John N Dunn Group has successfully completed a multi-property, low-carbon heating installation project at the Net Zero Research Village (NeRV), located at Low Thornley, near Gateshead.
The company delivered the full mechanical and electrical works associated with low-carbon heating solutions across eight of NeRV’s unique test properties. A team from the Leeds Sustainability Institute at Leeds Beckett University will be independently analysing the data reports generated through the installations.
NeRV (Net Zero Research Village) is a whole-systems research, development and demonstration facility, which is owned by Northern Gas Networks. It supports the UK’s transition to Net Zero by providing a real-world test environment where low-carbon technologies can be installed, monitored and assessed across different housing types. The site includes Futures Close a development of Instrumented homes representing construction eras from the 1910s through to the 1990s.
Each property is fitted with sensors to capture detailed data on temperature, humidity, energy and water consumption, enabling analysis of how retrofit and low-carbon technologies perform in real time.
Founded over a century ago and headquartered in Newcastle, John N Dunn Group has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality mechanical, electrical installation and maintenance services across a wide range of projects, from large-scale construction schemes to reactive maintenance. Serving major UK housing developers, housing associations and commercial contractors, the company operates across the North East, Yorkshire and Scotland, having successfully completed over 7,000 contracts.
With extensive experience in renewable and low-carbon technologies, including heat pump installations, hybrid systems and retrofit programmes, the business continues to support the UK’s transition to more sustainable housing and infrastructure.
Works completed by John N Dunn Group included the Installation of air source heat pumps (ASHPs), hybrid ASHP and gas boiler systems and air conditioning Installations.
A diverse mix of manufacturers and system types were utilised, supporting the wider monitoring and research objectives of the NeRV project. Mitsubishi ASHPs were installed in two 1930s houses, with one system uniquely piped in 10mm microbore to radiators, enabling comparison against traditional 15mm pipework. Vaillant ASHP systems were fitted to two of the three terraced properties, including one standard ASHP installation and one hybrid system integrating a Vaillant boiler.
A Daikin split system ASHP was installed in a detached house, while a Daikin monobloc unit served a detached bungalow. A Worcester hybrid system (ASHP and gas boiler) was installed in a ground-floor flat and a Worcester air conditioning system was fitted to the first-floor flat.
Additional works carried out on the site included upgrading the loft insulation, power flushing the pipework systems and the installation of heat meters for data collection.
The Leeds Sustainability Institute at Leeds Beckett University is now engaged in analysing system performance, which will contribute valuable insights into the effectiveness of different low-carbon heating configurations.
Lee Haddock, managing director of the Newcastle office at John N Dunn Group, said: “It’s been fantastic to work on this project as it’s taken us beyond installation, helping to support the development of practical, scalable solutions for decarbonising UK homes. This is a truly groundbreaking scheme, from which the data and insights generated will be invaluable in informing future projects.
“John N Dunn Group is committed to playing a leading role in creating low-carbon, sustainable living and working spaces and will continue to support the delivery of innovative technologies that help accelerate the transition to net zero across the built environment.”
