Funding granted to improve heat network efficiency at London residential development

The £489,900 in funding for Capital East Phase II will go toward improving efficiency and identifying areas that may reduce future energy costs at the development, with the heat network supplying heating and hot water to more than 380 residents.  

The HNES funding, which is in place to support residents living in developments with district and communal heat networks, is split into two groups. One funding pot is available to support the improvement of the building’s heat network, which Capital East Phase II has been awarded with. For residential buildings with underperforming heat networks, another funding pot is available to undertake a study to determine why the heat network is not performing effectively.   

Last year, two FirstPort developments were allocated funding to complete an Optimisation Study to review the current performance of its heat network and identify measures that could be implemented to improve its efficiency.   

Stuart Wilcox, Head of Critical Infrastructure at FirstPort, says these studies have enabled FirstPort to identify critical areas for improvements to the communal heat networks across its developments.  

Stuart added: “We are delighted that Capital East Phase II has received funding through the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme, and we will ensure the knowledge gained from our recent studies is utilised during the improvement of Capital East's heat network. This investment will have a direct benefit for our residents, contributing towards improving the efficiency of their heating system.”  

Louise Singleton, HNES Programme Manager at Gemserv, said: “We are delighted to see that heat networks awarded HNES revenue grant funding are being able to utilise the insights provided in their optimisation studies to inform capital applications to implement these suggested improvements. 

“It is great to know that HNES support provided to FirstPort today will help the organisation to create a more efficient and reliable heat network for hundreds of their residents.”