Space To Develop Hot Water & Heating

Space To Develop Hot Water & Heating

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How relocating heating and hot water systems in commercial buildings can drive real value from underutilised space…

The most valuable asset any business or organisation has is space, space to grow, develop and drive advantage. Within the built environment the drive for more space is a balancing act between granting applicable and preferably comfortable space for those using the building and meeting the infrastructural and systemic needs of operating the building.

There typically has to be some kind of give in the drive for creating or freeing up useable space if that activity impacts on the necessary systems, in particular heating, cooling, lighting and water.

Hotels are a great example of this drive to reclaim usable space. The hospitality industry is one of the most competitive there is. Hotels are continually fighting with the competition to offer the most affordable rates, the best amenities, and the most outstanding guest services — all while also making a profit. The easiest way to charge more for a room is by adding space to it, or by adding more rooms in total. Either way that is going to help improve the bottom line. The same goes for restaurants, where maximising floor space means more tables. Whilst hoteliers and restaurateurs will look to every square centimetre of their properties for opportunities to maximise revenue, other organisations will have very different drivers. Consider schools, where larger class sizes have increasingly driven a demand for teaching space. How many schools have had to surrender playing fields to locate portacabin style classrooms which are obviously not ideal?

This brings us to the kinds of underutilised or wasted ‘dead’ space in and around buildings. Internal space is potentially incredibly valuable, so leveraging external space to free it up can be truly advantageous. The question is what can be given up to makes such gains? The simple answer might be your HVAC plant.

Plant rooms, or boiler houses as they were known, vary from purpose-built to jury-rigged spaces used to accommodate heating and hot water systems. Basements are typically repurposed in older commercial buildings, whilst it is not unusual to find them tucked in amongst other rooms creating a mixed-use setting. Wouldn’t it be advantageous to separate such building services and relocate them away from those using the building whilst improving the efficiency of the system for a host of benefits including lower operational costs and reduced emissions?

Simply upgrading to a new gas condensing boiler or electric water heater can deliver notable efficiency improvements over models from just 10 years ago, and today’s modern appliances pack that into much more compact, space-saving formats. So, you could gain greater capability from a smaller footprint in your plant room, and potentially reclaim a few square meters. But what if you could reclaim the entire plant room?

Refurbishing plant to a new location may sound drastic, but that needn’t be the case. Increasingly the construction industry has embraced the idea of offsite construction, creating modular units or systems that are pre-installed and ready for relatively quick and simple connection once delivered to a site. The process streamlines a construction programme along with offering numerous savings as site work is dramatically sped up. Now, this process can be as easily applied to refurbishment projects as it is to new build. All you need is an underutilised space. For many commercial buildings that means flat roofs, yards or car parks, spaces that are inexpensive to adapt, require low to no maintenance and have either been ignored or are underused.

With the proliferation of car ownership, it might at first seem unlikely that the car park is being underused. But the drive to encourage walking, cycling and car-sharing has had an impact, and developers who have previously pushed for more open parking space than ever before are now being challenged to repurpose some of that space. In terms of Identifying functional opportunities to better leverage this space, the siting of plant fits the bill. Turing over just one or two car spaces can have a dramatic impact on the capability of heating system, providing enough square meterage to easily accommodate a mid-sized packaged plant room offering, for example, a boiler cascade and heat exchanger assembly. Or the space could be used to locate Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) that drive system sustainability whilst lowering CO2 emissions.

Relocation to flat rooftops is especially valuable. This is truly ‘dead space’ for most buildings, but it provides a broad opportunity to relocate heating and hot water plant safely and more securely. A simple crane lift is all it takes to locate a prefabricated plant room, and these can be of considerable size and complexity should the roof space be large enough to accommodate. Additionally, the space lends itself to locating hybrid systems that integrate renewable and sustainable technologies. We have already mentioned the use of ASHPs, and a rooftop placement not only typically supplies unimpeded airflow, the noise, though relatively low, now becomes almost unnoticeable to those on the ground.

Flat roofs are also perfect for the installation of solar thermal systems, where a framework is constructed to align the collectors for optimal energy collection. That energy is then transferred to the building’s water system. One of the biggest threats to the efficiency of a solar thermal system is the heat loss between the collector and hot water storage, which results from potentially long pipe runs from the roof to the plant room. By locating the plant room on the roof, pipe run is minimised as are thermal losses, so you get more energy for your investment.

These are just a few examples of where Adveco’s application design, system prefabrication and expertise in hybrid and renewable technology can help maximise underutilised space. Modern, high-efficiency systems deliver new versatility for addressing changing demands of the building whilst still reducing operational expenditure on energy and helping drive actual sustainability within an organisation.

If your business or organisation is looking to

Talk to us today or read more about our renewables and packaged plant room systems.

Net zero guidelines from Adveco heating

Government Outlines Ten Step Plan In Drive Towards Net Zero

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a £4bn package to:

“Create, support and protect hundreds of thousands of green jobs, whilst making strides towards net zero by 2050. Our green industrial revolution will be powered by the wind turbines, propelled by the electric vehicles and advanced by the latest technologies, so we can look ahead to a more prosperous, greener future.”

The plan is wide-ranging, with a clear focus on creating jobs and addressing climate change at the same time, but many have challenged the allocation of funds needed to deliver on the challenge.

