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Penwith Housing Association helping the climate, helping tenants....Why they are doing things to help the climate.... Penwith Housing Association manages over 6,000 rented homes across Cornwall. As an organisation they are committed to minimising any environmental damage that may arise in consequence of its activities, whilst ensuring that they provide their tenants with clean, efficient and effective means with which to heat their homes. They recognise that as a housing provider their properties are responsible for the production of carbon dioxide emissions that drive climate change and they want to ensure that they limit these emissions whenever possible. By doing so they are helping to tackle climate change in Cornwall. What they are doing.... Penwith Housing Association implemented an energy and environmental policy in 1995, the cornerstone of which is to provide an energy efficient housing stock. This is achieved by ensuring their properties have effective insulation and efficient heating systems. In terms of insulation they have taken steps Penwith Housing Association has also been very innovative in their approach to providing affordable heating. They were the first social housing provider in the UK to install ground source heat pumps into some of their properties – both in new build and by retro-fitting into existing properties. These systems provide affordable heating with much lower carbon emissions, compared to conventional heating options. So far they have managed to reduce the carbon footprint of their properties by a third. Why it’s important….. Reducing the amount of energy used in the home is one of the simplest ways to help the climate. Most of the energy used in homes for heating, lighting and appliances comes from burning fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that causes climate change. In the UK, 27 percent of the carbon dioxide we produce comes from the energy we use in our homes. By installing insulation and draft proofing it is possible to dramatically reduce the amount of heating needed in a property. The Energy Saving Trust says that nearly £5 billion is wasted on energy in the UK every year. This is enough to give every man, woman and child £84 a year. By installing insulation in their properties, Penwith Housing Association are ensuring that they reduce the amount of carbon dioxide their properties are responsible for, helping to avoid the risk of future climate change. These steps also bring wider benefits as their tenants live in properties that are more comfortable, more healthy and cheaper to heat. They also reduce housing management costs and eliminate condensation damage to the fabric of its dwellings. Ground source heat pumps work by Just below the surface, the average ground temperature in the UK is between 8ºC and 13ºC and this remains constant throughout the year. In the system used at Ludgvan, water is circulated through pipes buried vertically in the ground. The water temperature in the pipes is lower than the surrounding ground and so it warms up slightly as is passes through the pipes. This low-grade heat is then transferred to a heat pump, which is a bit like a fridge running in reverse, but instead of cooling it extracts the heat in the water. Heat pumps work by compressing a refrigerant to extract heat from the water and this compression leads to an increase of temperature as high as 55 ºC. For every unit of electricity used by the heat pump, 3-4 units of heat are produced and this results in a 40 to 60% reduction in overall carbon dioxide emissions, compared to conventional fossil fuel heating systems. Further information.... Find out more about climate change and how carbon dioxide is causing this from our understanding climate change pages. To find out more about Penwith Housing Association visit their website. For a case study of the Ludgvan installation of ground source heat pumps click here. Cornwall leads the UK and much of the world in the design and installation of heat pumps. For more detailed information on how they work, and case studies, visit Cornwall’s Earth Energy website. For a basic overview of how they work, visit the low carbon buildings programme, you can also find out how to get funding towards the installation of ground source heat pumps (an other renewable energy technologies) from this site. For free, impartial and locally relevant advice on how to save energy at home, speak to the Cornwall Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800 512012 or email them on advice@cep.org.uk. As well as providing tailored advice for your home they can advise you on grants and offers that you could be entitled to for helping cover the cost of installing energy saving measures (they say that every household in Cornwall is eligible for at least a partial grant for insulation) If you prefer doing everything on the internet you can also complete your own DIY Home Energy Check, and the EEAC will send a report back to you with lots of hints and tips on ways to save energy and money. For a simple ten point list of things you can do to help the climate and save energy, visit the Energy Saving Trust website. This site also has more information about insulating lofts and walls. GSHP photo courtsey of Denys Stephens
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to ensure their properties have sufficient loft or wall insulation to reduce heat loss.
This included providing external wall insulation for all solid walled homes. For heating they provide modern and efficient heating systems that can easily be controlled. These steps combined, make homes easy to heat and easier to keep warm. It also helps to reduce the amount of time the heating needs to be on, saving the tenant’s money and helping to tackle climate change.
extracting heat from the ground and can provide both hot water and heating. The technology is reliable, sustainable and can reduce heating energy consumption by up to 75%. Penwith Housing Association have used this form of heating in 33 of their properties to date. They were the first social housing provider to retrofit them - to 14 properties at Chy An Gweal, Ludgvan, a project that has won them three major awards.