The Sustainable Construction Innovation Network (iNet), the
Northampton-based organisation which identifies and assists
businesses developing innovative techniques for use in construction
arena, has just revealed it played a significant part in the
development of a new innovative integrated renewable geothermal
system for Northamptonshire-based Cool Planet Technologies, which
was recently bought out by British Gas New Energy for
£500,000.
The iNet has announced it supported Cool Planet with Innovation,
Advice and Guidance worth £10,291 for fieldwork and analysis
to develop its combined ground source heat pump and sustainable
urban drainage systems (SUDS), known as 'Formpave'. The outcome of
this research found that the Formpave product would dramatically
reduce installation costs as one excavation would be sufficient to
install both systems. Cool Planet has progressed with this research
and is now considered one of the leading companies for designing,
selling and installing ground and air source heat pumps in both the
commercial and public sectors.
Barrie Billinghay, iNet innovation advisor, said: "The iNet's
involvement with Cool Planet was very much at the beginning of the
company's development and it became apparent very quickly that
through more detailed research, the product could become hugely
commercially viable. The news of their recent buyout by British Gas
New Energy is extremely pleasing for us, particularly in these
stringent times when construction success stories are somewhat
scarce. I wish all the team at Cool Planet the very best for the
future."
Over the past 18 months the Sustainable Construction iNet, which
is funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), has helped more than 35
businesses in the East Midlands with targeted funding support to
improve their products, processes or services to become more
commercially viable in the construction industry, and more than 150
with specialist advice & guidance.