Case Study:
CHP and district heating

A2 rated apartments with natural gas

Bridgefield and Pappan Grove built by the Cosgrave Group are located in the centre of Northwood, Santry, close to Gulliver’s Retail Park. The development is comprised of three six-storey buildings and one five-storey building incorporating 250 apartments, which are built over a basement car park.

A district heating system comprising of central gas boilers, gas-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) units and electric heat pumps, provides space heating and hot water for the entire development. The apartments have a BER rating of A2 and meet Part L 2019 of the building regulations, commonly referred to as Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB).

Challenge of multi-apartment developments

When specifying a new development's energy solutions, the improved number and variety of systems creates a dilemma for any developer. Ensuring that you "future proof" the development while keeping pace with ever changing customer preferences can be a challenge.

The use of new technologies is easier when you have the floor or roof space to install them, which most new, 3-bedroom semi-detached homes do. However, this is not the case for multi-apartment building developments where roof space is limited, and internal space is at a premium. New, more cohesive ways of thinking and working are required in order to meet the individual heating and hot water requirements of apartments, in a sustainable manner.

Combined Heat and Power

The CHP units run on natural gas to generate electricity on-site. The electricity generated is then used to power the heat pumps and some public lighting. This provides electricity at a significantly lower rate than grid electricity, saving the residents on energy costs. Generating electricity in this way also produces heat that is captured and used to generate space heating and hot water for all of the apartments.

Heat Recovery Ventilation

The Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) system is designed to remove stale air from homes and provide a constant supply of clean, filtered air. It operates by gently ventilating the property at a rate of about half an air change per hour, removing the stale air from the kitchen, bathrooms and toilets and extracting it to the outside.

Heating control

With the swipe of a finger on a smart phone, or even by SMS, the next generation Prepago heating control systems allows residents to control and monitor their apartment’s heating system remotely. Hot water is heated centrally and is available to all residents on tap. As a result there is a constant supply of hot water, thereby eliminating wasted energy. Residents only pay for what they use.