Kensa Heat Pumps has won two awards at the H&V News Awards 2017 for its micro-district ground source heating solution for retrofit social housing; repeating its double-award win success at the same awards in 2013.
Now in their 23rd year, the prestigious H&V News Awards are an annual celebration of excellence, forward thinking and the highest achievements across the HVAC and building services industry.
Kensa’s retrofit work with Trent & Dove Housing and Hanover Housing Association has successfully saved tenants typically 50% in heating costs making a substantial impact on fuel poverty and carbon reduction targets. The H&V News Awards recognised these projects remarkable and replicable achievements by awarding the titles of District Heating Project of the Year (with Trent & Dove Housing) and Retrofit Project of the Year (with Hanover Housing Association).
A third project of Kensa’s was also shortlisted at the awards in the Renewable Project of the Year – Residential category with Bromford Housing Association.
The projects involved the replacement of night storage heaters with a Kensa Shoebox ground source heat pump fitted inside bungalows, houses and flats, with each of the heat pumps connected to micro-district ground arrays, where two or more properties share a borehole.
The micro-district method removes the issues surrounding communal plantrooms and shared bills, and also creates access to upfront Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding via Kensa’s partnership with EDF Energy. This in addition to the Government’s Non Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI – this scheme has closed), which combined with ECO allows the housing providers to fully recover their installation costs and create a regular income stream for 20 years to potentially fund other property improvement measures.
Simon Lomax, Managing Director at Kensa Heat Pumps comments:
We are delighted that the judges have recognised the unique attractions of our micro-district system architecture and have appreciated our ability to deliver major installation programmes in a true partnership fashion with our customers. Both Hanover and Trent & Dove Housing have ambition to place further orders, which is testimony to Kensa’s ability to deliver the promised financial returns. More importantly, these landlords also have compelling evidence that the ground source heat pump systems are significantly reducing the heating bills for their tenants.
Winston Williams, Property Director at Hanover Housing Association said:
Hanover were keen to adopt micro-district ground source heat pump technology into our housing stock as we felt it provided a cost effective and long-term solution, and means residents will save money on their heating bills as a result. As well as being able to monitor running costs and ensure the systems are performing efficiently, the new scheme will save nearly 1,900 tonnes of carbon emissions during its lifetime, so it really is a win, win for everyone.
Ursula Bennion, CEO at Trent & Dove Housing commented:
As an organisation Trent & Dove are committed to providing our customers with homes which are comfortable, warm and energy efficient. The addition of ground source heat pumps to some of our more rural properties has helped our customers, many of whom are elderly or vulnerable, make notable savings on their energy bills. CO2 emissions have been reduced significantly as has the risk of customers experiencing fuel poverty. With this new and innovative technology we are significantly contributing to our aim of ‘Transforming Homes, Lives and Neighbourhoods.
Historically Kensa Heat Pumps won the titles ‘Retrofit Project of the Year’ with Yarlington Housing Group and ‘Renewable Project of the Year’ with New Linx Housing Trust at the H&V News Awards 2013.
This follows on from a number of recent wins for Kensa’s micro-district ground source heat network solution, which include ‘Most Innovative Retrofit Scheme’ at this year’s Housing Innovation Awards with Hanover Housing Association, and ‘Best Client’ at the NHMF Maintenance Awards with Shropshire Rural Housing Association; notably for which Kensa were also the 2016 title winners with Trent & Dove Housing. Hanover and Kensa have also been shortlisted for Best Partnering Scheme at the Housing Excellence Awards; winners to be announced on the 25th May 2017.
