand, reduces CO2, saves energy, and lowers household bills.
The Pipe HEX offers over 60% efficiency, is SAP-listed, easy to install, visually hidden in the wall boxing with other services, and requires no end-user interaction or planned maintenance. Ticking all of the boxes for the trial.
For this project, the Recoup Pipe HEX has been fitted under the first-floor showers of each property using the System A installation method. This installation method connects the preheated water from the Pipe HEX to the cold side of the shower and water heater. This produces the greatest efficiency from the WWHRS unit and therefore a greater reduction in hot water demand and energy use for the property.
WWHRS features in all five Dwellings
he technology has been used in the dwellings, along with a range of differing suites of energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies. Each of the homes displays varying blends of green technologies. However, WWHRS is one of only three that feature in all five of the dwellings.
Technical Director at Recoup Energy Solutions, Ian Steward comments on the partnership: “It has been great to collaborate with Taylor Wimpey on the trial. With the changes coming in the Future Homes Standard which will reduce space heating demand, DHW is going to become the most significant use of energy in many homes. Seeing WWHRS specified on each plot highlights that WWHRS is being recognised by housebuilders as a simple solution to reduce this demand for customers.”
“It is great to see that the simplicity of WWHRS has meant it can be installed alongside the various technologies being trialled without any concerns for Taylor Wimpey, the other manufacturers and most importantly the customers,” Ian added.
Working alongside the chosen green technologies, WWHRS helps gain the required SAP points to easily meet Part L 2023 regulations. The Recoup Pipe HEX is a much less expensive technology to install than many other renewable energy products, therefore providing exceptional performance with minimal outlay.
Plot 153 at Westland Heath in Sudbury. Featuring: (1) Recoup Pipe HEX WWHRS (2) Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (3) Air Source Heat Pump (4) Under Floor Heating (5) Therma Skirt (6) Block Build With Enhanced Walls (7) Triple Glazing (8) A-rated Front Door.
Homes of the Future: Net-Zero Ready Homes
Taylor Wimpey’s Zero-carbon Ready Homes trial is the industry’s first experimental initiative to test green technologies through multi-specification prototype homes. The five dwellings at the Westland Heath development in Sudbury, Suffolk are being tested as real-life living scenarios. Each of the properties, which range from two to five-bedroom homes, have been designed to be sold and lived in by real homeowners throughout the trial. All technologies therefore have been specified to ensure they work seamlessly for the homeowners’ everyday living requirements.
Taylor Wimpey’s Chief Executive Jennie Daly explains: “The launch of our zero carbon ready homes at Sudbury marks an important milestone in helping us identify the best ways to reduce the energy intensity of our homes as well as identifying the challenges that will need to be overcome to do so at scale.”
“The introduction of the Future Homes Standard and the UK’s ambition to be net zero carbon by 2050 requires big changes. We are proud to be collaborating with our supply chain partners through the full lifecycle of this trial development to create a sustainable blueprint for delivering customer-focused, zero-carbon-ready homes that are deliverable at scale,” Jennie continues.
“The learning outcomes for our business through the early stages of this trial have already been huge from a design, technical, and production perspective and are rapidly advancing the skills and knowledge required to design, build and sell these next-generation homes.”
Award Winning Housebuilder Net-Zero Trial
To date, the Sudbury development has won three awards including ‘Most Sustainable Building Project’ at the Building Innovation Awards. Testament to the success of the project and how these impressive technologies will ensure the building industry is ready for the incoming Future Home Standard.
Having worked with Taylor Wimpey since 2023 the housebuilder already had experience with Recoup’s WWHRS energy-efficient technology. The Pipe HEX WWHRS is part of its standard Part-L 2023 specification for all new build homes throughout the group’s developments nationwide, meaning the housebuilder has already installed thousands of Recoup’s products to date.
The Decarbonisation Mission: Future Homes Standard
An intimidating 30% of the UK’s energy use comes from heating and powering the nation’s homes according to the CBRE. A statistic which needs to be eradicated if we are to tackle climate change and meet government deadlines. This makes residential housing one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions.
To combat such large quantities of greenhouse gases, the UK Government introduced Part L Building Regulations for new build dwellings. The regulations require that all space heating and hot water demand should be met through low-carbon sources. The legislation is designed to build a pathway to a more sustainable future.
The Future Homes Standard (FHS) follows, with an aim to decarbonise new homes in the UK from 2025 onwards. The Standard’s target is to slash carbon emissions by 75-80% by 2050; prioritise low-carbon heating systems and focus on the fabric efficiency of new build dwellings.
With the Future Homes Standard launching soon and the already outlined net zero targets, collaboration between house builders and suppliers such as Recoup is paramount in creating a sustainable future.
To learn more about how Recoup WWHRS can benefit your next housing development get in touch by email at info@recoup.co.uk or call us on 01379 844010.
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