The funds will assist the installation of low carbon biomass district heating systems across the 192 apartments at the Tribe Apartments complex, which would have had to employ an alternative heating method without the contribution provided by EDF Energy. The company assisted the projected in conjunction with Ancoats Residential Holdings Ltd and Manchester City Council.
Around 27,000 tonnes of carbon will be displaced by the heating systems with a saving of up to £880 per year on residents heating bills.
“We were fortunate to benefit from an offer of £1m of Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding from EDF Energy” said Nigel Rawlings, of Tribe Apartments Limited, who led the project. “Had we not received this, we may have had to install electric panel heating, which is significantly cheaper to install but far more costly for occupiers and substantially more damaging to the environment. Instead we have a district heating system that is both environmentally friendly and cost efficient. We estimate a lifetime saving of over 27,000 tonnes of carbon across all three Tribe blocks.”
Mr Rawlings added that each block benefits from its own energy centre with a 400 kwh biomass boiler, a 12,000 litre thermal store and an electric emergency back-up facility. All 64 apartments in each block has its own efficient central heating system which is heated from the single boiler. A host of other green measures have also been installed across the three blocks, including double and triple glazing, roof insulation, a rainscreen cladding system with substantial wall insulation, low energy lighting and smart meters. The project is aiming to secure an excellent, or even outstanding, evaluation from the BREEAM environmental assessment scheme.
“Energy efficiency improvements such as these will make a significant difference to the lives of the local residents who will now be able to benefit from lower fuel bills and much warmer homes” said Eric Salomon, Energy Field Services Director at EDF Energy.
Completion of the project is expected in July this year.
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