The UK’s largest installer and operator of last mile multi-utility networks, GTC, and leading manufacturer and installer of ground source heat pumps, The Kensa Group, have joined forces to deliver a low-cost renewable heating and cooling solution for tens of thousands of new build homes a year.
The resultant Networked Ground Source Heat Pump solution has been introduced by the partnership to offer a clean alternative to gas, which is planned to be banned in new build developments from next year under the Future Homes Standard, requiring all new homes to have low-carbon heating. The solution will provide home heating and hot water through a ground source heat pump installed in each property, connected to a shared network of hidden underground pipework, echoing other utility installations.
Negating grid concerns
Kensa’s compact ‘Shoebox’ heat pump will fit under the water cylinder inside the home, saving valuable space and eliminating the need for any external kit, alleviating any visual impact on the property. With developer concerns about site grid capacity, the partners highlight the ability of these ground source heat pumps to deliver up to five times the efficiency of gas and a 30% increased efficiency compared with an equivalent air source heat pump, meaning they require no extra electricity capacity. This also makes it a great solution for sites already ‘in build’ and moving from gas.
The GTC and Kensa partnership, the largest to be agreed between a utility infrastructure provider and a UK ground source heat pump manufacturer, will bring significant scale, funding, and technical skill to the deployment of networked ground source heat pumps for the new build market – delivering a complete end-to-end heating, hot water, and cooling solution for housebuilders.
Funded solution
Under the terms of the agreement, GTC will provide the funded solution to housing developers, along with the design, borehole drilling, and network installation, which can be implemented alongside the other utility networks as part of a one-stop shop.
Kensa, which has pioneered networked ground source heat pumps in the UK for more than a decade, will add its expertise in infrastructure and design capabilities and supply its highly efficient, UK-manufactured ground source heat pumps to fit each property.
By joining forces, GTC and Kensa say they “will help UK housebuilders and developers transition to a proven, sustainable, low-carbon heating solution in line with the planned phase-out of gas” and “offer home buyers a lower-carbon, more efficient alternative to individual air source heat pumps”.
The Networked Ground Source Heat Pump solution can also be used to heat and cool any non-domestic buildings within a development.
GTC Executive Chairman, Clive Linsdell, said: “A big challenge housebuilders face is additional grid capacity for low carbon technologies. This partnership brings an end-to-end heat, hot water, and cooling solution with the same power requirements as gas-heated homes. Our working with Kensa provides housebuilders and developers reassurance around the quality of installation and equipment, and homeowners 100% peace of mind in relation to its ongoing operation and maintenance.”
Kensa Group CEO, Tamsin Lishman said: “We are delighted to partner with GTC to bring this leading heating and cooling solution to the UK’s housebuilders. Using the heat from the ground beneath our feet, boosted by Kensa’s small and highly efficient ground source heat pumps, homeowners will enjoy comfort and warmth, at low costs.
“We’ve been delivering this proven solution at scale for over a decade, providing reliable home heating to thousands of UK homes, and by working with GTC, we look forward to delivering a successful transition to electrified heating.”
Image supplied by Phillips Profile on behalf of GTC