HEATING INNOVA AT TING IN
VATION AT
A GAME CHANGER IN NEW T
he 2018 Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) R egulations included an important refinement for ground source heat pumps (GSHPs). Along with clarification regarding split ownership arrangements, non-domestic RHI quarterly
payments for residential properties linked to shared ground loop arrays are now based upon the deemed heat consumption taken from the EPC.
Previously, RHI payments were based upon the metered heat consumption at each dwelling served by the shared ground loop, forcing system owners to install heat meters and engage in an onerous quarterly claims process. With no certainty on the level of RHI income, sy stem owners could only estimate the amount of heat consumed at each property, an estimate impacted by occupant behaviour, a factor beyond their control.
This significant change in the nature of the RHI support for GSHPs provides certainty of income. Now, owners of as few as two ‘clustered’ properties can invest with confidence in GSHPs connected by shared ground loops, knowing the level of income they will receive via the RHI, and without metering. Kensa has pioneered the use of shared ground loops in the UK. Its model features individual ground source heat pumps installed inside each dwelling linked to a shared ground loop. This system
architecture qualifies as district heating and so both retrofit and new build installations are eligible for
www.heatingandventilating.net WBUILD H AT HEATING
householders who have no opportunity to select an alternative heat supplier. By contrast, in K ensa’s recommended model where a ground source heat pump is inside each property, heat is only generated close to the point of use, so the fluid circulating around the distribution pipework is at ambient temperature, reducing the installation cost and energy bills. Most importantly, particularly in private ownership or rented models, each dwelling can source electricity from its own preferred energy company, switching as required.
support via the non-domestic RHI. The pursuit of subsidy support should never be allowed to trump the technical elegance of any solution so it is helpful that there are further motivations supporting the use of GSHPs and shared ground loop arrays. Firstly, the Government’s ambition for the
widespread electrification of heat is driving policy to deliver lower carbon developments, and with further decarbonisation of the grid electrically delivered heat is widely regarded as the future of heating. With proposed reductions in the carbon intensity figures used within SAP,P, the specification of GSHPs will simplify compliance with building regulations. Secondly, conventional district heating systems featuring large central plant require costly insulated pipes to protect the heat as it is circulated away from the source, imposing high bills on
Emerging financing models as a result of certainty of income and split ownership are encouraging adoption of shared ground loop arrays in priv ate housing. The Kensa Group has recently announced its own funding and delivery package for ground arrays for large scale new build developments. In these applications, funders own and maintain the ground array in the same way that the gas infrastructure is owned by entities quite distinct from the householder.
Simon Lomax, managing director of Kensa Heat Pumps, said: “Ground source heat pumps are a strategic technology for the Government if it is to meet its carbon emission reduction targets and the available support reflects the desire to increase deployment in the new build sector. It is now possible to have the very best heating system at the very lowest cost, a true ‘game-changer’ .”
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