GROUND-SOURCE GROWTH FOR HOME-GROWN MANUFACTURER
British ground-source heat pump manufacturer, Kensa Heat Pumps, is leading the UK’s transition to a cleaner and greener economy with the opening of a new factory, capable of producing 30,000 ground-source heat pumps every year.
Kensa’ award-winning Shoebox heat pump is at the heart of shared ground loop arrays technology
Established in 1999, Kensa has pioneered the UK’s adoption of renewable heating technology and its innovative application to aid the phase-out of fossil fuels and reduce the carbon intensity of home heating.
The new 1000m2 Kensa Heat Pumps facility at the former Mount Wellington Mine in Cornwall will see a ten-fold increase in the company’s groundsource heat pump production and provide 150 jobs at full capacity.
Like Kensa’s current factory, the new premises will have underfloor heating and hot water fed by a ground-source heat pump harnessing heat from water in the flooded mine workings below.
Market and company growth
With an existing market share nearing 50%, Kensa forecasts annual sales growth of around 50%, as Government introduces regulations to outlaw high carbon fossil fuels, particularly in new-build housing by 2025. Groundsource heat pumps offer lower-cost heat than mains gas; their technology has the lowest carbon footprint of any heating system. With a customer base spanning self-builders to housing associations and developers, Kensa manufactures the widest ground-source heat pump range available in the UK.
Craig Pascoe (HSBC), Simon Lomax (Kensa) and Sarah Newton MP celebrate the construction of Kensa’s new 1000m2 production facility
Kensa’s multi-award winning Shoebox heat pump has transformed heating in apartments and flats. Its innovative shared ground loop arrays system – where an individual Shoebox heat pump inside a property is connected to a communal ground array – provides housing associations and developers with an ultra-low carbon and low-cost heating solution, while cutting fuel poverty and improving air quality. Kensa forecasts that this solution will soon be offered to the private retrofit market.
Reducing costs and increasing appeal
Kensa’s R&D is focussed on two areas with the potential to radically enhance the appeal of the technology. There are opportunities to reduce ground array costs by utilising waste heat and introducing passive cooling to residences, and to reduce running costs by utilising dynamic tariffs, heat storage products and smart controls. A heat pump is a key component in household energy systems, so connectivity is key; consequently, Kensa is now recruiting more software developers than mechanical engineers!
“Kensa has emerged as the county’s largest employer in the low carbon heat sector and the new facility will provide our committed workforce with an exceptional workspace,” says Simon Lomax, Kensa Group CEO. “Kensa is the established UK market leader and we expect to grow rapidly in the years ahead, as the attractions of ground-source heat pumps become apparent to all.”
Fifth Generation District Heating with Ambient Shared Borehole Ground Loop Arrays and Kensa Shoebox heat pump.