The pioneering Kingston Heights project, which sees 137 apartments get their renewable heating and hot water from the River Thames, has received further recognition by securing two more awards in the same week.

 
Developed by NHP Leisure Developments in the heart of Kingston upon Thames, the innovative £70 million, mixed-use development secured 'Residential New Build Project of the Year' at the MCS's Energy Efficiency & Renewables Awards and 'Building Energy Project of the Year' at the RAC Cooling Industry Awards.
 
These two awards, following four other major awards since March,  are further testament to the vision of developer Mike Spenser-Morris, from NHP Leisure Developments, who initially had planning permission for a district heating system fired by gas and biomass boilers. But before starting the development he realised that the solar energy stored naturally in the Thames could offer an obvious alternative of a Zero Carbon, high efficiency heat pump solution.
 
The innovative development today harvests renewable, low grade heat from the Thames and transfers it 200 metres from the river to the development's 137 apartments and 142 bed hotel and conference centre where it is utilised to provide all the development's heating, hot water and cooling requirements.
 
It is Mitsubishi Electric’s advanced heat pump technology that boosts the river water's low grade heat provided by the solar energy naturally stored in the river (and every open body of water) to the temperature required to provide all the heating and hot water for the flats and the hotel (as well as providing its cooling requirements too).
 
The adoption of this system enables the production of up to 2.3 megawatts of thermal energy whilst producing Zero Carbon emissions on site and  outstanding energy efficiency with projected Coefficients of Performance of 4-6+. Electricity required to run the system is provided by Ecotricity's wind turbines, making the entire installation Zero Carbon - saving in excess of 500 tonnes of carbon that would have been emitted by the combustion-based system.
 
“I felt that what we were doing in Kingston should be replicated wherever there is easy access to water, and this has been borne out by the fact that officers at DECC have now produced an initial water source heat map that demonstrates the enormous environmental benefits available from the use of open water Heat Pump systems around the country”, explains Mike Spenser-Morris. 
 
“Kingston Heights points the way to the use of the virtually unlimited store of solar energy which is lying dormant in the heart of our towns and cities” adds Spenser-Morris, who has set up The Zero Carbon Partnership to assist other potential adopters of the technology by sharing the extensive experience gained from the Kingston Heights project.