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Combined Heat and Power network growing across Aberdeen

The reach of Aberdeen’s Combined Heat and Power (CHP) district heating network is stretching further across the city, slashing fuel bills and carbon dioxide emissions.

Work has begun to link three more properties – Constitution Court sheltered housing complex, Hanover Street Community Centre and the Town House – into the award-winning scheme which already provides 14 multi-storey blocks and eight public buildings with space and water heating. Work to link in a further eight multi-storey blocks is due to be completed in the summer.

Heating duct laying work is being carried out in the city centre and beach areas in preparation for linking Constitution Court, Hanover Street Community Centre and the Town House into the district heating network. Work to link the buildings into the network is expected to be completed this year.

The cost of extending the network is being completely covered by a £1million Scottish Government grant. The cost of connecting the Town House (£34,000) and Hanover Street Community Centre (£20,000) is covered by the Central Energy Efficiency Fund and savings on the heating costs will cover the capital outlay in less than five years.

The project, which was used as a case study by the WWF in its report Carbon Countdown for homes: How to make Scotland’s existing homes low carbon, has almost halved the fuel costs and carbon emissions for the buildings involved, while nearly doubling their National Home Energy Rating.

Throughout Aberdeen there are 4,500 flats in 59 multi-storey blocks, most of which are “hard to heat” homes occupied by low income households. Around 70% of the occupants were living in fuel poverty.

Aberdeen City Council recognised the problem was the existing electric storage heating system, which was inefficient, costly and failed to meet the council’s drive to reduce carbon emissions across all services.

The council created an ambitious programme of energy efficiency by installing CHP into clusters of multi-storey flats with the aim of reducing fuel costs for tenants, and for owner-occupiers where requested, thereby “fuel-poverty-proofing” these flats.

The most cost effective solution was achieved through the creation by the council of the Aberdeen Heat & Power (AHP) Co Ltd, a locally based, not-for-profit organisation to develop and run CHP schemes.

Prior to the installation of the CHP system, the average National Home Energy Rating for a multi-storey flat in Aberdeen was 3.3 (from 0 = poor to 10 = excellent); the running costs were around £14 per week; and the total carbon emissions were 1597 tonnes per annum. Once the new CHP system was in place, the average NHER increased to 6.0; the running costs are currently £8.50 per week and the total carbon emissions have been reduced by about 45% across all properties linked into the system.

Aberdeen Heat and Power general manager Ian Booth said: “It is pleasing that the feedback we get from tenants on the quality of workmanship and the warmth in their homes is very positive.

“We would hope to be able to continue to work closely with the council in the development and expansion of the district heating network, to bring affordable warmth to many more tenants and public buildings in the future, whilst looking towards the wider aspect of supply to the private sector.

“This would bring additional benefits as the network reaches a size, to warrant looking at alternative fuels which would assist flexibility and containment of prices. These are exciting times for Aberdeen Heat & Power and Aberdeen City Council.”

Aberdeen City Council’s Housing and Environment convener Aileen Malone said: "Anyone who wants to see the value of combined heat and power schemes need only come to Aberdeen to see what we have achieved. CHP has been one of our real success stories and our tenants are now enjoying much lower fuel bills and warmer, comfortable homes.

”As the scheme grows, so do the benefits is provides – more and more people are seeing their fuel bills slashed, significant savings are being realised on heating costs for several public buildings and the city’s carbon footprint is being cut.”

There are three combined heat and power district heating schemes in Aberdeen, at Stockethill, Seaton and Hazlehead.

The new NHS Health Village at Frederick Street will be provided with space and water heating from the scheme and discussions are ongoing with Satrosphere about linking its Tramsheds premises to the CHP network.

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