Newcastle CHPinstallation judged the ‘most efficient in the UK’

The CHP installation serving a housing development in Newcastle is reckoned to be the most efficient in the UK and the second best in Europe, according to Baxi-SenerTec, which presented the DACHS Award to housing company Places for People for its outstanding contribution to the development of sustainable housing. The Stanhope Street housing scheme was built in 1974 and comprises 351 rented flats with a heating demand of over 71 MWh a year. The DACHs unit meets all the electrical requirements of Stanhope Street’s energy centre, operating boilers, pumps and fans. To date, it has cut CO2 emissions from the site by 18%, representing 8.1 t a year. Derek Watters, sustainable development manager at Places for People, says, ‘The system has cut energy use on the estate by an estimated 64%. Weekly heating bills now average just £3.35 per dwelling.’ The system was originally specified by a local consulting engineer following a feasibility study.