The Corsham School biomass district heating case study | ReEnergise

We project-managed extensive energy efficiency upgrades whilst replacing the school’s gas heating system with a state-of-the-art biomass district heating network.

The scheme is forecast to save 277 tonnes of CO₂ annually and £1.56 million in fuel costs over 20 years.

Background

The Corsham School previously relied entirely on gas for heating and hot water. In line with its net-zero strategy, the school partnered with ReEnergise to plan, design and deliver a comprehensive decarbonisation project, centred around a biomass energy solution.

The challenge

The project faced tight delivery deadlines due to the need to complete the majority of the works during school holidays to minimise disruption to student activities. Planning amendments, site constraints, asbestos removal, and the need to maintain uninterrupted heating supply during peak winter added layers of complexity.

The solution

ReEnergise managed the full lifecycle of the project: from heat decarbonisation planning, detailed design, to tendering, contract administration, contractor oversight, grant drawdown, staff handover and training.

A new biomass plant room was installed below ground, and the heat main was routed across school fields to minimise disruption. Building fabric improvements were integrated into the decarbonisation works in order to optimise energy efficiency. This included insulation, LED lighting upgrades, and domestic hot water system improvements.

Implementation

• Two 300kW biomass boilers installed.
• Heat main trenching scheduled for summer holidays.
• Planning application managed seamlessly.
• Site access challenges mitigated via compound zones, staff/student briefings and tight programme management.
• Project duration: 9 months to full operation.

Technology

• Energy efficiency measures: insulation, LED lighting, hot water system upgrades.
• New biomass plant room with 2 x 300kW boilers.
• Woodchip fuel supply.
• District heat network.

Business case

• Estimated CO₂ reduction: 277 tCO₂/year.
• Lifetime fuel cost savings: £1.56m (over 20 years).
• Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) grant funding with 12% client contribution.

Results

• Heating system is now net-zero in all buildings served by the biomass.
• Asbestos safely removed from two plant rooms.
• Domestic hot water systems upgraded to meet current standards.
• Improved environmental comfort and energy performance.
• No unplanned heating downtime during project.

Client testimonial

“ReEnergise were carefully chosen to write our self-funded Estate Decarbonisation Plan with a view to the School making an application for a PSDS grant. The EDP process was managed efficiently from the initial phase of data gathering to production of the final report. The school was kept engaged in the process throughout, and from the presentation of options by ReEnergise we were able to confidently select our future low-carbon heating solution. ReEnergise supported us every step of the way with the PSDS application process right through to award of the grant. We are very excited to continue to work with ReEnergise to deliver our low-carbon solutions and to start our decarbonisation journey.”

Amanda Chapman-Richardson
School Business Manager, The Corsham School