Renewable Energy Installer December/January 2014 | Page 43

Energy secretary Ed Davey has officially switched on a cutting edge heat
pump system powering an eco-friendly housing development in London from
the River Thames
The £70m mixed used development includes 56 affordable homes
called Kingston Heights, 81 luxury apartments and a 142 bedroom
hotel on the site of a former power station in Kingston upon
Thames.
Just 200 metres from the river bank, its 2.3MW community
heating system draws up to 13 million litres of water each day
through high efficiency heat exchangers. The low grade heat is
carried to a plant room in the building via a closed loop where 41
Mitsubishi Ecodan heat pumps deliver it as usable heat to meet all
heating and hot water demands in the complex.
Once the heat has been harvested, water is fed back into the
river untreated, thus protecting aquatic ecosystems.
Project developers NHP Leisure Developments believe the
system will save approximately 500 tonnes of carbon emissions per
year and reduce heating bills by 18 percent compared to installing
gas boilers in each apartment.  
“At two metres below the surface the water never falls below 7°C,
even in winter, so we can be certain that it can provide enough energy
to heat the apartments,” said Mike Spenser-Morris, managing director
of NHP Leisure Developments.
“If we had fitted gas boilers, then the site would be dumping
around 500 additional tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere each
year. In addition, because of this system’s exceptional energy
efficiency, the equivalent heating cost for a couple living in a one
bedroom apartment would be 18 percent more. For an average
home, this would mean hundreds of pounds extra.”
Energy secretary and MP for Kingston & Surbiton Ed Davey
paid a visit to the site to switch on the heat pump system in
October. He believes the scheme will pave the way for other
innovative heat pump systems which tap into the heating potential
of open water sources.
Reaching new heights
Forward thinking: Energy secretary Ed Davey inspects the plant room
of Kingston’s new 2.3MW community water source heat pump system
“I am interested in lowering people’s gas and electricity bills
and carbon emissions. This is how Kingston Heights fits into the
bigger picture,” he said.
“Kingston Heights is so important because the lessons that
have been learned here are applicable elsewhere and are lessons
the government needs to learn.
“I am also excited by what the team has achieved here
because it has put Kingston on the map for a leading technology.
Water source heat pumps need to be in the centre of our thinking.
Many of our towns are built next to rivers and the potential for this
technology to tackle climate change is huge.”
At a glance
2.3MW total output
13 million litres of water per day
from River Thames
500 tonnes annual carbon saving
7°C minimum temperature of river
41 Mitsubishi Ecodan heat pumps
18 percent reduction to heating bills
Liquid gold: Up to 13 million litres of water are drawn from the River
Thames each day through high efficiency heat exchangers
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