Dorset country estate goes greener with new ground source heat pump

Old, unreliable oil boilers have been replaced at Kingston Lacy

Author: Rod Minchin, PAPublished 17th Jan 2024

One of Dorset's most opulent country houses is going greener - by replacing it oil hungry and unreliable boilers with a ground source heat pump.

The 17th-century Kingston Lacy site will save 30,000 litres of oil each year by making the switch to a renewable heating system.

It is one of the National Trust’s biggest heat pump projects to date, and the first high temperature ground source system the charity has installed.

The new ground source heat pump has taken two years of work to install at Kingston Lacy

The old oil tank has been replaced by almost 6,000m of underground pipes, which transport natural ambient heat in the ground to four high temperature heat pumps, that in turn warm the mansion house and courtyard buildings.

The complex installation of pipework involved drilling 32 vertical boreholes in an overflow carpark, with each hole measuring 180m in depth.

Specialists spent two years conducting extensive archaeological and ecological surveys to ensure the protection of the historic parkland.

The heat pump will also improve conservation of the building and its collection of paintings by stabilising the temperature and humidity levels.

The new heat pump will mean the building and artefacts within in are actually better protected

Owen Griffith, Lead Renewable Heating Project Manager for the National Trust, said:

“Even in the most historically significant settings like Kingston Lacy, it’s possible to integrate these modern technologies while maintaining the utmost care for the building and the grounds.

“Not only will the heat pump reduce the property’s dependency on fossil fuels, but it’ll create a safer environment and improve conditions for the amazing collection items here. There are so many advantages.

“Magnificent buildings like these have been around for centuries, but their heating systems have evolved - from open fires to coal boilers and then oil boilers, with many energy innovations along the way. This is simply the next step in Kingston Lacy’s history and preservation.”

The National Trust say the Kingston Lacy project is the biggest heat pump schemes they've carried out so far

Dr Elena Greer, Curator at Kingston Lacy, added:

“We’re proud to house one of the National Trust’s most significant holdings of fine art, including an internationally renowned collection of Old Master paintings. The new heat pump means we can more easily maintain the optimum environmental conditions for their display, ensuring that they can be enjoyed by generations of visitors long into the future.”

Another 100 renewable projects – including many heat pumps – are in the pipeline throughout the National Trust for the next six years to further reduce fossil fuel use and help the charity reach its ambition of net zero by 2030.

The project at Kingston Lacy has been made possible by a funding contribution from Low Carbon Dorset as part of the European Regional Development Fund.

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