Innovative school heating system harnesses heat from thermal spring

Bold plan sees only natural thermal spring in Wales become a renewable heat source for village school and bowls pavilion
UK-based Ground Source Heat Pump specialists, Kensa, have installed an innovative system that uses warm spring water to heat two council buildings
Historic Taff’s Well spring, once believed to provide medicinal properties, gets a new community role
The highly efficient open-loop water source heat pump system installed by Kensa is expected to cut carbon emissions from heat by up to 80%
It is the latest renewable school heating retrofit project completed by the UK’s leading ground source heat pump manufacturer and solutions provider

A primary school and bowls pavilion in a South Wales village have switched to clean, renewable heating, but in an innovative way that cannot be replicated anywhere else in Wales.

Ffynnon Taf Primary School and the Pavilion at Taff’s Well Bowling Club in Taff’s Well, Wales, have had a bold new heating system installed by Kensa, the UK-based Ground Source Heat Pump specialists, that uses naturally occurring heat from the only thermal spring in Wales – the historic Taff’s Well Spring.

This unique water source heat pump system harnesses natural heat from the warm spring water, which emerges from deep beneath the earth at around 21^oC, to provide the two council-owned properties with low-carbon heating and hot water.

Using the innovative clean heating method instead of gas is expected to cut the school and pavilion’s carbon emissions linked to heating by close to 80%. It also demonstrated a way of using Kensa’s ground source heat pumps without drilling vertical boreholes to access heat energy stored in the ground.

The bold idea of using the Taff's Well thermal spring to heat buildings was initially proposed by the Friends of Taff’s Well community group, who were looking at other ways the historic spring could benefit the local community.

This project follows other retrofit renewable heating installations completed in non-domestic buildings by Kensa. Using ground source heat pump technology the UK’s leading manufacturer and solutions provider has futureproofed heating and lowered carbon emissions caused by heat in multiple UK schools and council properties.

The unique installation also highlights the versatility of Kensa’s ground source heat pump systems and forms part of Rhondda Cynon Taf Borough Council’s ambitious plans to decarbonise by 2030.

How the system works:

Kensa’s ground source heat pumps, found in thousands of UK properties, are usually set up to source energy from the ground to provide heating and hot water.
The one-of-a-kind installation at Taff’s Well pumps warm water from the spring and passes it through a nearby heat exchanger, which is connected to Kensa’s ground source heat pumps housed inside the school and pavilion.
In this highly energy-efficient system, heat energy stored in the warm spring water is absorbed and converted by the heat pumps into usable energy for the school and pavilion’s heating and hot water systems.
While in the system, the water is confined to its own pipework, mostly hidden under the ground and out of sight, and doesn’t encounter any other substances to ensure there’s no issue of contamination or pollution.
To keep the connecting pipework hidden and to avoid above-ground damage, Kensa horizontally drilled hundreds of meters between the Well, the school, and the pavilion.
After passing through the system, the clean water is emptied back into the Well’s overflow, feeding into the River Taff.
This is the only system installed by Cornwall-based Kensa that uses a natural thermal spring as a heat source.

On Tuesday, 16th July, Kensa’s Dr Stuart Gadsden visited the site, along with representatives from Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, to demonstrate to pupils from the Ffynon Taf Primary School’s Eco Committee how their new low-carbon heating and hot water system works.

Dr Stuart Gadsden, Kensa Contracting Commercial Director, said:

“This is an incredibly unique system and really demonstrates how versatile Kensa’s ground source heat pumps are. It was great to show the pupils how their exciting new heating system works and how it will reduce their carbon footprint.

“Kensa has a proven track record of delivering the high efficiencies of ground source heat pump technology for numerous UK schools and local authorities, providing them with a futureproofed low-carbon heating system.

“Using the historic Taff’s Well thermal spring as a renewable heat source is a brilliant example of how bold ideas can lead to something that benefits future generations. It’s something the whole community can be proud of, and we were pleased to play our part in making it happen.”

Ffynnon Taf Primary School Headteacher, Kathryn Price, said:

“We are very excited about how Taff’s Well Thermal Spring has been utilised for the whole school community. Our Eco Committee thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the heat pump system and how this helps to reduce the school’s carbon footprint. We will continue to celebrate the success of the thermal spring installation in our community for many years to come.”

Jon Arroyo, Energy and Carbon Reduction Manager at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, said:

“We have an ambition to decarbonise the Council by 2030 and we understand there is no one solution to decarbonise our heating systems, so it is important that we look at what heat resources are around or under us. As a Council we see our role in exploring alternative solutions to help steer our businesses and residents in their journey towards a net zero future.”