Croydon Council have
commenced a pilot scheme with Kensa Contracting to install a low-carbon fifth
generation ground source heat pump system for its residents that will
cut the cost to residents and the environment.
The ground source
heat pumps at the council-owned 10-storey block in New Addington will cut
carbon emissions, help improve air quality, and save up to £300 per home per
year on more than 40 households’ heating bills.
The project comes
after Croydon Council declared a climate emergency this summer, and aims to
contribute towards a local target of cutting the borough’s carbon emissions by
34% by 2025.
Kensa Contracting
will be undertaking the ground source heat pump installations, following on
from an award-winning tower block retrofit scheme in Enfield, featured in the
Mayor’s London Climate Action Week.
The 44 flats are the
first in Croydon to have ground source heat pumps retrofitted, replacing the
existing electric storage heaters. An individual Kensa Shoebox ground source
heat pump will be installed in each flat, connected to an ambient shared ground
loop array.
The ambient nature
of the heating distribution system will prevent overheating of communal areas,
whilst the individual heat pump in each flat will provide the tenant with
independent control and the freedom to switch fuel suppliers for the cheapest
energy tariff.
As well as saving
each home between £260 and £300 a year off their bills, the ground source heat
pumps will cost less for the council to maintain than storage heaters.
The replacement of
the tower block's electric storage heaters with Kensa’s ground source heat pump
system cuts lifetime carbon emissions by the equivalent of a 242,317-mile car
journey; or driving around the world ten times! The average night storage heater
produces approximately 2,001kg of carbon dioxide per year, compared to the new
ground source heat pump system that produces around 645kg per year.
Kensa expect to
complete the works by spring 2020, timed to coincide with an 18-month, £3.2
million refurbishment to the block including new insulation, a replacement roof
and windows, landscaping and new parking.
The £700,000 heating
system will be funded through the council’s ring-fenced housing budget and via
energy credits from energy regulator Ofgem.
Councillor Alison
Butler, deputy leader and cabinet member for homes and Gateway services, said:
“Many Croydon tenants find paying their winter fuel bills a struggle, so this
pilot scheme and wider refurbishment will make a real difference by ensuring their
homes are warmer, more energy-efficient and cheaper to run.”
Councillor Stuart
King, cabinet lead for environment and transport, said: “Making Croydon more
sustainable is a key council priority, and by both cutting carbon emissions and
residents’ heating bills this project underlines our commitment to improving the
environment.”
