Swaffham Prior Heat Network Project

About

Swaffham Prior is an historic, rural village in East Cambridgeshire, with many of its 300 homes reliant on oil and LPG boilers for heating.

Motivated by concerns over environmental impact and energy dependency, the Swaffham Prior Community Land Trust collaborated with Cambridgeshire County Council to explore a sustainable communal heating system that would transition the community away from fossil fuel usage.

With significant grant funding secured from the BEIS Heat Network Development Unit (HNDU) and Heat Network Investment Project (HNIP), the pioneering project progressed from feasibility studies to installation between 2020 and 2022.

The Project

HI Group provided full technical support for the contract. Working with contractors Bouygues Energies & Services, our support included:

· Reviewing and refining the HNDU feasibility study.

· Conducting a Techno-Economic Feasibility Study (TEFS) for a low-carbon heating solution.

· Completing necessary applications for non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and preparing the Independent Metering Report.

· Guiding the pre-Detailed Project Development (DPD) process and advising on supply chains for key equipment.

Initially, open loop water source heat pumps and straw-fed biomass boilers were considered. However, due to groundwater availability issues, a closed loop water source heat pump system was ultimately chosen.

System design and approach

The project's success hinged on accurately sizing the heating system to meet the diverse needs of the village's historic and modern buildings, including schools and businesses. Key steps included:

· Conducting a comprehensive heat demand analysis based on historical data and the Energy Demand Research Project, establishing an energy demand baseline.

· Sizing the heat pump system to 1.5 MW and thermal storage to 100 m³ to efficiently manage heating demands.

· Designing the heat network with careful consideration of existing infrastructure and natural features.

· Implementing demand shifting strategies, allowing heat pumps to generate energy during off-peak hours for later use.

· Incorporating 500 kW air source heat pumps to enhance system efficiency during summer months.

· Producing detailed schematics for the energy centre and heat network layout.

Each home was equipped with a heat interface unit (HIU) to facilitate the transfer of heat from the network.

We continued to advise during the installation period and completed the non-domestic RHI application following system completion in 2022.

Results

Now fully operational, the Swaffham Prior Heat Network stands as the UK's first rural low-carbon heat network, capable of supplying 1.7 MW of heat to all homes

This innovative system, which also connects to a Cambridgeshire County Council owned solar farm, is expected to save over 47,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

The project has garnered significant recognition, including the Renewable Energy Project of the Year award at the 2023 edie Net Zero awards. highlighting its groundbreaking approach to community decarbonization and sustainability.

In conclusion

The Swaffham Prior Heat Network Project exemplifies how rural communities can effectively transition to low-carbon heating solutions, combining technological innovation with community engagement to address climate challenges and improve local energy resilience.

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