Air conditioning - planning permission needed?

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Hi

Is planning permission need for an air conditioning unit to be installed in a residential property? I have looked online and am getting mixed signals with some air con installers saying they can sell units which get around pp requirements because there is no external unit where as others are saying pp is not required if sounds levels are low and if the condensing unit is 1m from the boundary or not on the edge of a flat roof.

I was planning on installing the condensing unit either on ground floor level near the boundary line on the side rear (1m away from fence) and possibly another on the flat roof near to the house side rather than the wall side.

Thanks.
 
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Typically, I would submit a planning application with a background noise assessment, details of the proposed condenser/VRV, and confirmation that it will operate in its nighttime setback position (and screening if the noise assessment seems it necessary). But where the proposed location is sufficiently far from neighbours, a planning application might not be necessary (with the caveat that nosy neighbours might push the council to request one)
 
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Typically, I think of an ASHP as something used to provide heating and hot water, and an ACU as something used to provide cooling. But an ASHP can be used to provide some measure of cooling, and a 'multi-split' AC system, e.g. a VRF/VRV system can be utilised to provide some heating. These are all HVAC technologies, and the terms are used fairly loosely.
 
So an air conditioning unit is not an air-source heat pump?

Similar technology

An air conditioning system pumps excessive heat from warm air inside the building and dumps it as waste energy to ambient air outside the building

An air source heat pump system pumps heat from cold air outside the building to air inside the building that needs warming.

Because they use similar technology a "hybrid" system can be created which can do both functions. This require a design in which the two heat exchangers can be either condenser or evaporator.

In ASHP mode the outside heat exchanger acts as the evaporator to collect heat, in air conditioning mode the outside heat exchanger acts as the condenser to dispose of heat. Designing heat exchanges that are dual purpose involves compromises and as a result efficiency can be less than optimum
 
Similar technology

An air conditioning system pumps excessive heat from warm air inside the building and dumps it as waste energy to ambient air outside the building

An air source heat pump system pumps heat from cold air outside the building to air inside the building that needs warming.
They are both heat pumps.

They both transfer thermal energy from one place to another via a refrigeration cycle. The direction of transfer and the primary function of the device is not relevant to the type of device it is.

And if you condense what it says on the planning portal website:

From 1 December 2011 the installation of an air source heat pump on domestic premises is considered to be permitted development, not needing an application for planning permission, provided it is used solely for heating purposes.

Why would they state that unless there is a possibility of concern that an ASHP could be used for other purposes than heating?
 
Typically, I think of an ASHP as something used to provide heating and hot water, and an ACU as something used to provide cooling. But an ASHP can be used to provide some measure of cooling, and a 'multi-split' AC system, e.g. a VRF/VRV system can be utilised to provide some heating. These are all HVAC technologies, and the terms are used fairly loosely.
And theres the problem.

They are all "air source heat pumps". So unless there is a definition in the planning legislation of what they mean by "ASHP" then the regulatons apply to all ASHPs.
 
The document in the planning portal seem to be rather approximate interpretation of the law. We have seen it in Part P, and the landlords EICR where it seems the writers of the layman's version from the law are clearly not students of English.

It does seem to say if the compressor is not outside then rules don't stop fitting a heat pump, but it seems unlikely any compressor would not be in a cabinet of some type, so not out doors.

But to try and work out what is and what is not permitted from the planning portal is likely to have errors as we know how poor these documents are written.
 
I guess anyone who needs to be certain could look at the official legislation.
 
it seems unlikely any compressor would not be in a cabinet of some type, so not out doors.
This is a typical outdoor unit.

Outunit_of_heat_pump.jpg


You surely cant claim that the compressor is in a cabinet of some sort and so isnt outdoors?
 
This is a typical outdoor unit.
(Picture removed)
You surely cant claim that the compressor is in a cabinet of some sort and so isnt outdoors?
I would say yes it can be claimed the compressor is within an enclosure. The whole idea is to limit noise, so why say outdoors, would not a db limit make far more sense? Put the unit in this
7-6.jpg
and then no argument it is in-doors, it will likely not attenuate much noise, but now the compressor is in-doors. Seems poor English used so people can get around the rules.
 
They are both heat pumps.

They both transfer thermal energy from one place to another via a refrigeration cycle. The direction of transfer and the primary function of the device is not relevant to the type of device it is.

I have just read the "technical specification" of a heat pump system that can be operated as a ASHP ( heating the house) or as an Air Conditioning Unit ( to cool the house.

The COP for heating is said to be the same as the COP for cooling. This is questionable as in heating mode the heat produced from the electrical energy is fed into the house and in cooling mode the heat produced from the electrical energy is dumped to the outside

When heating the heat output into the house is Pumped Heat + Electrical Heat
When cooling the heat taken from the house is Pumped Heat only ( the heat from the electrical energy to the pump is disposed of outside )

The only way the COPs can be similar is if the marketing people include the heat from the electrical energy to the pump when cooling the house as part of the useful heat output from the system.
 

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