Homegrown Ground Source Heating on show for Cornwall MP

TRURO, CORNWALL / AGILITYPR.NEWS / February 08, 2024 / Cornish MP, Cherilyn Mackrory, was on hand to see how Truro-based Ground Source Heat Pump manufacturer and contractor, The Kensa Group, is deploying Networked Heat Pumps to provide 140 new homes in Quintrell Downs, Newquay, with low-cost, energy-efficient heating.

The Member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth joined Kensa CEO, Tamsin Lishman, for a close-up tour and demonstration of the renewable heating system being installed, which will save residents hundreds of pounds in annual heating costs.  

Each modern home will have its own Kensa ground source heat pump connected to a Shared Ambient Heat Network, giving residents access to an effective, year-round clean heating system.

This significant project comes as Kensa, Britain’s leader in ground source heat pump technology, plans to deliver 70,000 heat pumps nationwide by 2030, a move that will create over 7,000 green jobs and help bring people out of fuel poverty. 

Tamsin Lishman, CEO of The Kensa Group, said:

“I was delighted to show Cherilyn how Kensa’s ground source heat pumps will supply new homes with low-cost, energy-efficient, low-carbon heating. 

“What we’re doing here at Quintrell Rise is a great example of how Networked Heat Pumps are a perfect green heating solution for new housing developments, benefiting both consumers and the environment.

“This model can be deployed at scale for new build developments across the country, and can even be replicated for complex-to-decarbonise properties like retrofit high-rise flats or terraced streets.” 

Mark England, Head of Innovation, Sustainability and Procurement at Coastline Housing, said:

“Renewable heating schemes such as this are a fantastic addition to any new housing development. It means reduced costs for customers moving forward with their energy bills and it’s also much more environmentally friendly so it’s really a win-win.”

By having a ground source heat pump connected to the shared network, each home at Quintrell Rise will experience reliable heating with low running costs. Homes with ground source heat pumps also produce around 80% less CO₂ than if they were supplied by gas. 

Key development stats:

• Estimated annual cost for each home to power their heat pump is between £211 - £388 per year, depending on property size - significantly lower than if the properties were heated by electric panel heaters*
• 140 Kensa Shoebox heat pumps to be installed
• 58 boreholes across the development

This latest development follows other energy-saving projects completed by the Cornish company, including the ground-breaking Heat the Streets project in Stithians, the retrofit of 273 high-rise flats in Thurrock and the installation at Trelissick House, an 18th-century National Trust property in Truro. 

With the Future Homes Standard set to effectively ban installations of gas boilers in new build homes from 2025, ground source heat pumps are expected to be an essential solution for the Government to meet its target of 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028.

ENDS

Notes to editors: 

• Ground source heat pumps extract renewable solar energy stored in the ground or water, compress it to a higher temperature and then transfer it to a property’s heating and hot water system. 
• Due to its heat source coming from beneath the ground, ground source heat pumps are discreet, invisible from the outside, and can be small enough to fit in an airing cupboard. 
• Kensa projects have delivered energy security, reduced energy bills, cut carbon emissions and helped bring people out of fuel poverty.
• Kensa is set to unveil the next generation of ground source heating on 29th February. More information on this is available online. 
• Information on how a Kensa Ground Source Heat Pump works can be found online.
• Shared ground loop arrays mimic the traditional gas framework to supply multiple properties with a clean heating source. 
• The Kensa Group is partly owned by Legal & General Capital, part of Legal & General PLC, and Octopus Energy.
• Kensa’s Heat the Streets project demonstrated a sustainable pathway to net zero for UK housing. 
• Coastline Housing is delivering a mixed tenure scheme in the heart of Quintrell Downs, including rented properties, rent to buy, shared ownership, open market, and older persons' accommodation. The homes are being delivered in partnership with Classic Builders, with all 140 homes due to be occupied by the end of 2024. The majority of the homes come with a local connection requirement, providing housing for those in need from the surrounding area.
• *Kensa's produced estimates show homes at Quintrell Rise with a Kensa Ground Source Heat Pump would have an annual heating cost between £211.58 and £387.83, depending on the property size. If those properties had electric panel heaters installed instead their estimated annual heating cost would be between £570.55 and £1037.42, depending on property size.

About The Kensa Group

Established in 1999, privately owned, and headquartered in Truro, Cornwall, the Kensa Group is a fast-growing collection of award-winning British businesses involved in the manufacture and installation of ground source heat pumps and the ownership of associated underground infrastructure.

• Kensa Heat Pumps remains the UK’s only manufacturer of ground source heat pumps and is an established market leader according to BSRIA annual reports.
• Kensa Contracting is a ground source heat pump delivery partner and contractor that focuses on larger-scale new build, and social housing retrofit and non-domestic programmes. It has pioneered Networked Heat Pump infrastructure that allows ground source heat pumps to be installed at scale and in multiple occupancy dwellings, including heating tower blocks with their ‘shoebox heat pump’ small enough to fit under a kitchen sink - connected to ‘shared ground arrays’.
• Kensa Utilities is an infrastructure asset company that funds owns and maintains shared ground loop arrays that serve heat pump installations. Through its funded offer Kensa Utilities provides these assets at zero upfront cost to the housebuilder or social landlord.