Standen House & Cottages Boiler Replacements Project
- Published:
- 07 September 2025
We’re installing a pellet biomass system to provide heating and hot water to the house & three apartments, plus two Air-Source Heat Pump systems to cater for Standen Cottage. Works will start in September and be complete in November.
Renewable Energy Programme
As a charity, we are committed to becoming net zero by 2030. This means reducing our carbon footprint through removing fossil fuels from our properties and replacing with low-carbon technologies alongside a suite of energy efficiency actions and offsetting.
The Renewable Energy Programme is committed to:
- Save 2,078 tonnes of carbon from our Scope 1 (In-hand) emissions by 2030
- Achieving Value for Money by using a £/kW assessment for all projects
- Reducing and removing oil and LPG wherever possible and the environmental risks these pose to the local environment.
What fuel do these technologies use?
- The biomass system will use wood pellets which are housed in room next to the boilers. Historically, this room has stored the house’s heating oil and coal, and so, this project is continuing this fuel-feed set up but with a renewable twist. The timber used to make the pellets will be grown and produced in the UK.
- Air-Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) use electricity at an estimated 280 – 350% efficiency by using the latent warmth of the air to heat up a refrigerant that boils at -44°C, so even the coldest months are acceptable conditions for these systems.
- ASHPs run at low temperatures using a ‘little and often’ approach to provide a consistent ambient temperature.
What’s happening?
- We’re removing 5 existing oil boilers and 3 oil tanks
- Repairing the chimney stack tiles & installing a new flue liner
- Installing 2 new pellet biomass boilers and fuel store in the house plant room
- Installing 2 ASHPs systems in the back gardens of the Cottages and upgrading their radiators to match the lower temperatures.
What are the benefits of this project?
- Removing 27,000 litres of oil per year from site and reducing the environmental risks associated with the storage and delivery of oil.
- Continuing the legacy of Philip Webb’s design by using modern and sustainable technology at Standen by converting Standen onto low-carbon alternatives and removing all fossil fuels from site.
- Restoring a historic door in the plant room which was bricked up in 1963 and futureproofing the site for further improvements to the heating system & controls.
- Saving Standen 60 tonnes of CO2e (Carbon Dioxide Equivalent) a year by producing 391,108kWh of renewable energy.
Explore the estate at Standen
Enjoy self-guided walks through 100 acres of West Sussex countryside on the Standen estate, including ancient woodlands, wildflower meadows and links to the Bluebell Steam Railway.
The garden at Standen
Stroll around the Arts and Crafts inspired hillside garden at Standen, explore themed outdoor rooms and find a rare collection of plants including ones grown by Margaret Beale.
The house at Standen
Explore the family home of the Beales, designed by Philip Webb and furnished throughout by Morris & Co fabrics and wallpapers. An Arts and Crafts inspired comfortable country retreat.
