• Master Therm’s ultra-compact AquaMaster AQ17I ground-source water pump has been awarded the Build Back Better Gold & Green Award 2023 for its innovative, efficient and environmentally friendly heating solution as part of a development of 170 carbon neutral homes in Cardiff, UK.
• Drawing energy from 79 shared ground boreholes, the Czech-made heat pumps have impressed the judges with their variable output, low noise levels, and control via a mobile app that also offers online service diagnostics.
• The Master Therm AquaMaster AQ17I model is a unique ground-source heat pump with a compact design, advanced technology, high efficiency, and modern controls at a favourable purchase price. It is therefore the ideal heat source for low-emission new builds and passive houses

The 170 carbon-neutral homes currently built on the site of the former Eastern High School in Cardiff are heated by 170 Master Therm AquaMaster AQ17I ground-water heat pumps. They are connected to 79 shared ground boreholes, each 180 metres deep.

The project, which received a £4.1 million grant from the Welsh Government’s Low Energy Housing Programme, takes energy efficient building standards to the next level. All 170 homes operate with intelligent energy management, making them carbon neutral.

The Master Therm AquaMaster AQ17I ground-source water source heat pumps installed in each of the homes play an important role in this. Integrated into a smart home system by Welsh company Sero, they work on the basis of photovoltaic solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations and smart energy storage. In order to optimise its use, the system can predict electricity consumption. As a result, at peak times, homes can almost avoid drawing upon the national grid and make do with their own resources (photovoltaic solar panels, electricity stored in the home battery, or in the electric car once plugged into the grid).

Installation of one of the 170 AQ17I pumps in Cardiff

The Master Therm heat pump is also directly involved in intelligent control. Thanks to online weather forecasts, it can regulate its output in advance and estimate future electricity consumption for its own operation, without the user’s interference with its settings. In summer, it is possible to use the reverse operation of the pump to cool the house with high efficiency while at the same time regenerating the borehole.

The heat pump project in Cardiff is being carried out by Thermal Earth Ltd, the exclusive UK distributor of Master Therm heat pumps. The UK government plans to have 600,000 heat pumps in operation by 2028 as part of the solution to achieving carbon neutrality for the country by 2050. The city of Cardiff itself, where the new development project originated, aims to be carbon neutral even as early as 2030.

Unique small ground-water pump:

Master Therm AquaMaster AQ17I

The AquaMaster AQ17I is the smallest heat pump in Master Therm’s range developed specifically for use in homes or apartments with limited space. Thanks to its extremely compact dimensions (800 mm in height, 530 mm in depth and width), it can be built e.g. into a kitchen cabinet, thus eliminating the need for a utility room in the house. Nor does it require a storage tank.

Special sound insulation of the pump’s internal components, rigorously tested and developed over a long period of time, minimises the pump’s noise level. Its operation therefore does not disturb the room.

With a nominal output of 1 to 5 kW, the AquaMaster AQ17I can provide heat and hot water (up to 60°C) for modern low-energy homes. Its operation is extremely efficient (SCOP up to 4.65) thanks to a state-of-the-art frequency-controlled compressor or an electronically controlled expansion valve, among other things.

Of course, connection to a ground borehole or collector is a must. In terms of acquisition costs, this is a suitable solution for two or more low-energy houses next to each other that share a borehole or collector.

Like other Master Therm heat pumps, the AquaMaster AQ17I is equipped with heating circuit control in the basic price (two circuits + hot water heating) and also with the option of internet connection with online control, service supervision, and a 7-year warranty on the entire pump.

The price of the Master Therm AquaMaster AQ17I heat pump is CZK 156,900 excluding VAT.

Build Back Better Awards

Build Back Better is a UK initiative based in London that aims to promote and reward innovation and creativity in improving the environment, particularly in the built environment of cities and conurbations.

A group of British engineers, technologists and designers are behind the initiative, which provides expert and independent assessment. Award-winning products include charging stations and applications for electric vehicles, home battery storage and other electronic solutions for the smart home, or just technologies for heating, ventilation and heat recovery.