Walton Hall and Gardens is in the top ten carbon emitters in the council’s estate, so replacing the heating system in the Hall is a significant step towards cutting the council’s climate pollution.  

What is a ground source heat pump?

A ground source heat pump is an electric powered heating system that uses a series of boreholes to capture renewable energy from the ground. 

This energy is compressed into a higher temperature so that it can heat Walton Hall to 21 degrees during cooler weather. 

Installation project

The works included decommissioning and removing the old gas boilers and stripping out the existing heating system and pipework, before installing the new heating technology. 

This involved drilling 20 boreholes at a depth of 170 metres. Works have also been completed inside the Hall itself to replace the radiators and pipework connecting to the plant room. 

These works were completed using a £343,000 grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund. The scheme provides funding to deliver energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects for non-domestic public sector buildings.

Replacing the end-of-life boilers is part of the council’s work to shift from conventional fossil fuel heating in buildings to greener methods. This low-carbon heating technology will result in an estimated annual carbon saving of 43,000 kgCO2e, compared to gas heating.

Cllr Hitesh Patel, cabinet member for climate change, sustainability and the environment, said: “This investment into Walton Hall’s heating system is much needed and should cut both running costs and carbon emissions, making these buildings cleaner and greener for years to come.”