Greg Barker opens Europe’s largest ground source heat pump

The mall, One New Change near to St Paul’s Cathedral, is a £540 million development which opened in October last year.

Built on the site of post-World War II office block the shopping centre which, despite the economy has been 80% occupied, was set a planning permission demand of sourcing at least 10% of its energy from renewable sources.

Although initial tests are not yet complete Land Securities, the firm who own and built the centre, claim the ground source pump could deliver between 15 and 20% of the sites total energy need.

The saving, on a yearly basis, for the business would be, therefore, around £300,000.

Land Securities, having being researching ground source heat pumps in 2004, invested in its first open loop borehole in 2006.

It then constructed two complete closed loops in 2008, all preparation and research for One New Change’s ground source heat pump, which was built by Geothermal International.

Mr Barker said: “This is British innovation at its best, using the earth’s natural resources to solve our energy needs.

“Extracting warmth from the ground underneath London will help save on the building’s heating bills and will cut carbon.”

Land Securities chief executive, Francis Salway, added: “We are proud to be pioneering this highly advanced renewable energy system.

“The shopping and leisure destination is transforming the City of London and now with this technology we hope to transform the way the industry designs and builds properties.”

Luke Walsh