Guildford, Surrey, September 24th, 2025 – The Diocese of Guildford has taken a significant first step towards decarbonising its entire school estate, by installing low-carbon heating systems at 11 schools across Surrey. The move is part of a long-term sustainability programme supported by funding from the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), which is administered by Salix Finance.
Back in 2021, the Diocese – backed by specialist consultancy ReEnergise – successfully applied for a Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF) grant, also administered by Salix Finance. This funding enabled ReEnergise and the Diocese jointly to develop detailed heat decarbonisation plans (HDPs) for 41 Church of England schools across Surrey.
Using the data from these plans, ReEnergise helped the Diocese to understand the estate’s energy performance, build a programme of action, and submit a PSDS grant application in late 2022 for the capital works for the first tranche of schools. With a focus on investing in schools with ageing, fossil-fuel heating systems, and targeting the most carbon- and cost-effective sites for replacement, the grant was approved in early 2023.
Nigel Aylwin-Foster, Director at ReEnergise, said, “The LCSF and PSDS grant allocation and administration processes are technically and commercially rigorous, such that any education authority will need expert support in developing and submitting credible and compelling applications. It fell to us to support the Diocese of Guildford with their applications, both of which were successful. At ReEnergise, we are proud of our 100% success rate in PSDS applications.”
The delivery and installation phase began in mid-2023, with ReEnergise acting as project managers. At this stage, detailed heat loss calculations and energy efficiency audits were carried out to confirm the expected carbon savings that would come from the project.
Following a competitive tender process, Viessmann Climate Solutions was selected as the heat pump technology supplier, providing air source heat pump systems tailored to each school’s requirements.
Jonathan Grist, Commercial Sales Director at Viessmann Climate Solutions UK, said: “It has been great to partner again with ReEnergise, who are incredibly experienced and knowledgeable in school decarbonisation programmes. Besides Viessmann’s role as a technology supplier, we’ve enjoyed helping to educate children and staff at the schools in how heat pumps work.
“Our customers know we are never far away. Now the heat pumps are installed, we’re continuing to support the Diocese and ReEnergise with remote energy and performance monitoring, ensuring the heating systems are optimised for energy efficiency.”
The units ranged from the compact 10 kW Vitocal 150-A heat pump at Newdigate Pre-School to a 384 kW system using three Vitocal 200-A Pro units at The Priory School in Dorking. In total, 15 individual systems were installed across 11 schools, with the works carried out by Aston Cord Energy Services Ltd between July 2024 and March 2025.
Simon Hayes, Managing Director at Aston Cord Energy Services said: “Delivering decarbonisation during term time in live school environments brings unique challenges, requiring meticulous planning and execution. I’m proud of the Aston Cord team for their professionalism and adaptability throughout.”
Now fully commissioned and operational, the new systems are expected to save over 466 tonnes of CO2 annually due to the removal of fossil fuel heating. They will also reduce total energy use by almost 1.8 million kWh, due to the much greater efficiency of heat pumps compared to gas boilers. This equates to a 70% reduction in total annual energy consumption across the upgraded schools.
Mike Giles, School Buildings & Estates Manager for the Diocese of Guildford said: “With the support of the PSDS, we have taken a vital first step toward our sustainability goals. These 11 installations are just the beginning. The heat decarbonisation plans and first PSDS grant have laid strong foundations upon which we can continue to build moving forward.”
The PSDS installation of air source heat pumps has provided schools with vital funding to replace outdated, fossil-fuel heating systems with cleaner, more efficient alternatives. For many schools, it has been a great opportunity to make significant progress toward Net Zero, reduce energy bills, improve learning environments for pupils and encourage further pupil awareness of sustainability.
In the future, it is hoped that the project will serve as a blueprint for other educational authorities, Dioceses and trusts embarking on their own decarbonisation journeys.
The 11 Diocese of Guildford schools with new heat pumps are:
- Busbridge C of E Junior School
- Chilworth C of E Infant School
- Crookham C of E Infant School
- Newdigate C of E Infant School
- St Bartholomew’s C of E Primary School
- St Matthew’s C of E Infant School
- St Peter’s C of E Junior School, Farnborough
- St Peter’s C of E Primary School, Farnham
- The Chandler C of E Junior School
- The Priory C of E Secondary School Dorking
- Wonersh and Shamley Green C of E Primary School
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About ReEnergise
ReEnergise is a one-stop shop for all energy related matters in schools and colleges, ranging from energy systems engineering and project management through to energy broking.
The company has had an unrivalled success rate in securing and implementing PSDS grants for clients, but now that the PSDS is ending our focus has shifted to energy optimisation: that means ensuring all aspects of each client school’s buying, generation and use of energy have been rendered as efficient and cost-effective as they reasonably can be. Our tailored and targeted approach means that we can offer support programmes to suit any budget.
About the Diocese of Guildford
The Diocese of Guildford supports over 80 Church of England schools across Surrey and parts of Hampshire Council, with its strong commitment to educational excellence and environmental stewardship rooted in distinctive Christian values.
The Diocese aims to deliver elevated standards within schools in creating safe, inspiring, and sustainable learning environments by partnership with school leaders, governors, and local communities.
Led by the Diocesan Director of Education Alex Tear, through its School Buildings and Estates Team, the Diocese provides VA Schools strategic leadership, practical guidance, and access to funding to help schools manage their estates, meet statutory compliance, and progress towards achieving Net Zero carbon targets.
The Diocese remains committed to empowering schools to enable long-term sustainability.”
About Viessmann Climate Solutions
Founded in 1917 as a heating technology manufacturer, today Viessmann Climate Solutions is a leading global provider of sustainable climate (heating, cooling, water and air quality) and renewable energy solutions. The Integrated Viessmann Climate Solutions portfolio seamlessly connects products and systems via digital platforms and services, creating an individualized feel-good climate for users. Viessmann Climate Solutions is part of Carrier Global Corporation, global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions that matter for people and our planet for generations to come. For more information, visit https://www.viessmann-climatesolutions.com/en.html.