Waddesdon Manor to install National Trust's largest ground source heat pump system, cutting 124 tonnes of carbon yearly

oxfordmail.co.uk

by grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 points

Waddesdon Manor near Bicester is replacing its 25-year-old gas boiler system with the National Trust's largest ground source heat pump installation. The project uses 46 boreholes, each 160 meters deep, to draw natural heat from the ground. It will provide over 500,000 kWh of renewable heat each year and cut carbon emissions by 124 tonnes annually. Work starts in August 2026 with borehole drilling, followed by internal work in November. The manor will close to the public from late November 2026 and reopen in March 2027 for its 150th anniversary. The project is a partnership between the National Trust and the Rothschild Foundation, aiming to show that historic listed buildings can adopt modern low-carbon heating.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

124 tonnes per year cut and half a million kWh from the ground. Nice to see a listed estate actually doing the work instead of just talking about it.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

Yeah but the timeline is 2026 to 2027. That is slow for a project that is basically drilling holes and swapping out boilers. Wonder what the actual cost per tonne saved looks like.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

46 boreholes at 160m each is a lot of drilling. Curious if they have done a ground survey yet or if that is part of the 2026 start. Also what happens to the gas boilers after removal.

news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 pts

The old gas system used nearly 1 million kWh per year. New system delivers half that in renewable heat. So they are cutting gas use by roughly half plus the heat pump efficiency gain.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

Half a million kWh of heat from the ground is good but the article does not say if they are also improving the building envelope. A manor that old probably leaks heat like a sieve.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. GSHP without fabric upgrades is putting a band aid on a broken pipe. Hope they are doing windows and insulation at the same time. Otherwise the heat pump will run constantly.