Kensa works closely with social housing providers to deliver a sympathetic programme of retrofit ground source heat pump installations with minimal disruption and major benefits, reducing tenant bills and making a dramatic impact on fuel poverty reduction.
By pairing Kensa’s Shoebox heat pumps with Shared Ground Loop Arrays, developments featuring multiple dwellings, including flats, can attract external funders to own and operate the ground source heat pump infrastructure, removing the cost of the shared ground loop array from the housing association. In return, the external funder can charge connection fees if they wish.
Mimicking a traditional gas framework, Kensa’s innovative Shared Ground Loop Arrays link a series of boreholes to multiple properties via an ambient temperature distribution system.
Each property then has an individual Kensa Shoebox heat pump wired to their own electricity supply, which upgrades the low temperature heat for heating and hot water within their dwelling.
Ground source heat pump installations are eligible for ECO funding in retrofit social housing schemes.
ECO places legal obligations and targets on the larger energy suppliers to fund energy efficiency measures in British households.
It is in place to support retrofit efficiency works in the domestic sector, with a particular focus on vulnerable consumer groups and hard-to-treat homes.
LEARN MORE AT KENSAHEATPUMPS.COMUnder the rules of ECO, energy suppliers are obliged to fund energy efficiency improvements of their domestic customers’ buildings in three distinct areas; Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation (CERO), Community Obligation (CSCO), and Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation (HHRCO).
By allowing ‘split ownership’, Government has created a significant catalyst for energy-efficient new build developments featuring Shared Ground Loop Arrays, with costs no longer borne by the housing provider.
This eliminates the key barrier to deployment – the expense of the ground array – and allows Kensa to mimic long-standing ‘split ownership’ arrangements in the gas sector with the underground infrastructure owned and maintained separately from the heat pump installed inside the properties. Kensa’s model sees the housing provider fund the heat pump (which is sold with the property and maintained by the purchaser) whilst the ground array is fully funded.
Based on Kensa’s fully funded ground arrays option.
| Total Cost of Installation (Paid by Housing Association) | £419,750 |
| Net Cost of Ground Source Heat Pumps & Cylinders* | £168,425 |
The below outlines the mechanism for housing providers wishing to utilise Kensa’s fully-funded Shared Ground Loop Arrays:
Extended warranties are available on request.
Kensa Contracting offers a comprehensive information and training programme to support residents, Housing Association staff, project and scheme managers, ensuring all stakeholders are engaged and well-prepared and understand the stages of work involved.
Property’s featuring Kensa’s Shared Ground Loop Arrays will provide end users with numerous unique benefits over traditional Heat Networks with minimal after care requirements:
GSHP’s produce 3-4kWh of heat energy for every 1kWh of electrical energy used, making them 300-400% efficient. Compare this to a typical boiler, which is just 90% efficient. Kensa’s ground source heat pump systems offer the lowest fuel costs.
Because a GSHP extracts so much “free” energy from the environment, this enables CO2 emissions to be lower than any other type of heating system.
GSHP’s don’t require annual servicing or maintenance, and have an expected lifetime of 20 years.
With an individual ground source heat pump in each property, homeowners are in complete control of their own heating and energy bills, enabling easy energy tariff switching and payment only for their own heat consumption.
Download End User's Guide
Free cooling & no overheatingWith heat being generated at the point of use (inside each dwelling) the ‘heat’ circulating the property is low temperature, therefore there are no heat losses from the system to contribute to overheating in risers and corridors. The low temperature system also allows for free passive cooling to be introduced, creating a comfortable living environment all year round.
1m below the surface the ground temperature remains a fairly constant 8-10°C all year round, ensuring your heat supply is constant and reliable; unlike air source heat pumps, which are impacted by external fluctuating air temperatures causing higher bills when heat is most needed.
Find out more about Kensa’s ground source heat pump solutions for social housing by clicking the links below:
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Download Kensa Contracting’s guide to Retrofit Social Housing Ground Source Heating Solutions.
Kensa’s Ambient Shared Ground Loop Arrays are an award-winning and pioneering approach to Fifth Generation District Heating and Cooling. The unique Shared Ground Loop Array design allows property owners and developers of two or more dwellings to realise the full potential of ground source heat pumps whilst achieving easier and cheaper carbon compliance for both…
This Kensa Contracting commissioned animation depicts the key stages for the installation of Kensa Shoebox ground source heat pumps into individual flats in tower blocks, connected to shared ground loop array boreholes. For more information on this application click here. *Please note: the Non-Domestic RHI funding stream mentioned in this video has now expired. Explore…
Ground Source Review: Bromford, The Pleydells. Another impressive case study from the growing portfolio of collaborations between Kensa Contracting and Bromford Housing Association is this 33 unit scheme at The Pleydells, consisting of 12 flats and 21 bungalows. Shortlisted: Best Customer Impact Award (NHMF Awards 2018)
Ground Source Review: Stonewater Housing, Weobley. Stonewater residents in a development of 49 one- and two-bedroom bungalows in Herefordshire have had their heating bills halved following the installation of an innovative communal Kensa ground source heating system. Shortlisted: District Heating Project of The Year (H&V News Awards 2018)
Ground Source Review: Trent & Dove Housing. Trent & Dove Housing helped 133 tenants out of fuel poverty by replacing their night storage heating with ground source heating, all within just 3 months! Discover how Trent & Dove Housing’s pioneering project reduces tenant fuel bills & generates a long term income to cover its costs. Winner: District Heating…
Ground Source Review: Yarlington Housing Association. Kensa were approached by the social housing provider Yarlington Housing Group in late 2012 to undertake a retrofit project involving 200 of their housing stock. The project remit was to upgrade the heating systems on properties with the most vulnerable residents, installing new Kensa Compact ground source heat pumps…
