Kensa Heat Pumps and Coastline Housing have received industry acclaim with an award for their recent renewable heating upgrade project – the first of its kind in Cornwall.
The collaboration, which featured Kensa manufactured ground source heat pumps, was named ‘Best Renewable Energy Scheme of the Year’ at the Regen SW Green Energy Awards on the 29th November 2016 at the Assembly Rooms in Bath.
Simon Lomax, Managing Director of Kensa Heat Pumps, commented: “We are pleased to receive further recognition for our innovative heating solution which dramatically reduces the running costs and carbon emissions at social properties. This particular project enabled Coastline customers to benefit from a warmer, more comfortable home and a far lower heating bill compared to their less efficient night storage heating. Better still, Coastline received generous subsidy support which covered the entire installation cost and is now embarking on further projects.”
Living up to its Cornish name – ‘Kensa’ comes from a Cornish word meaning ‘first’ – the project delivered the county’s first ‘micro ground source heat network’ project, reducing 12 homes’ annual energy bills by 50% and CO2 emissions by 65%.
This system features an individual ground source heat pump in each property linked to communal borehole pipework. The pipes absorb heat from the ground and transfer this into a heat pump, which then upgrades this heat from the ground to deliver heating and hot water to the home.
The district approach also secured upfront Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding to Coastline via Kensa’s partnership with EDF Energy, and an ongoing income stream via the Government’s Non Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which will generate 20 years of quarterly payments to Coastline for the renewable energy produced by the ground source heat pumps.
Allister Young, Chief Executive at Coastline Housing said: “We are pleased to have worked with Cornish partner Kensa on this award-winning scheme. This new approach to district heating has removed previous barriers created by the need for shared equipment and shared billing. Our customers benefit from complete heating independence and a significant reduction in their heating costs, which in turn reduces pressure on often limited household budgets.”
Mark Dallen, Business Development Account Manager at EDF Energy, commented: “We are so pleased that that our unique partnership with Kensa Heat Pumps has been recognised through this award. This award demonstrates the great work we have achieved with Kensa in tackling fuel poverty and providing low carbon energy across the UK.”
