CASE STUDY Wyndford Estate

CHP ENERGY CENTRE AND DISTRICT HEATING

PROJECT SUMMARY:

CLIENT OVERVIEW Cube Housing Association PROJECT Vital Energi is helping to reduce fuel in a new Energy Centre at the edge CHP, District Heating poverty in with its involvement of the estate, and a network of highly in an innovative multi-million pound insulated district heating pipes all of TIMESCALE: January 2012 - December scheme to provide low-cost, energy which are being designed, supplied 2012 efficient heating and hot water to and installed by Blackburn and up to 1900 tenants of Cube Housing London-based sustainable energy CONTRACT VALUE: £14.5 million Association on the Wyndford Estate specialist, Vital Energi. The work is in the District of . due for completion by the end of 2012. In partnership with Scottish The Wyndford scheme is jointly and Southern Energy (SSE), Vital funded by Scottish and Southern Energi is responsible for the detailed Energy (SSE) and Scottish Gas. Scottish THE BENEFITS: design and delivery of a new Gas is providing funding via the community energy system – one Community Energy Saving Programme > This is an exemplar of the largest of its kind in the UK. (CESP). CESP funding is provided retro-fit low carbon At the heart of the £27 million by energy suppliers and electricity scheme Wyndford scheme is a Combined Heat generators to areas of low income in > The scheme will save and Power (CHP) engine, three gas order to improve energy efficiency 7,000 tonnes of boilers and a thermal store, housed standards and reduce fuel bills. carbon emissions each year CHALLENGE > The metering solution will help residents reduce their energy Cube Housing Association has The homes included in the scheme are consumption stated that the key aims of the all currently heated by electric storage retro-fit low carbon energy scheme at heaters which are less energy efficient > Central heating in each home is controllable Wyndford are to reduce fuel poverty and more costly than the new system by the occupants, who and ensure that its housing stock being installed. The district heating and pay for the heat they meets the decent homes standard. An CHP plant has been designed to deliver use estimated 658,000 households were low carbon energy in a cost effective in fuel poverty in Scotland in 2010. manner to help alleviate fuel poverty.

VITALOFFICES | LONDON | BLACKBURN | GLASGOW www.vitalenergi.co.uk The energy centre is installed with a 1200kW CHP engine, 120,000 litre thermal store, 3x 4.5MW Boilers and 2.7km of pre-insulated pipework. As well as this, 1900 homes at Wyndford Estate are supplied with HIU units.

Vital Energi provided a well-designed new community energy system using a state-of-the-art Combined Heat & Power (CHP) engine, three large gas boilers and a thermal store, all housed in a new Energy Centre at the edge of the estate. There is no question that without Vital Energi’s help on this project it would not have been possible. The scheme had to be delivered to a very tight timescale in order to qualify for the grant. Vital Energi has been a joy to work with and all of the problems have been successfully overcome so that the scheme is on course for delivery within 10 months of it starting on-site

WILLIE CROFT, CUBE HOUSING ASSOCIATION

THE SOLUTION THE CONCLUSION:

Vital Energi and SSE were chosen On completion, around 2.7km of With the installation of Vital by Cube Housing Association for their underground pipes will distribute Energi’s new CHP Energy partnership approach and because hot water from the Energy Centre to Centre and district heating their proposal included individual pre- the individual buildings connected system, the Wyndford Estate payment meters in each property which to the district heating scheme. will soon be waving goodbye to poor quality electric heating, will help tenants control their energy The main district heating pipes huge bills and an enormous consumption and reduce their bills. are constructed from steel and carbon footprint. Vital Energi, in partnership with SSE, include an alarm leak-detection assisted Cube Housing Association system. They are highly insulated REDUCED CO2 from the start of the project providing with a very low thermal loss over EMISSIONS BY operations appraisal and business case long distances ensuring minimal advice on revenues available from sales heat is wasted. Mild steel riser and and funding or incentive initiatives. lateral pipework connects the district At the core of the pioneering Wyndford heating mains to individual properties. 7,000 scheme is Vital Energi’s bespoke Heat is transferred from the incoming TONNES PA Energy Centre which comprises a 1200 district heating pipework, via riser and kW CHP engine and a thermal store lateral pipework into the individual The Wyndford scheme is playing a huge role in helping with a capacity of 120,000 litres. Three properties internal heating system via the city of Glasgow meet its 4500kW gas boilers provide back- a heat exchanger contained in a Vital ambitious 30 per cent carbon up and peak load heat requirements. Energi Hydraulic Interface Unit (HIU). reduction target. According The electricity generated by the CHP The hydraulic interface units provide to The Sustainable Glasgow engine will be exported to the local grid. instantaneous heat and hot water on report, district heating systems The CHP system takes away the need demand and mean the householder has will be crucial in ensuring the for each home to have an individual full control over their heating without city meets its targets. boiler making it an affordable and the need to have a boiler of their own. energy-efficient way of heating homes.

VITALOFFICES | LONDON | BLACKBURN | GLASGOW www.vitalenergi.co.uk