Shropshire Rural Housing Association has been awarded the title ‘Small Client of the Year’ for its pioneering work installing Kensa ground source heat pumps into both its new-build and existing properties on one estate; the first time in the UK.
The accolade was awarded by the National Housing Maintenance Forum, who ‘recognise success and ingenuity within the housing sector’. Judges commented: “Shropshire Rural Housing Association has shown how micro district ground source heat network systems can alleviate high heating bills and asset management costs in both existing and new-build social housing stock.”
Pictured above receiving the award are David Broom, Kensa Heat Pumps (Technical Sales Manager), Shaun Aldis, NHMF Committee Member (also Property Services Director at Wolverhampton Homes), and Ian Richardson, Shropshire Rural Housing Association (Chief Executive).
Shropshire Rural’s phased programme of works consisted of upgrading the heating in eight properties and installing new systems into eight new-build semi-detached houses and detached bungalows using Kensa’s micro ground source heat network system.
Each property had a Kensa Shoebox heat pump installed inside the home, which is connected to a communal ground array, qualifying the scheme as a district heating system and eligibility for the Non Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), whilst providing the tenants with independent heating and control and typically 50% reduced heating bills.
Ian Richardson, Shropshire Rural Housing Association Chief Executive, says: “The delivery of affordable warmth is important to Shropshire Rural. Given that the majority of our housing stock doesn’t have access to mains gas, Kensa’s micro district ground source heat pump solution is proving to be very helpful.
“We now have more than a third of our homes getting their heating and domestic hot water in this way; whether through retrofitting or by incorporating the ground source heat pump into new homes. Tenant satisfaction with the heat pump solution has been high and the support and assistance we have received from Kensa has been first class.”
Simon Lomax, Managing Director at Kensa Heat Pumps comments: “This award is a fitting tribute to Shropshire Rural, which has recognised our micro-district approach can deliver ground source heat pumps into the social housing sector at a very affordable cost so tenants can benefit from the lowest cost and lowest carbon heat. In doing so, Shropshire Rural Housing Association has invested in an infrastructure that will provide these rural homes with free energy for the next 100 years.”
A video documenting the project can be viewed here: www.kensaheatpumps.com/video/case-study-shropshire-rural-housing-association/
