Ground force
Marshland Primary Academy in Moorends, near Doncaster, part of Venn Academy Trust, has cut its carbon footprint after successfully installing a modern ground source heat pump system and other state-of-the-art energy efficiency measures.
Working with Kensa, the school has overhauled its old heating and hot water system and replacing the ageing gas boilers with seven new ground source heat pumps.
The six-month project, partially funded by the government’s Condition Improvement Fund, also included fitting new radiators and 69 solar photovoltaic thermal (PVT) panels, an emerging technology used in renewable heating installations. The upgrades are expected to boost the school’s energy efficiency, cut heating-related carbon emissions by close to 80%.
The newly installed ground source heat pumps use renewable energy stored in the earth to provide heating and hot water and are hidden inside two converted plant rooms. To reach the underground energy, 18 boreholes were drilled beneath the school’s playing field, each to a depth of around 127m.
Solar PVT has been integrated into the school’s ground source heating system, taking it beyond a standard ground source heat pump installation. The technology generates both electricity and thermal energy, supercharging the heat pump’s efficiency and lowering installation and energy costs.
