Renewable Technology

REWARDING RETROFIT

Kensa Heat Pumps talks to Public Sector Build Journal about the benefits of installing ground source heat pumps in existing housing stock.

The energy efficiency of homes needs to improve to reduce fuel poverty. More than 80% of homes will still be in use in 2050, but most homes are not energy efficient (71% of homes are EPC E, F or G1) and this can lead to fuel poverty.

The need to decarbonise is not directly connected to the need to resolve social deprivation, and the causes of fuel poverty are not the same as the causes of global warming. However, there is strong overlap and the potential for ‘joinedup thinking’ in bringing solutions.

Housing providers and local authorities are driven to provide quality and affordable-to-run housing. Eliminating the carbon emissions from an existing building will leave it more comfortable and more cost effective to run.

By installing ground source heat pumps, housing providers deliver the double benefit of reducing residents’ heating bills and cutting the carbon footprint of their stock.

What is a ground source heat pump?

A ground source heat pump is a renewable heating system that can keep tenants comfortably warm all year round by utilising solar energy stored in the ground to provide a building with 100% of its heating and hot water.

The technology is highly efficient, delivering 3 to 4kW of renewable energy for every 1kW of electrical power it consumes. Heating bills can be cut by typically 30 to 50% when switching from night storage heaters to ground source, relieving tenants of the ‘heat or eat’ ultimatum.

And, ground source heat pumps emit no emissions, so offer a low-cost, low-carbon replacement for combustion fossil fuel systems, helping housing providers to deliver on climate emergency declarations. The Government recognises the vital role heat pumps will play in helping the UK hit its net-zero target and is aiming to achieve an uplift to 600,000 installations per year.

Why are heat pumps ideal for social housing?

Multiple ground source heat pumps can be connected to shared ground-loop arrays – underground pipework that extracts and circulates heat energy – to deliver renewable heating to large shared residences, linking communities together. This ‘networked’ heat pump solution is infinitely flexible and scalable.

Close-knit social housing communities can use shared ground-loop array systems for quicker installations and reduced groundwork costs by sharing smaller numbers of deeper boreholes to extract the heat energy.

With an individual ground source heat pump installed into every home, each household has independent energy bills, heating and hot water. Residents are free to choose their own energy provider to get the best price. The decentralised approach prevents issues such as heat loss through the distribution pipework and overheating – a common problem for traditional residential district heating systems.

Landlords and tenants will appreciate the minimal maintenance, lack of annual servicing requirements and 20-year longevity of the heat pump. This ensures that whole-life ownership costs and disruptions are very low. By providing resilience against rising fuel prices and energy security, housing providers can prevent future fuel poverty in homes.

In conclusion, ground source heat pumps give tenants the lowest heating and hot water costs and the highest levels of energy efficiency. A lot of housing stock will require upgrading, regardless of which type of low-carbon heating is adopted in the future. Networked ground source heat pumps tackle both fuel poverty and climate change like no other communal heating system.  www.thekensagroup.com

1https://www.ons.gov.uk/ peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/energy efficiencyofhousinginenglandandwales/2020-09-23ener gyefficiencyofhousinginenglandandwales/2020-09-23