A ground source heat
pump system at 12 Flagship Group homes in Suffolk will help lower energy bills,
reduce carbon emissions, and provide a better quality heating system and living
conditions for their residents.
It is also estimated
the sustainable system, due to be completed in October at Airey Close in
Sudbury, will save each household just under £500 per year.
Featuring individual
Kensa Shoebox heat pumps in each house connected to clusters of shared ground
loop arrays, the scheme qualifies for the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive
(RHI), generating a guaranteed income to allow Flagship to roll out the much-improved
heating system into more homes in the future.
Charlie Conley, Head
of Asset Management at Flagship said: “We are committed to continually improve
our renewable energy sources to help tackle fuel poverty. After the successes
of our pilot ground source heat pump scheme in Fressingfield, Suffolk, we identified
this as a suitable site for our second project of this kind.
“This system will
create a number of benefits for Flagship and our customers as it will replace
the current electric economy 7 storage heaters, which are ineffective and
expensive to run.”
Project managed by
Kensa Contracting, the retrofit scheme features British-made ground source heat
pumps from Kensa Heat Pumps, fitted by local company Gasway Services.
Dr. Stuart Gadsden, Technical Sales Manager at Kensa
Contracting said: “We are delighted to
be working with Flagship again on another innovative ground source heat pump
project. At Airey Close, we are installing 12 boreholes to a combined depth of
over 1300 metres. These boreholes are connected to an individual Kensa ground
source heat pump, manufactured in our factory in Truro in Cornwall, located in
each house. This system will provide low-cost heating and hot water to the
residents of Airey Close for many years to come.
“Kensa is committed
to building long-term relationships with our customers and helping to transform
the way in which we heat our houses in the UK. We look forward to working with
Flagship on many more projects in the years ahead.”
Other key benefits
of the project include:
•
Reduction in energy bills and therefore fuel poverty;
•
Carbon saving;
•
Encourages customers to heat their homes, positively impacting on their health
– reduction in damp and improved air quality;
•
Low maintenance requirements – cost and frequency.
The site has gained
international interest, attracting a visit by a delegation from Indonesia
hosted by the Department for International Trade (DIT).
The Indonesian
market have shown interest due to the possibility of reversing the heat flow in
Kensa’s Shared Ground Loop Array design; the low-temperature from the ground
can be used to provide free passive cooling to buildings, or for substantial
cooling demands heat can be absorbed from buildings and discharged into the
ground, therefore providing a low-cost and low-carbon means to cool as well as
heat.
