Kensa Heat Pumps have succeeded in securing their full suite of 3kW to 13kW thermal output single phase ground source heat pumps on the Energy Networks Association (ENA) Connect & Notify database.
The move means British-based manufacturer Kensa has the largest number of ENA Connect & Notify approved ground source heat pump products in the UK – over 60% of the ENA single phase database – enabling simpler, quicker and lower cost ground source heat pump installations.
Kensa Heat Pumps’ Technical Director and co-founder, Guy Cashmore, comments:
“Installers of heat pumps will be familiar with the complications, hassle and potential additional costs of a heat pump not being ENA Connect & Notify approved.
Meantime, homeowners may not be aware that the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) requires evidence of District Network Operator (DNO) ENA approval. For heat pumps which are not Connect & Notify approved, this approval process could cost the homeowner thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of pounds, along with substantial delays.
Kensa’s significant Connect & Notify status eliminates these additional cost risks for the consumer and hassle for installers; this is a fantastic opportunity for the UK’s adoption of ground source heat pumps.”
The UK’s strategy for the decarbonisation and electrification of heat with heat pumps has prompted electricity network operators to invest in their networks to ensure capacity, safety, and asset lifetime. Many low carbon pathway predictions suggest a significant increase in heat pump deployment to achieve the UK’s carbon reduction targets – Scottish Power suggest 22 million heat pumps by 2035. As electrically driven technology, the mass electrification of heat with heat pumps will inevitably have an impact on the electricity grid; the ENA Connect & Notify approval identifies Kensa’s Evo and Shoebox ground source heat pump ranges to be of low grid impact, enabling their installation without any prior approval requirement from local DNOs.
Connect & Notify approved heat pumps are deemed to be suited to DNO electricity supplies without the requirement for upgrades. Should in rare instances an upgrade be necessary, the DNO is obliged to supply this at their cost; the opposite is the case for non-Connect & Notify heat pumps, where the consumer is required to pay any upgrade costs.
For installers, the consequence of non-Connect & Notify heat pumps requires an application for DNO permission prior to installation and connection, creating delays and approval uncertainty, and therefore also RHI uncertainty. The DNO decision takes into account how robust the electricity supply is at the installation location and the anticipated demand of the heat pump system on the electricity supply. If a DNO deems a supply upgrade is necessary, this is usually chargeable and can be very costly. Being on Connect & Notify eliminates the possibility of these charges and removes any delay while permission is obtained.
To achieve ENA Connect & Notify status requires compliance with a strict set of standards limiting the maximum electricity demand of the heat pump.
Guy continues:
“Units with internal boosts and immersion heaters are at an immediate disadvantage as most will exceed the demand limit. Larger capacity units with inverters can fall foul of harmonics limits; units without inverters produce very little harmonics – all of Kensa’s products are fixed speed compressor driven. Starting current is also naturally a common ENA issue for other heat pump manufacturers, whereas all of Kensa’s ground source heat pumps meet starting current limits.”
The Kensa ground source heat pump models approved as Connect & Notify on the ENA Database are:
- Shoebox ground source heat pump series (3kW, 6kW)
- Evo ground source heat pump series (7kW, 9kW, 13kW, three phase 15kW pending*)
Kensa’s tiny Shoebox heat pump series is designed to be installed in a cupboard, and is experiencing wide-scale installation utilising Kensa’s shared ground loop array design, a form of district heating. The Evo heat pump series is Kensa’s most recent innovation, featuring the first dedicated system controller for ground source heat pumps and a live CoP efficiency display.
*The Kensa Evo three phase 15kW was pending approval at the time of going to press (14th February 2020).
About Kensa:
Established in 1999, privately-owned, and headquartered in Truro, Cornwall, the Kensa Group is a fast-growing collection of award-winning businesses involved in the manufacture and installation of ground source heat pumps and the ownership of associated underground infrastructure.
Now employing over 90 people the Kensa Group wholly owns Kensa Heat Pumps Limited and Kensa Contracting Limited.
Kensa Heat Pumps remains the UK’s only manufacturer of ground source heat pumps and is the long-established market leader according to BSRIA annual reports. It provides products and technical support to an extensive network of plumbing contractors.
Kensa Contracting is a specialist installation business which focusses on large-scale new build and social housing retrofit programmes. It benefits from unrivalled experience and expertise and has delivered the UK’s largest installations in the residential sector.
Kensa Utilities is an infrastructure asset company which funds, owns and maintains shared ground loops that serve heat pump installations. It utilises subsidy support to provide these assets at zero cost to the housebuilder or social landlord.
