Both students won a competition to design the interior of a Fife College ecohouse, in which they were challenged to take the blank canvas of a basic house and design an interior that makes it into a home.
Fife College has been working in conjunction with Italian heat pump company Clivet on a unique ecohouse project that will use ElfoPack, their innovative heat pump systems, to demonstrate and teach the theory and practice to students.
The ecohouse, based at Fife College’s Stenton Campus, will also be used to demonstrate the system to possible users, builders, and local councils, observing it in operation in a ‘real’ house.
Graham Evans, Clivet Residential Heat Pump and Light Commercial business development manager, said: “Clivet Group UK are pleased to offer the students and staff the opportunity to understand the importance of renewable energy and in particular heating, cooling and air quality. It is our intention and responsibility to introduce these products to the next generation of installers and designers, and what better place to start than Fife College, where the enthusiasm to learn and embrace the technology is clear and very welcome.”
John Wincott, environmental services coordinator, said: “Fife College is delighted to be working with Clivet and using our ecohouse project to demonstrate this innovative use of heat pump technology. One of the biggest challenges facing the domestic heating marketing going forwards is our reliance on gas central heating. The Clivet system provides heating, cooling and hot water in one integrated unit, as well as filtering the air in the house to ensure that the home environment is as comfortable as possible. The system is ideally suited to new build properties where energy efficiency is part of the design.”
ElfoPack by Clivet for ambient comfort
Dedicated to nearly-zero energy single houses and apartment buildings with decentralised system, ElfoPack is an all in one air-source heat pump unit which covers the needs of heating, cooling, hot water production, mechanical ventilation with thermodynamic heat recovery and electronic filtration. It uses the ducts of controlled mechanical ventilation for maintaining ambient comfort.
ElfoPack reduces capital and management costs and simplifies installation and design, providing architects and designers with the opportunity to foresee the plant for comfort and energy saving at design phase, guaranteeing perfect building-system integration.