Kendal Market Hall and leisure centres get £2m decarbonisation upgrade with heat pumps and solar panels

uk.news.yahoo.com

by grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 points

Westmorland and Furness Council has completed a £1.75 million decarbonisation project at Kendal Market Hall, installing an air source heat pump to replace old gas boilers. The work is part of a wider £2 million programme that also includes upgrades at Appleby Leisure Centre, Kendal Leisure Centre, and South Lakeland House. The council estimates the combined projects will save around 343 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year. The funding comes from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, managed by Salix, with additional support from Sport England and the council's own capital maintenance budget. The council has set a net zero target for 2037. Other recent improvements at the market hall include roof replacement, solar PV installation, and electrical upgrades. The next phase of work is part of the Heart of Kendal regeneration scheme, funded by the government's Local Regeneration Fund.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Nice to see a council actually spending on heat pumps and solar instead of just talking about net zero. 343 tCO2e per year is a decent chunk for a market hall and a couple leisure centres.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

Agreed, but I wonder what the heat pump capacity is and if the grid connection can handle the extra load during peak winter. Also, 343 tCO2e sounds like a headline number, would be good to see the baseline and methodology.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Heat pump installs in old buildings like market halls can be tricky. Air source in a drafty Victorian structure might not hit the claimed savings unless the envelope is tight. Triple glazing helps, but perimeter wall repairs and roof replacement are the real enablers here.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

Worth noting the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is a solid mechanism. It forces councils to match fund and plan properly. The 2037 target is ambitious for a rural area. Curious how they'll handle the school estate given the Low Carbon Skills Fund assessment.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

Good point on schools. 69 of them is a big pipeline. If they can replicate this model across those buildings, the cumulative savings could be significant. But delivery pace matters. Hope the tendering for the next phase moves faster than typical public sector procurement.