They live in the idyllic countryside of Bosgård, just north of Huskvarna, Sweden. Their house is situated on a hill next to lake Vättern, with a view of rippling fields and large apple orchards.
"It's peaceful. Quiet, calm and the view is fantastic," they say.
Heating made simple
They work for the same IT company with office in Jönköping just under 20 minutes away. During the corona crisis, they have spent long periods working from home.
They recently moved into their house built on a slope. The previous owners had a mixture of energy sources: A small heat pump for the home, electric heating for the large garage and a wood-fired boiler for cold winter days.
Joakim and Annelie have invested in one single energy source - a powerful heat pump from CTC. They got rid of all the hassle and a good part of the electricity bills.
Passive cooling to ground source heating
Their new ground source heat pump from CTC, a CTC GSi 12, also has supplementary passive cooling.
"On a sunny day, the temperature can reach almost 30 degrees in the living room, even in winter. It's better to have passive cooling in the house than to leave the door open for ventilation," says Joakim.
"I'm also allergic to pollen, so it's nice to be able to leave the windows closed in the summer. The cooling fan is very quiet," Annelie says.
Reliable heating system
Their new heat pump gives them a robust and reliable heating system. The water underfloor heating keeps the house it pleasantly warm and everything runs automatically.
"Once the heat pump was set, we've hardly had to touch it. We get cooling when it's too hot and heat when it's too cold, quite simple," says Joakim.
Borehole, Horizontal Ground and Water collectors are all renewable energy sources. The fact that ground source heating uses existing heat in the ground appeals to Joakim.
"It's a very efficient and clean energy source," he says.
"It compensates for my gas-guzzler in the garage," says Annelie with a smile, referring to her car.
Facts:
• Joakim Wahlqvist and Annelie Damberg live together in Bosgård, just outside Huskvar-na.
• Their 145 square metre, single-storey house is built on a slope, with a garage under-neath.
• They have a 60 square metre patio facing south, which is often bathed in sunshine.
• They invested in a ground source heat pump CTC GSi 12, which provides heat for to the underfloor heating system as well as ample hot water for the household needs.
• The heat pump is supplemented with passive cooling to bring down the temperature in the previously very hot living room, which has large windows facing the sun.
