Pioneering systems that take the natural heat from the ground to warm homes have been installed at two Adur retirement homes as part of the Council's ongoing plans to reduce its carbon footprint.
Ground source heat pumps have successfully been installed at Shadwells Court in Lancing, and Tollbridge House in Shoreham. The new pumps replace gas boilers which were both more than 40 years old. They will improve safety, reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality at the retirement accommodation.
It is estimated that the heat pumps will reduce carbon emissions by 125 tonnes per year. And as well as keeping fuel bills down, they are more controllable than the previous heating system.
Whilst not all properties are suited to this kind of heat source, they are widely seen as a useful way of ending our dependence on gas heating. Adur Homes, Adur District Council's local authority council housing service, is committed to reducing its emissions, and Adur and Worthing Councils have pledged to be carbon neutral for the emissions they control by 2030.
Councillor Carson Albury, Adur Cabinet Member for Adur Homes and Customer Services, said:
“This is the gold standard for heating systems. As well as being better for the environment, residents will get more control over their heating. It's good value for money too, not just for the Council, but for the people who live here. It shows that we are committed to making sure our existing housing stock is as energy efficient as it can be.”
Ground source heat pumps work by absorbing warmth from the ground into pipes which contain a mixture of water and antifreeze, which then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump.
More than 70 residents are benefitting from the new system, in which each property gets its own heat pump, connected to a communal ground loop. This system reduces heat loss and enables independent heat control and billing for each household. New solar panels were also installed.
The project received funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, and Kensa Construction carried out the works, which started in Autumn 2021.
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