Ground Source Heat Network is a First for Devon Social Housing Provider

Westward Housing’s residents in Croft House in Holsworthy, North Devon are benefiting from an investment in a pioneering ground source heat network designed by Kensa Heat Pumps.

The scheme is a first for social housing in the UK, and retrofit project benefited from funding from Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and a Ready for Retrofit grant.

The ‘micro heat network’ uses the award winning Kensa Shoebox ground source heat pump in each property, which connect to a ground arrays network. Each pair of flats shares a communal borehole. The ground source heat pumps sit in each property’s airing cupboard and provide all heating and hot water needs. The new system has seen some residents’ energy bills drop by 50% in comparison to the electric heaters the ground source heat pumps replaced.

Although the Ready for Retrofit grant is now finished, more social housing schemes are planned. The future schemes will make use of the ECO and the non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) to retrofit properties.

Kensa’s commercial director, Chris Davis said:

“With the non-Domestic RHI and the ECO able to sit alongside one another, the financial case is a compelling one, especially when compared with the alternative options. For social housing providers, a retro fit ground source heat network that’s able to attract ECO funding, like that at Croft House, will present a solution that is both cost effective and provides a significantly more attractive rate of return under the non-Domestic stream of the RHI than for example fitting individual air source heat pumps under the Domestic RHI.”

He continued:

“The micro heat network at Croft House provides Westward with access to unique funding whilst giving tenants complete control over their heating. Each dwelling receives its own electricity bill, so there is no need to apportion costs among tenants; there is no loss of efficiency through heat losses over the ‘district’; while Westward did not have to find space for a plant room.”

Croft House houses elderly residents who are a high priority for receiving an upgrade to their heating system. The heat pumps replaced an old storage heater system that was costly to run.

One resident, Jim Porter, 57, believes his heating bill ill drop by half. He stated:

“I have checked my meter for the last month and it was £20, whereas it was £40 or £50 a month before. You are bound to save lots of money with the ground source heating system.”

Hear what the residents at Croft House say in the video below:

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