E.ON’s Sustainable Energy business has commenced work on a low-carbon heating system at a site in Ceredigion, Wales, which does not have access to mains gas.
In partnership with Tai Ceredigion Housing Association, the E.ON Sustainable Energy project expects to save local residents almost £4,000 per year in total. The initiative should also result in annual carbon savings of more than 67 tonnes, which is more or less the same as removing 35 cars from the roads.
Instead of installing traditional gas central heating boilers, engineers working on the project will fit models that integrate with ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) in each of the 41 domestic properties. The first installations are expected to be finished before the end of this month.
To further improve carbon savings, E.ON Sustainable Energy will install solar photovoltaic panels on the properties, which are designed to produce electricity for the homes. Whilst beneficial to the environment, GSHPs and solar panels offer substantial financial savings for residents. Prior to the Tai Ceredigion project, E.ON Sustainable Energy installed solar hot water systems in 15 homes in Pntrhydygroes.
Head of microgeneration at E.ON’s Sustainable Energy business, Thomas Buss, said: “As these properties are off mains gas, the majority are inefficient to heat and residents are currently relying on either coal fires or old storage heaters to stay warm. This new system will bring them more affordable and sustainable energy, bringing carbon emissions down by over half and, importantly for residents, saving around a third on annual energy bills.”
Director of property services at Tai Ceredigion, Llyr Edwards, added: “Our objective as the local not-for-profit housing association is to bring all of the 2,229 properties in Ceredigion up to the Welsh Quality Housing Standard. This low carbon heating project is a key part of a £40m investment programme in the region and will bring much needed improvement to tenants’ homes, as well as giving a boost to the economic future of communities within Ceredigion.”
Households in various parts of the UK can avail of GSHPs, which extract heat from the ground to provide central heating and hot water throughout the home. Coupled with solar electricity, GSHPs offer significant financial and environmental savings.
