Ocean Group Chief Executive, David Renwick, said Ocean is really proud of this pilot scheme: “We have used the latest technologies to bring our residents affordable warmth at a time when traditional energy prices are going through the roof.”
The homes at Hannaford Close are heated by a system that uses existing heat emitted by people and appliances in the home, which is then enhanced and re-circulated around the property. By purifying the air inside the home, a healthier environment is created, helping to alleviate conditions such as asthma. The hot water is provided by solar panel systems mounted on the roof, with an electric immersion system as a back up. These homes also benefit from a thermally efficient form of construction, built with increased volumes of insulation in the timber frame panels, which enables them to perform at 60 % above building regulation guidelines.
David said that Ocean will be monitoring the effectiveness of the new technologies during the winter : “With the help of residents, we will be analysing the effectiveness of these new heating systems, and evaluating whether they present good value for money. The initial investment is greater than conventional heating, so we need hard proof that the systems will bring substantial savings to our residents in terms of cheaper energy bills.”
The development of four houses and four flats was named after Mr Ken Hannaford, a previous resident of 50 years, who formerly lived on the site of the new homes. His son, Michael, was pleased to unveil the street sign in his Dad’s memory: “My Dad spent the majority of his life here and he really liked living on the estate. He would be very proud that this new development is named after him. And I think it is fantastic!”
Local Restormel Councillors for St Enoder Ward, Dick Cole and Andrew Waters, said: “Our parish has experienced considerable housing growth in recent years, though most of the new properties have been for the open market. We are therefore delighted that Restormel has been able to work with Ocean to provide these much needed new affordable homes for rent to local people. It is our hope that the new technologies used in this scheme will be a great success and placed in more new homes in the future.”
David promised that Ocean will continue to research new ways of heating homes that are both economical and environmentally friendly: “It is easy to talk about sustainable energy, but it’s the results that count. At Ocean we have turned words into action – the frames, doors and windows are manufactured by local companies reducing transportation, and we are utilising innovative methods of extracting energy that reduce the cost to our residents, and our planet.
