Optimising Heating Systems for Housing 21

Situation

Housing 21 is a leading provider of retirement housing and care services for older people. The organisation wanted to optimise performance and build resilience across its heating systems. Housing 21 objectives were cost savings, reliability and the provision of comfort for residents.

Solution

Anthesis supported Housing 21 with the analysis, design and specification of optimal heating and hot water systems, followed by procurement and technical installation support.

Many boiler rooms had reached the end of their life and were unreliable and costly to maintain. In addition, a number of new build properties had unexpected and unwelcome performance gaps in energy usage, heat delivery and maintenance costs.

We first surveyed the entire boiler network, working backwards to the plant, to identify opportunities to improve the system. We then provided the optimal design for upgrades. For the new build sites, we adopted a consultative approach, engaging with the users and operators of the network, to identify the cause of the issues.

Coupled with detailed data analysis, we were able to provide recommendations to improve performance and reliability. We also produced a new build specification to ensure that the design of future systems was optimized. Though the procurement process, we reviewed tender submissions and recommended contractors, and we also provided technical support to the contractor throughout the installation.

Impact

Anthesis provided support at over 100 sites, achieving over £35,000 Energy Company Obligation funding to support the project. The sites now have more efficient and resilient heating and hot water systems, improving Housing 21’s capacity to provide consistent comfort to its vulnerable residents.

Ongoing work is set to optimise heating system performance and reduce operation and maintenance costs.