The energy services (ESCo) division of Vital Energi, Vital Community Energi, has inked deals to develop, own and run the energy centre at Edmonstone Village, a 709-home residential scheme in the southeast of the city. 

All of the scheme’s heat supply is generated from a sole, locally managed plant, without any individual gas boilers in any of the homes on site.

Because heat is produced by air source heat pumps at a central energy centre and delivered to homes through insulated district heating pipes, residents pay a tariff which is fixed annually. 

The permanent energy centre, aiming to reach commissioning by May 2027, is built around two air source heat pump cascade units, which each consist of three smaller heat pumps, as its main heat source. 

Kieran Walsh, regional manager at Vital Energi, said: “Edmonstone Village represents exactly the kind of long-term commitment we are building this part of the business around.

“We are not coming into design and build an energy centre and hand it over. We are investing in this community for the next four decades, owning the asset, operating it, maintaining it, and standing behind the heat supply for every resident who moves in.”

Walsh added: “That means residents get a managed, resilient service with pricing that is not at the mercy of global gas markets.”

Avant Homes, which has its Scotland regional head office located in Edinburgh, is spearheading a £87 million, 312-home scheme in Edmonstone Village.
 
In response to the Vital Energi agreement, Avant Homes Scotland’s land and special projects director, Iain Allison, said: “Edmonstone Village is an excellent example of the housebuilding industry’s transition towards greener energy use in line with the environmental ambitions of the Scottish government.

“Our partnership with Vital Energi ensures our development contributes towards the government’s net zero targets and the ultimate objective of the removal of gas boilers in all new homes.”