Project connects village heat pump to novel heat network

A Cornish village has connected its first ground source heat pump (GSHP) to an ambient heat network, which is believed to be the world’s first shared ground array retrofit in a public highway.

The project aims to replace carbon-intensive oil or LPG fossil fuels with ground source heat pumps to meet 100% of the property’s heating and hot water demand. Homeowners pay a monthly fee to access the heat network, similar to the gas connection fee.

The in-road ground source heat pump network, also known as Networked Heat Pumps, in Collins Parc, Stithians, will consist of 42 boreholes, drilled to an average depth of 106m. The infrastructure emulates the existing gas grid and has been designed to accommodate future connections, allowing households not ready to change their heating system to connect at a later date.

Unlike traditional district heating, there is no need for a central plant, no heat loss around the network, and customers can still change their energy provider at will, promoting energy independence.

Wouter Thijssen, MD of Kensa Utilities, comments: “It’s fantastic to have the first heat pump up and running on this landmark project which provides a blueprint for the decarbonisation of heating in the UK. Our model replicates the gas network with a pipe in the ground, a flat rate standing charge to consumers and a little white box in the house.

“Just as Burton Upon Trent was the first UK town to convert to natural gas in 1968 – at the time a cheaper, better, cleaner fuel than towns gas – we believe Stithians is the first UK town to convert to the 21st-century equivalent: networked heat pumps. Residents will have access to a network that will provide cheaper and cleaner heat for 100 years to come.”

The pioneering project, Heat the Streets, is run by Kensa Utilities and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and represents a significant investment in the future of sustainable energy.