Stonewater named Regional Housing Association Landlord of the Year at the South West Regional Energy Efficiency & Healthy Homes Awards 2017 for excellence and best practice in delivering energy improvements on a housing project for vulnerable people in Poole, Dorset.
The social housing provider was recognised for its innovative, energy-saving solar thermal project at Stonewater’s Chaldon Road supported housing project in Poole, an eight-bedroom residence providing full-time care for people with significant learning disabilities.
Pictured above with the award are Scott Baxendale, Stonewater Executive Director – Assets and Sophie Tuffin, Stonewater Building Services Manager.
To be considered for the award, Stonewater had to demonstrate an energy-improvement initiative which benefited vulnerable residents and set the organisation apart from other social landlords in tackling housing issues such as fuel poverty.
The housing organisation’s winning scheme was a new solar thermal project at the Chaldon Road Project which uses free renewable energy from the sun to provide residents with hot water. The system is supported by a high-efficiency boiler which supplies hot water when solar energy is unavailable.
The new solar thermal system has reduced Chaldon Road’s energy bills and residents now have a reliable, high-performance heating system in the building that keeps them warm and comfortable when it’s cold outside. The new green, renewable energy system has also reduced the Project’s carbon dioxide emissions.
“We’re always looking at better, more efficient and environmentally responsible ways of keeping our residents’ heating bills as low as possible and reducing our carbon footprint. We’re therefore delighted that our solar scheme at Chaldon Road has been recognised as a best practice example of improving energy efficiency in social and supported housing,” says Sophie Tuffin, Stonewater Building Services Manager.
“Solar thermal is an energy-efficient, sustainable and renewable heating technology that’s delivering big savings benefits for our residents, Stonewater and the environment. It’s a high-performance and cost-effective heating solution that we will be looking for opportunities to install in other tenanted properties we manage.”
The National Energy Efficiency & Healthy Homes Awards were set up in 2015 to recognise work being carried out in the energy efficiency sector under the Green Deal scheme and the Energy Company Obligation Scheme.
