Reheat

Community Heat Project in Alnwick

Many rural communities in Northumberland are not connected to the gas grid and use a mixture of heating oil, lpg, electricity and wood fires to heat their properties. These heating options have become increasingly more expensive and can vary considerably from delivery to delivery making it hard for households to budget. It is likely that new fossil fuelled boiler installations will be banned from 2026 in rural communities and this will require an alternative approach to their heating. As the number of households using oil/lpg decreases, then it is likely that supply costs will increase as supply companies leave the market and also that spare parts and maintenance costs will increase.

The aim of this project is to determine the economic and practical feasibility of installing a biomass energy centre which will supply hot water to meet the space and water energy need of each property in the community, via a district heat network. To do this, you will consider: how a heat network operates and how this can be powered by a wood-chip biomass boiler; possible properties in Alnwick to determine their approximate heat consumption requirements; local and government grants that may be attributed to the project; the carbon savings from using a biomass powered heat network by comparing the levels of CO2 produced by the new system compared with the original heating systems. You will produce an approximate cost for installing a heat network that can supply all the buildings in the local community, the cost of supplying heat given the cost of woodchip supply, maintenance of the boilers and the expected efficiency of the network. Additionally, you may discuss the feelings of the local population about being part of a community owned heat network and what criteria would have to be met to encourage them to be part of the scheme.

Key skills and interests

• Problem solving
• Applying scientific principles to real-world problems
• Renewable energy
• Data analysis
• Communication skills

Host company information

Reheat is a low carbon heat company that specialises in reducing and removing fossil fuels as a means for heating buildings and businesses, as well as heat required for industrial processes. We do this by researching, designing, installing, and maintaining technologies such as sustainable biomass and heat networks. We are a company of 26 people, with consultancy, project and engineering teams. In 2024, we became a B Corp, a globally recognised certification of our commitment to society and the environment.

Address: Lion House, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 2PF
Key contact: Ben Moore

Visit the Reheat website for more information about the host company

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