Geothermal power in North Lincolnshire, UK
Overview
In North Lincolnshire, UK, a community pavilion has become a shining example of how geothermal energy can power local facilities sustainably. The pavilion, owned by the town council, serves various groups, including three football teams, amongst other groups using four changing rooms, medical and officials’ room and a large community room. Those facilities benefit from geothermal energy - a local, renewable and available solution providing the community of Winterton's local sports and community club with energy. The installation supplied by Danfoss was carried out by Pure Renewables, a company with extensive experience manufacturing heat pump systems for diverse building types and specified by architects Palmleaf Design Ltd. Located below the football pitches, most people do not even realise the geothermal heat pumps have been installed. Still, at a special event, the installation was demonstrated to local residents and businesses to showcase its benefits for domestic and commercial applications.
Technical details:
The installation consists of two Danfoss DHP-R commercial ground source heat pumps, ideal for clients with greater requirements for space and water heating than average consumers. They have an output of 26kW supplying space heating to the 576 square meter pavilion. There is a 2 km ground loop supplying energy in a horizontal configuration. The heat is transported via an underfloor heating system and stored in a 1000 litre hot water tank, which provides hot water for up to 16 showers. The system only requires 30,000 kW of energy to generate 105,000 kWh needed per year, making it more than 300% efficient.
Timeline:
For the installation, a strict timeline had to be followed: a maximum duration of 6 months. Working with the main building contractor and other sub-contractors, Pure Renewables started the work in January 2023 and completed the pavilion on July 7th, 2013, after 26 weeks.
Costs:
The project is expected to save up to 50% heating costs, namely £ 4,000 per year, thanks to the sustainable heating solutions. It also disconnects the community centre from price variations of the traditional energy market. The payback is estimated to be at 7 years. Furthermore, it allowed the town to attract valuable funding, such as the Renewable Heat Incentive payment of £ 5,000 a year for 20 years. Additionally, it reduces the carbon footprint, offering the community a tangible example of an alternative energy solution.
Summary:
Commissioned: July 2013
System used: Two 26kW Danfoss DHP-Robust commercial ground source heat pumps.
Electricity generated: 105,000 kWh per year (input: 30,000 kW)
CO2 saving: Against mains gas expected to save 193 tonnes of CO2/annum.
Energy cost saving: Estimated at £4,000 a year compared to oil.