A partnership has been formed between National Grid Affordable Warmth Solutions (National Grid AWS) and CFCL for the delivery of ten BlueGEN m-CHP systems for installation at social housing partners in the UK. Under the agreement, National Grid AWS will gift BlueGEN units to Social Housing Provider partners on the basis of receiving feed in tariff payments, which will fund future projects aimed at reducing fuel costs for social housing tenants. In return the Housing Providers and their residents will benefit from the low cost electricity generated by the BlueGENs.
- Order of 10 BlueGENs on behalf of Housing Partners
- Trial shows energy cost savings with BlueGEN
CFCL over the past twelve months has established a successful working relationship with National Grid AWS (a Community Interest Company). National Grid AWS has to date supported installations of BlueGEN units within the social housing market as part of its campaign aiming to reduce energy bills for vulnerable, fuel poor customers. At one of its projects at the Madeley Community Centre in North Staffordshire, the installed BlueGEN system has produced energy cost savings of £1,212 in its first seven months of operation, leading to savings for the centre and residents alike
Bob Kennet, CEO of CFCL said: “we are very pleased to work in close cooperation with National Grid AWS supporting their objectives to help reduce fuel poverty in the UK. In the face of substantial tariff increases in the coming years, a significant saving on energy costs is very important to most UK households. Our BlueGEN system helps to make such savings a reality.”
Following the installation of BlueGEN systems earlier in the year at the Madeley Centre, Jeremy Nesbitt, Managing Director, National Grid Affordable Warmth Solutions, said “we are excited to be involved in this ground breaking initiative; we are keen to support and promote innovative technologies that help improve the energy efficiency and reduce energy bills for vulnerable homes and communities.” He added “we are committed to supporting other BlueGEN installations and sharing widely our learning from the independent study.”
About BlueGEN
BlueGEN is the UK‟s first and only fuel cell based micro combined heat and power (microCHP) unit to be market ready and accredited under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. Running on abundantly available natural gas, this highly efficient microCHP unit is designed to provide homes, public facilities and smaller companies with electricity and hot water.
BlueGEN uses solid oxide fuel cells at its core. These fuel cells are probably the most efficient energy conversion system currently available on the market at this scale. Under normal operation, BlueGEN has a continuous electrical output of 1.5 kWel and a thermal output of 0.6 kWth, generating up to 13,000 kWh of electricity every year.
Thanks to its world beating electrical efficiency of up to 60 per cent (LHV), customers can substantially reduce their electricity costs. Total efficiency increases up to 85 per cent where the residual thermal energy is used to provide hot water.
BlueGEN is unparalleled in the energy sector as to its practical application. Thanks to its very low heat output in relation to its electrical output, BlueGEN generates three times as much power as heat and so stands out among other micro CHP systems because it can be operated in power-led mode all year round, even during the summer months.
About National Grid Affordable Warmth Solutions
National Grid is tackling some of the issues caused by increasing energy prices and the growth of Fuel Poverty in the UK. The National Grid led Community Interest Company (CIC) Affordable Warmth Solutions CIC has invested millions of pounds in a programme to support the installation of new gas connections, gas heating systems and other energy efficiency measures to some of the most deprived areas of its gas distribution network area.
The company ‘branded’ as National Grid Affordable Warmth Solutions approach is based on a “whole community, whole house” package of affordable warmth measures that includes the provision of new gas infrastructure and connections together with new or improved heating systems. In partnership with National Grid it has already delivered affordable warmth to some 17,500 homes and is committed to delivering a further 35,000 over the next seven years. It also provides additional „in house‟ support through its partners and qualifying households may also be eligible for free loft and/or cavity wall insulation and tailored energy saving as well as tariff advice.More information can be found here – www.affordablewarmthsolutions.org.uk
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