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 | | SOUTH WEST COMPANY, KENSA ENGINEERING, FINALISTS IN PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AWARDS. | | | Kensa Engineering Ltd | | 06/06/2008 | | | The numbers of UK households trapped in fuel poverty, currently estimated to be over 4million, is rising as energy costs escalate but using less energy or using sustainable energy are two ways of reversing that trend. Local Business Kensa Engineering is pioneering ways to reduce CO2 emissions and has been nominated as a finalist in the 2008 prestigious Ashden Awards for sustainable energy.
The Ashden Awards bring to light inspiring sustainable energy solutions in the UK and developing world and help ensure that they are spread more widely. Ashden Award winners are passionate about bringing change to their communities and the planet.
The Awards were founded in 2001 by the Ashden Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts (SFCT). Since then they have helped more than 80 innovative projects develop their work. Today the Awards are an internationally recognised yardstick for excellence in the field of sustainable energy.
At the heart of the Ashden Awards is a rigorous judging process culminating in a prestigious ceremony in London where prizes are presented to winners from all corners of the globe to help further their work.
For Kensa Engineering, working on the site of an old tin mine in Truro, Cornwall, the business of manufacturing ground source heat pumps is thriving. Space heating is one of the biggest uses of energy in the UK (approximately 30%), one which is still mainly met by fossil fuels such as oil and coal. But a growing number of companies are emerging that supply more sustainable sources of energy for heat.
Heat pumps work by using an electrical compressor to pump heat from the ground to heat the inside of buildings. As a result Kensa’s customers enjoy lower heating bills and the comfort of a continuous level of background heat. The systems are more efficient than direct electrical heating because over 75 percent of the building’s heating comes from a free, renewable source and they produce less carbon emissions than fossil fuels such as oil, coal or even gas.
Kensa Engineering is the first British company to supply kits for small-scale ground source heat pumps that even a DIY enthusiast or local plumber can use. The installation kit includes a pre-coiled ‘slinky’ pipe to collect heat from the ground and a manifold board providing all the plumbing connections needed. Kensa provides detailed advice, and telephone support to customers, to ensure that the installation goes smoothly. It also supplies larger and specialised systems to commercial property developers and others.
Clients, Richard and Carole Lea, have converted a brick barn into a luxurious and environmentally friendly new home. Following extensive research the Leas invested in Kensa Heat Pumps for their space heating system. Richard remarks: ‘We have not regretted the decision. They are excellent; their equipment is competitively priced. What could be more satisfying than turning on the heating and knowing that three quarters of the energy is not costing you a penny?’
Kensa has already sold over 1000 heat pumps with a total capacity of over 17 MW, providing around 26 GWh/year of heat and saving 3,600 tonnes of CO2 a year, equivalent to the total emissions of over 600 homes in the UK.
Sarah Butler-Sloss, founder and chair of the Ashden Awards, said: ‘We need businesses to come up with technological solutions to the energy issues, whether these are for communities, homes, schools or businesses themselves. Kensa Engineering are a wonderful example of business enterprise also helping the social and environmental fabric of this country.’
Richard Freeborn, Chairman of Kensa, said: ‘It is a tremendous credit to our company and all our staff to be a finalist in the Ashden Awards. It’s recognition of all our hard work designing, manufacturing and promoting heat pumps and their carbon and energy savings. More importantly the Awards are not just about a ceremony on one night, they are about sharing our experiences and knowledge and the Ashden Awards will support and introduce Kensa to influential people and organisations helping us to develop our business further.’ | |
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