Environmental Initiative of the Year
New Charter Housing Trust installed a district heating system to Chartist House, a 15-floor multi-storey block of flats, replacing the 95 individual gas boilers in individual flats.
Eight boilers were installed and linked with 20 solar thermal panels to supply preheated water to the boilers. Heat exchangers have also been installed within individual flats, which are connected to the district heating system to receive heating and hot water. The system is controlled via a building management system and all flats have individual flow meters with remote access.
The building was also completely rewired with LED low-energy lighting to further reduce carbon emissions. The end result has improved health and safety issues for tenants by removing gas boilers from individual flats. The district heating system is also simpler to service and is easily accessed by engineers. Each flat has its own flow meter, which can also be remotely accessed. The project has significantly reduced energy consumption, while providing considerable benefits for all concerned.



