A HUGE housing development in the Hampshire countryside is set to boast the UK's largest water-source heating and cooling system.
The low-carbon energy network will serve 15,000 people living in the 6,000 homes due to be built north of the M27 near Fareham.
The "first-of-its-kind" technology will use water from an underground reservoir to heat and cool homes and businesses at Welborne Garden Village.
Once complete the network has the potential to save more than 272,000 tonnes of carbon in the first 25 years, compared with gas boilers.
It will also be cheaper for customers, shaving £160 off the annual energy bill for an average three-bedroom house, compared with air-source heat pumps.
READ MORE: A32 Wickham Road works begins for Welborne housing scheme
Buckland - the main developer - has worked with Portsmouth Water and Last Mile, an independent utility infrastructure owner and operator.
Designed and built by Rendesco, the equipment will draw water from the Hoads Hill reservoir. The higher average temperature of the water will make it significantly more efficient than air-source heat pumps.
The network will provide cooling in the warmer months by reversing the process and expelling heat back into the reservoir, making it climate change resilient.
It will also allow heat to be moved between homes and businesses. When one property is cooling, heat will be supplied to other buildings in the network and used for central heating or hot water.
READ MORE: Welborne Garden Village design codes given green light
Mark Thistlethwayte, chairman of the Buckland Group, said: “Welborne is a new generation sustainable garden village, so our residents and businesses will rightly expect their buildings to be energy efficient and climate-change resilient.
"We are delivering the largest water-source heating and cooling network in the UK, which will cut carbon emissions and reduce people’s energy bills.
Alastair Murray, director at Last Mile Heat, described the scheme as a "template" for future housing developments.
Bob Taylor, Portsmouth Water's CEO, added: "We're incredibly excited to be a partner in this 'first-of-its-kind' initiative in the UK.
"The water that supplies our reservoir comes from an underground aquifer that has the capacity to supply natural energy to the low-carbon heat network serving the development. Longer term, the design principles here are a blueprint for future environmentally-led developments across the UK."
As reported in the Daily Echo, Welborne Garden Village will be built on 1,000 acres of farmland between Fareham and Wickham.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel