Procure Plus has congratulated Together Housing, whose Together Housing Multi-regional Shared Loop Ground Source Heat Pump Project has just won the Heat Pump City of the Year (HPCY) Award.
The housing association’s Shared Loop Ground Source Heat Pump Project fought off stiff competition from 110 cities across 27 countries around the world to be crowned Heat Pump City of the Year.
The project, which has also been shortlisted for Renewable Project of the Year at the Heating and Ventilation News Awards, is estimated to have saved households up to 45% on their heating and hot water bills, as well as reducing the carbon footprint of Together Housing’s homes.
The Heat Pump City of the Year (HPCY) Award is an EHPA project which recognises the most efficient, smart, and sustainable Heat Pump project at local level.
Tackling fuel poverty & climate change
Procure Plus says it recognised early on the important role that GSHP (Ground Source Heat Pumps) and shared loop installs would play in helping landlords address fuel poverty and climate change across their stock.
Procure Plus says that’s why it was the first framework management company to procure a social-housing-focused suite of GSHP frameworks.
After supporting Together Housing Group to use the framework to successfully deliver a small pilot project of 120 units to test the solution, the consortium was asked to help develop a procurement approach that allowed them to have ultimate control and visibility over the products used and the installation standards required.
Procure Plus was able to run a procurement to identify which heat pump manufacturers were to be specified across a wide range or properties using a stringent performance-based specification and evaluation process.
The process tested not only performance of the product and physical size of units, but also the ongoing support available from manufacturers to Together Housing Group’s yet-to-be appointed installation contractor, in-house maintenance teams, ‘help desk’ staff, as well as tenants on using the new heating systems.
Kensa Contracting was appointed on the back of this process.
Together Housing Group worked with Kensa Contracting Ltd to install ground source heat pumps in place of electric storage heaters in 1,000 flats at 12 locations across South and West Yorkshire.
The shared ground loop collects heat from underground bore holes and distributes it to the individual heat pumps in each property
Patrick Berry, MD of Together Energy Services, said: “We are delighted to receive this award from the European Heat Pump Association.
“This has been Together Housing’s first major commitment to heat pump technology and it will make a great difference to our tenants’ carbon impact.
“The project paves the way for a much wider application of heat pumps as we move away from fossil fuels in our properties.”
David Kemp, head of Sustainability and Growth at Procure Plus, said: “Together Housing Multi-Regional Shared Loop GSHP Project is the largest social housing heat pump installation programme in the UK.
“Once finished, the scheme will benefit up to 1,500 households across several counties in the North of England, and so far 473 properties have been completed – with 510 more to complete this year.
“The project is fighting two important battles at once: addressing fuel poverty and climate change by using shared loop ground source heat pump technology to provide more efficient and reliable heating which reduces energy consumption, residents’ bills, and carbon emissions.”
Procure Plus is a Housing Digital Stakeholder and a social housing regeneration consortium that generates efficiencies by leveraging the procurement of construction materials and contractors.
Procure Plus also works with housing providers to reinvest a proportion of the savings made by the consortium back into the community, helping to create local jobs and encourage regeneration.
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