Member Article

Beyond Housing secures £15,000 funding from government to enhance energy efficiency in Regent House

Beyond Housing has embarked on a new project to provide a more sustainable heating network for Regent House in Darlington.

Having secured funding from the Government’s Heating Network Energy Scheme (HNES), the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire housing provider has partnered with Chirpy Heat Ltd to explore the potential for improving the sustainability of the heating network to the apartment block, which was previously a local authority office block.

Despite a rigorous application process, Beyond Housing was successfully awarded £15,000 from the £32 million grant support scheme, to conduct an in-depth design review, which officially commenced in mid-November 2023.

National heating network consultants Chirpy Heat Ltd quickly identified areas where the current heating system at Regent House could be optimised for enhanced efficiency. The comprehensive review, design and specification process is expected to conclude in early 2024, a pivotal step towards sourcing a contractor for the essential heat network upgrades. Beyond Housing envisages a more efficient system that will significantly reduce heat loading on communal spaces, subsequently leading to lower overall energy consumption within Regent House.

Ian Tennant, Beyond Housing Investment Programme Manager, said: “This funding marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing comfortable and energy-efficient housing solutions for our residents. “The collaboration with Chirpy Heat Ltd. and the subsequent funding will not only address the existing challenges at Regent House but also pave the way for a more sustainable and cost-effective heating system.”

Louise Singleton, Principal Consultant at Gemserv, who are administering the funding on behalf of the government, commented: “Using heat networks specialists to conduct an Optimisation Study through HNES is a fantastic way to help understand how a heat network is operating and identify suitable measures that can be taken to improve its efficiency and performance.

“The £15,000 awarded to Beyond Housing will provide valuable insight into the heating system at Regent House in Darlington, identifying areas for improvement which can help create a more sustainable and cost-effective heat network for residents. We are delighted to be supporting this project in County Durham and look forward to seeing the outcome of the study and the recommended improvements.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by News Gathering .