GHA to consult on £4.3m district heating scheme
GHA is to hold a series of community events to share information on an innovative £4.3 million district heating scheme in the south side of Glasgow.
The new energy centre in Hillpark Drive Pollokshaws, will provide 350 homes with heating and hot water and save hundreds of GHA tenants money on their fuel bills.
The events over the coming months will see GHA staff talk with residents about how they will benefit when the new scheme is in place in just under two years.
Taking heat out of the air, the district heating system uses innovative technology unseen on this scale elsewhere in the UK.
GHA will also install solar panels, which will feed into the energy centre, on one block of homes, helping to make this a leading example of energy-efficient housing in Scotland.
The new district heating system aims to reduce fuel poverty in the area, and will also benefit the environment by reducing carbon emissions.
The project has been made possible thanks to a £2.5m grant from the Scottish Government’s Local Energy Challenge Fund, as well as investment from GHA – part of Wheatley Group – and funding from Glasgow City Council.
GHA chair Gordon Sloan said: “This significant investment will make a huge difference to our tenants and surrounding communities.
“Not only will the new district heating system save customers money and alleviate fuel poverty, it will also bring environmental benefits through reduced carbon emissions.
“We’ll be updating residents on the plans in the coming weeks and look forward to hearing what they think of the project.”
Speaking of Local Energy Scotland’s support for the project, Jennifer Ramsay, Local Energy Challenge Fund project manager, said: “We look forward to working with Glasgow Housing Association over the coming years to see this ground-breaking project become a reality.
“Community energy represents tremendous potential to empower people to make the most of their local resources. By supporting local energy development we can help tackle some of our most pressing energy issues including fuel poverty, increasing costs and security of supply.
“It’s exciting to think that these projects have the potential to shape the future of Scotland’s local energy economies and act as demonstrators for other communities.”