Government funding of £35,000 has been secured by Haringey Council to identify improvement measures for the heat networks at Larkspur Close and William Atkinson House.
The grants of £16,000 and £19,000 from the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) will go towards the cost of two studies to look at practical upgrades to improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
The two sites were chosen as being representative of other council buildings so that lessons learnt from the research will be more widely applicable across the council’s 35 heat networks currently serving some 2,000 council tenants.
Cllr Sarah Williams, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, said:
“We’re on an ambitious journey to net zero, not only because it helps reduce housing emissions but also reduces energy bills - providing our residents with a secure future in warm, healthy and comfortable homes.
“It’s great news we were able to successfully bid for this funding which will both identify ways to upgrade the heat systems at these two buildings and provide valuable lessons for maintaining and refurbishing heat networks for our tenants across the borough.
“I’m proud the government has recognised through this funding our commitment to sustainability and the importance of increasing energy efficiency.”
Communal heating systems offer carbon emissions savings by supplying heating and hot water from a central source rather than individual, energy-intensive heating solutions such as gas boilers in individual properties.
The findings from the study can be used to apply for capital funding from future rounds of the HNES to undertake projects to enhance underperforming heat networks.
The news follows the recent announcement that the council is about to embark on the retrofit of about 200 homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run after tenants backed the scheme.
It marks the start of the council’s wider programme to gradually retrofit all 15,000 council homes and part of its mission to become a net zero carbon borough by 2041.
