GI Energy, the specialist in design and installations of Ground Source Pump heating and cooling systems has been named Ground Source Installer of the Year in the Energy Efficiency & Renewables Awards.
The glittering Awards ceremony held at the Ricoh Arena was hosted by Nick Hewer with entertainment provided Jimmy Carr.
It is a tremendous accolade for the Coventry based company providing recognition for its skills and innovation in the sector.
Having installed more than 200MW of systems in a wide range of buildings, GI Energy is a trailblazer in harnessing ground source energy building up an unrivalled expertise in the sector.
Indeed GI Energy is probably the only company in the UK marketplace today that offers a full turnkey solution, from initial feasibility studies of geology and hydrogeology through drilling, procurement, sizing, design, installation, finance to ongoing remote monitoring, repair and maintenance.
With installations as diverse as a school in Orkney to the iconic One New Change in London, the company has developed an enviable reputation for designing and sizing systems for the most complex of sites, and its flexibility is reflected by the diverse commissions it has won – from Stonehenge visitor centre to the new Sackler Gallery in one of the Royal Parks in London to the new Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.
The fact that the business is at the forefront of such an important industry sector was one of the major factors that led to the company winning the much sought after award.
The company’s commitment to bringing the ongoing and sustainable benefits of Ground Source Energy Systems to a wider audience in the UK does not stop there and GI Energy continually makes advances in growing and developing the market.
This was evident in the company playing a pivotal role in the recent review of the Renewable Heat Incentive tariff which has resulted in incentive payments being as much as trebled for Ground Source Heat Pump heating systems to up to 10.2p per kWh of heat generated – a move much welcomed by GI Energy and one which will kick-start the market.
Chris Davidson, Director of Development for GI Energy commented: “We are delighted to win such a prestigious award. It is a fantastic honour and testament to the skill, dedication and expertise of our staff, whose continued passion for excellence has enabled us to continue to grow, innovate and ensure that system design and installation, as well as our after sales service, continues to be of the highest standard.
“The award also helps us to realise another very important aim, which is to increase awareness about the benefits of Ground Source Energy Systems in the wider community.”
Ground Source Energy Systems comprise a network of pipes called “earth loops” buried underground and connected to a series of heat pumps. Liquid pumped through the loops extracts heat from the ground. It is then passed through the heat pumps which raise the temperature to a level suitable for central heating. For cooling, the system is used in reverse.
Sainsbury’s has embraced the technology, being the first customer to take advantage of GI Energy’s finance package that comes with a long-term repair and maintenance agreement, for installations at three stores, in Carlisle, East Kilbride and Rustington.
Chris Davidson continued: “Ground Source Energy Systems are fantastic both for cutting carbon footprints and for saving on energy bills. The underlying beauty of the system is that it effectively uses heat from the sun that has been stored naturally in the ground.
“For every kilowatt of power required to run a system, around four kilowatts of heating or up to six kilowatts of cooling is produced. It is a truly renewable form of heating and cooling which has a great future ahead of it.”
Founded in 2000 as Geothermal International, the company has an enviable reputation for engineering excellence and innovation. In 2008 Scottish and Southern Energy took a 20 per cent stake in the business and in 2009 it won the Energy Business category in the prestigious Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy.
