Kensa Contracting and Together Housing's multi-site renewable heating upgrade programme in social housing across Yorkshire and Lancashire has been shortlisted for the H&V News 'Renewable Project of the Year' Award.

Now in their 26th 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.

The largest retrofit ground source heat pump programme of its kind to date, this three year, ongoing, project involves the install of 1,000 ground source heat pumps in social housing residences at 12 locations across Lancashire and South and West Yorkshire. Displacing night storage heaters with a Kensa Shoebox ground source heat pumps fitted inside maisonettes, houses and flats, with each of the heat pumps connected to shared ground loop arrays, where two or more properties share a borehole.

Kensa's retrofit work with Together Housing will save tenants on average 45% in heating costs, making a substantial impact on fuel poverty and carbon reduction targets.

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Using current SAP methodology, the lifetime carbon savings of the project have been calculated as upwards of 44,858tCO2. As the grid further decarbonises with the increased levels of renewable capacity, the carbon impact of the heating will be further reduced.

Kensa's innovative shared ground loop array method allows residents independent heating control and the freedom to switch energy suppliers, whilst also creating access to the Government's Non Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which will allow Together Housing to fully recover their capital costs and create a regular income stream for 20 years to potentially fund further property improvement measures in the future.

Together Housing resident June Wilson said: "The heating system is amazing. Before it was difficult to heat up more than one room, but now I don't have to worry about that."

David Broom, Commercial Director of Kensa Contracting, also said: "Kensa Contracting has pioneered the use of ground source heat pumps in social housing, developing the capability to deliver increasingly ambitious market-leading projects; this project is the largest of its kind delivered to date. This scheme has been a true partnership of client and contractor working to achieve a shared goal of decarbonisation, reducing fuel poverty and providing affordable comfortable homes, through the adoption of British-manufactured renewable technology."

Patrick Berry, Managing Director of Together Energy, added: "It is great for this project to be acknowledged for this award because the impact of it has been fantastic for residents' day to day lives as well as the environment."

"With 14% of the UK's greenhouse gases coming from households, it is great to be leading on a project which shows that it is possible to reduce existing homes' carbon footprint."

Winners of H&V News Awards will be announced on 30 April 2020.

(MH/CM)