SYSTEM OVERVIEW

The Kielder district heating scheme supplies heat and hot water to:

(1) Kielder Castle Visitor Centre
(2) Six new three-bedroom homes
(3) Rivermead Workshops
(4) Kielder Community First School
(5) Kielder Youth Hostel

System Configuration

The district heating network has a spurred arrangement i.e. the flow to and return from each building emanates from the boiler house. Over 950m of district heating pipe of various sizes was used in this system the size chosen being dictated by the flow rate required. The superinsulated plastic heat pipe is made by Europe by Flexalen, and has been used in District Heating schemes in many European countries. Electrofusion ensures that pipes are bonded at a molecular level and are totally leakproof. Heat losses on this type of heat main are modest, typically 10- 15% of the Kielder system as a whole (based upon an average 40W heat loss per metre of pipe run).