Social Housing Pilot Trials Retrofit Ground Source Heat Pump

PLUS DANE is trialling a ground source heat pump as part of a £2m retrofit upgrade to improve energy efficiency and decarbonise its housing stock.

In its first major retrofit project, two apartment complexes that are among its least energy efficient homes were identified by the housing association to trial the retrofit pilot scheme.

The work at Norwood Court and Gordon Court in Greasby, Wirral has involved boring two 140m holes underground to install a ground source heat pump, to provide heating and hot water to more than 40 flats.

In addition, the blocks’ communal areas are being refurbished, as well as external insulation being installed on the complex’s three buildings in a white render.

Cavity insulation, new windows and new patio doors in some ground floor flats are among the other retrofit works to improve energy efficiency.

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

The work has been funded by Plus Dane and a grant secured by Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority from the first wave of the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

Mayor Rotheram is ramping up his retrofit programme after securing a further £42m from central government, taking the region’s total retrofit fund to £105m. It will be used to help 10,000 low-income homes to save money on their energy bills.

The ground source pump works by absorbing natural heat from the ground and transferring it into buildings to provide heating and hot water in a low-carbon, energy efficient way. This is the first time Plus Dane has undertaken a retrofitting project of this size and represents a new way of working as part of its commitment to sustainability and aim to meet the housing sector’s net zero targets.

Work began in November 2022 and is scheduled for completion in mid-April. Despite the building work, customers have been able to remain in their homes throughout.

Barry Callow, director of repairs at Plus Dane, said: “We identified Norwood Court and Gordon Court as some of our poorest performing homes with regards to energy efficiency, so they were ideal for undertaking this pilot scheme. Storage heaters are not only inefficient but expensive for customers to run, and we are delighted to have been able to offer a sustainable alternative in the form of a ground source heat pump.

“Sustainability is a massive priority for the housing sector, and we are pleased that is also the first major project that sees us moving away from gas central heating to offer low carbon technology in our homes going forward.”

Plus Dane is working with designers and retrofit specialists Constructive Thinking and contractors SBS on the project.

Plus Dane rents more than 13,500 homes to tenants across Merseyside and Cheshire.

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