Kensa worked with Marshland Primary Academy in Moorends to replace its gas boilers with seven new ground source heat pumps.
The six-month project, partially funded by the government’s Condition Improvement Fund, also included fitting new radiators and 69 solar PVT panels. According to a statement, the upgrades are expected to boost the school’s energy efficiency, cut heating-related carbon emissions by close to 80%, and ensure classrooms stay warm and comfortable throughout the year for the benefit of staff and pupils alike.
The new ground source heat pumps use renewable energy stored in the earth to provide heating and hot water and are hidden inside two converted plant rooms, it added. To reach the underground energy, 18 boreholes were drilled beneath the school’s playing field, each to a depth of around 127m.
Solar PVT has been integrated into the school’s ground source heating system. The statement said that the technology generates both electricity and thermal energy, supercharging the heat pump’s efficiency and lowering installation and energy costs.
Kensa said this integration works by:
- Thermal heat energy captured by the PVT panels is removed and transferred to the heat pump system, improving its efficiency and reducing electricity use.
- Using this excess thermal energy in the heat pump system significantly reduces the number of boreholes needed, lowering the overall installation costs.
- Extracting the excess thermal heat from the panels increases the amount of electricity they can produce compared to ordinary solar PV panels. It’s projected they will generate 34 kW of electricity—the output of 10 typical homes with solar panels.
- Marshland Primary Academy is one of the first UK schools to embrace this energy-saving technology alongside a heat pump installation.
To meet the government’s goals of reducing public sector carbon emissions by 75% by 2037, the statement added that thousands of schools across the UK will need to follow Marshland Primary’s example, replacing their high-carbon-emitting heating systems and embracing more modern technologies.
This latest school ground source heat pump installation follows more than 15 others Kensa has completed in schools, including in South Wales and Northumberland, along with another in Doncaster at Richmond Hill Primary School.
Penny Marshall, acting principal at Marshland Primary Academy, said: “It has been an exciting journey watching and learning about the innovative ground source heating. Although the children had to sacrifice their field for the summer, they enjoyed watching the holes being bored and learning from Kensa staff how the system worked.
“Energy efficiency and helping the environment is a big focus at Marshland, so it is exciting to be able to know that we are playing a small part in a much bigger picture by using natural resources to heat our school. This winter has been a toasty one at Marshland!”
Wouter Thijssen, commercial director at Kensa, added: “We’re proud to have worked with Marshland Primary Academy to deliver a more sustainable and efficient heating system. Thanks to a mix of super-efficient ground source heat pumps and other energy efficiency upgrades, pupils and teachers will enjoy warm classrooms while slashing their carbon footprint.
“By opting for ground source heat pumps, boosted by solar PVT, the school has secured its long-term energy future, setting the benchmark for achieving sustainability in UK schools. Kensa’s mission is to deliver better heating, and this installation certainly lives up to that promise.”