Winterton Community Pavilion – Renewable Energy System

A time-critical air source heat pump installation for the town's community space.

When a community in North Lincolnshire redeveloped its sports pavilion, it decided to take advantage of Government incentives for renewable energy systems by installing a ground source heat pump and underfloor heating.

Winterton Community Pavilion is owned by the town council and is home to three football teams and other community groups. The facilities include four changing rooms, medical room, officials’ room and a large community hall.

The installation had to be completed to a strict deadline to ensure the playing fields were ready for the start of the football season.

The pavilion was officially opened by former England manager Graham Taylor, whose presence helped to publicise the benefits of renewable energy in the region.

Technology

In order to provide a sustainable means of heating the large pavilion, we used two Danfoss DHP-Robust commercial ground source heat pumps.

The heat pumps have an output of 26kW each and supply space heating to the 576 square-metre sports pavilion via an underfloor heating system, as well as supplying a 1,000 litre hot water tank for 16 showers.

Underneath the football pitches, there is 2km of ground loop, to transfer heat from the ground to the pavilion.

The system is configured to be more than 300 per cent efficient, so it only requires 30,000 kW of energy to generate 105,000 kW hours needed each year.

The DHP-R was part of a new range of commercial ground source heat pumps launched by Danfoss to meet the needs of clients with a larger than average requirement for space and water heating.

The DHP-R is available with a heating capacity of 21kW – 42kW, and uses an innovative climatic control system to respond to outdoor conditions in order to provide a constant room temperature.

Installation

We worked alongside the main building contractor and other sub-contractors to deliver the new pavilion in six months.

The installation of the ground loop meant the football pitches had to be dug up and reinstated in time for the football season.

Work started in January 2013 and the pavilion was fully commissioned 26 weeks later on July 7th. We were on site from the beginning of March. The pavilion was officially opened by Graham Taylor on 21st October 2013.

This was a complex project and one of the challenges we faced was successfully integrating the heating and hot water systems.

The reliability of the hot water system was crucial – it had to be capable of delivering 16 showers at once and reheat quickly to deal with the large volumes of water required by a sports club. The temperature of the water also needed to be carefully managed.

The whole system is configured to MCS standards. We also had to meet strict health and safety regulations and comply with stringent legionella regulations.

Return On Investment

The payback is estimated at 7 years.

The playing field association will save approximately ÂŁ4,000 a year on their energy bill compared to oil.

In addition, the playing fields association are eligible for a Renewable Heat Incentive payment of around ÂŁ5,000 a year for 20 years, meaning the local town council no longer has to provide an annual grant to help pay for the upkeep of the playing fields and the pavilion.

At a glance

Client: Winterton Community Pavilion

Commissioned: July 2013

Renewable technology: Ground source heat pump and underfloor heating.

System used: Two 26kW Danfoss DHP-Robust commercial ground source heat pumps.

CO2 saving: Against mains gas expected to save 193 tonnes of CO2/annum.

Energy cost saving: Estimated at ÂŁ4,000 a year compared to oil.

RHI payments: A project of this size would generate payments of around ÂŁ5,000 a year for 20 years, index-linked to inflation.

Payback period: Estimated 7-8 years (combining RHI income & fuel cost saving).

Client Q&A

Councillor Don Johnson, Chairman of Winterton Community Pavilion.

Why did you decide to invest in renewable energy?

That’s very simple – we wanted to take advantage of the Government grants for using renewable sources of energy. We opted for ground source heating because once the pipes are laid that’s it – there are no more interruptions. It’s a very convenient way of getting a cheap source of energy.

Why did you choose Pure Renewables?

If we had any questions, Chris and his team had the answers ready for us. They presented a brilliant case. They were up against two or three very good companies but they went the extra mile to get the contract and we have been very pleased with them.

What do you think of the service you received from Pure Renewables?

We have nothing but praise for Pure Renewables. Chris and the rest of his team were absolutely brilliant. You just had to mention anything to them and it was done. We were really impressed with the way they carried out their work.

Did it go smoothly?

We had a very good site manager who co-ordinated everything. Pure Renewables fitted into the work schedule, were there on time, delivered on time and worked well with them. As a sub-contractor, they fitted in really well with the major contractor.

Has it been a good investment?

We are absolutely thrilled with the way it’s working. It was designed so that areas like the cloakroom could have a reduced temperature but the community room can have the heating up to comfortable levels. The heating is controlled on room thermostats so it’s easy and convenient.

The system should pay for itself in seven or eight years and we should get free heating and hot water for the next 20 years. This is a very eco-friendly way of running a building.

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