ARTISAN Real Estate has announced the installation of 126 individual air source heat pumps (ASHPs) at its Rowanbank Gardens development in Corstorphine, Edinburgh.
Described as a ‘spectacular blueprint for low carbon living’, Rowanbank Gardens is delivering 93 apartments for private sale and 33 for affordable living, all set around a large open garden space. Construction began in 2021 with the first completions expected later this summer.
The development has been designed to set new standards for sustainable, low carbon living, challenging many of the norms associated with the construction and delivery of traditional apartment buildings.
Rowanbank Gardens is one of the first large developments in Scotland to employ individual ASHPs in all of its apartments, providing both heating and domestic hot water. Smart technology helps maximise energy efficiency whilst keeping costs down.
Air ducts positioned throughout the apartment to capture warm air from rooms like kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms – making use of any waste heat energy generated from activities such as baths and showers, boiling pots and pans, washing machines and even a strenuous exercise work out.
This energy is passed back to each apartment’s ASHP where it is used to heat water for underfloor heating throughout the apartment, as well as providing domestic hot water. Energy costs at Rowanbank Gardens have been predicted to cost up to 60% less than other new build apartments in the surrounding area.
David Westwater, Artisan’s development director for Scotland, said, “Artisan is leading the way in introducing energy-efficient technology, such as individual air source heat pumps to capture the warm air within the home and then use it to provide cheap and efficient heating as well as piping hot water. This surplus heat, which in traditional apartments would be wasted, can now be captured and recycled to provide significant financial benefit for potential homeowners feeling the pinch of expensive energy bills and the inflated cost of living.
“As well as innovations like individual heat pumps, we also provide A-rated appliances for all of our homes and are introducing cutting-edge environmental technologies such as low flow taps which have been proven to reduce water consumption by up to one-third.
“Rowanbank Gardens’ smart, energy-efficient design is geared to achieving low to zero carbon ratings, with the added benefits of significantly lower home-running costs. This demonstrates Artisan’s stated commitment to move away from using any fossil fuels to heat homes within our developments, as part of our pledge to reduce carbon nationally.”