The Prime Minister’s plan outlines ten key deliverables:

  1. Produce enough offshore wind to power every home in the UK, quadrupling how much it produces to 40 gigawatts by 2030.
  2. Create five gigawatts of ‘low carbon’ hydrogen production capacity by 2030 – for industry, transport, power and homes – with the first town heated by hydrogen by 2030.
  3. Making homes, schools and hospitals greener, warmer and more energy efficient, including an aggressive target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028.
  4. Accelerate the transition to electric vehicles by phasing out sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by the end of the decade.
  5. Advancing the provisioning of nuclear power as a clean energy source, with new plant likely to be located at Sizewell and a new generation of small nuclear reactors.
  6. Invest in zero-emission public transport for the future.
  7. Support projects researching zero-emission fuels for planes and ships.
  8. Develop carbon capture technology with a target of removing 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030.
  9. Plant 30,000 hectares of trees a year.
  10. Create a global centre of green innovation and finance based in the City of London.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma has stated that the announced £4bn investment is part of a wider £12bn package of public investment, but to put that sum into perspective, Germany has already committed to a €7bn investment in hydrogen alone to deliver a filling station network and create a hydrogen-powered train.

Concerted efforts to further decarbonise the grid through offshore wind, nuclear power and a further a subsidy of up to £500m to develop hydrogen production, partly by excess energy from offshore wind, will continue to impact on the way new and replacement commercial heating and hot water systems will be designed. But there remains little indication of how these investments in the green economy will directly support commercial organisations coming under pressure to address ageing, inefficient systems. The Government failed to gauge the scale of demand from domestic sites with the Green Homes Grant, and this plan has extended that support for a further year to attempt to address the over-subscription already seen, and the same can be said for businesses that are facing a short timeframe to secure non-domestic RHI support, without a clear replacement being announced. The initial propositions for replacement commercial Green Grants, being excised.

The drive to see the installation of 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 is again a domestic focus, although hospitals and schools have been quoted in the same breath, and no doubt additional public sector funding is going to be extended to drive this adoption. But it is worth remembering that the demands and complexity of a commercial system based around a heat pump is decidedly more complex than a domestic installation. Even now, the domestic market is struggling to identify where the large number of competent, approved installers for these hundreds of thousands of heat pumps is coming from, and that scenario will be more deeply felt in the commercial space. The lack of provisioning for large scale retraining of installers is concerning, and again a failure to show support for commercial organisations that are increasingly being mandated to demonstrate clear and real investment in sustainable and low carbon technology seems to be a critical oversight. Especially given the percentage of emissions building stock contributes each year.

Labour MP Alun Whitehead, shadow minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has stated that a mixed approach encompassing different technology types such as electric and gas solutions was the way to ensure heat decarbonisation.

“We believe in speedy progress on heat decarbonisation, but we need to see a horses for courses approach. This would include heat pumps – or hybrid heat pumps where appropriate – particularly in new build and off-grid properties; district heating islands in more urban areas; and a substantial expansion of green gas (bio-methane and hydrogen) in the system.”

The Labour Party expects gas heat, specifically from boilers modified for greener fuels, to be an essential part of the decarbonisation of UK buildings. Labour’s Green Economic Recovery strategy hints at the importance of hydrogen, and in sourcing greener hydrogen produced via electrolysis, for transforming how buildings get their heat. It also highlights the need to retrain workers and create new roles around greener energy and infrastructure, as well as supporting businesses to become more sustainable.

There remains a year until the COP26 UN summit, to be hosted in Glasgow, anticipated by many to be the most critical since the Paris Agreement in 2015. That gives twelve months to further define objectives and provide a clear path with meaningful inducement for the commercial sector if the increasingly aggressive timetable is to be met. The previous carbon budgets set by the government have been achieved, but the ‘easy wins’ are now behind us; future carbon budgets are no longer on track to be achieved and it will only get more difficult. This ten-point plan, should be seen as encouraging, establishing a more defined set of targets for the nation, but greater clarity is required and much still needs to be done in terms of ensuring their practical delivery.

Talk to Adveco today about how you can leverage renewables including air source heat pumps, solar thermal and heat recovery to drive sustainability within your commercial hot water and heating systems.

Non-domestic RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) gains 12–month extension with a scheme closure application deadline of 31st March 2021.

Non-domestic RHI Gains 12–month Extension

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Originally set to finish at the end of March 2021, and in response to delays caused to building projects by COVID-19, the Government’s non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) has received a 12-month extension. In response to concerns raised by stakeholders that a significant number of existing projects would fail to meet the scheme closure application deadline of 31st March 2021, affected projects are now able to submit an extension application.

Those existing projects unable to commission and accredit to the scheme before the previous deadline now can extend these processes until 31 March 2022.

With increasing pressure to decarbonise in line with the Government’s ambitious net zero targets, the preservation of reliable and continued funding for the commercial sector is critical if organisations are to be further encouraged in the adoption of future-proof sustainable developments. With no clear, immediate replacement for the RHI, concerns had been raised regarding the lack of incentivisation for the commercial sector, as new schemes focussed on domestic installations. Given around 40% of UK greenhouse gas emissions are accounted for by heating, cooling, ventilation, the provision of hot water and lighting the built environment, and some 17% is generated by commercial building stock, it is clear that more help is required to drive the uptake of renewables and more sustainable systems if the UK is to achieve climate-neutral buildings by 2050.

Designed to provide financial incentives to increase the uptake of renewable heat by businesses, the public sector and non-profit organisations, the non-domestic RHI is currently applicable to air source heat pumps, such as the Adveco FPi range and L70, and solar thermal for commercial uses including large and small businesses, plus schools and hospitals. Administrated by Ofgem on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), tier one of the RHI incentivises non-domestic energy producers for either the life of the installation or 20 years as a maximum. If conditions are met, with equipment, including a generation meter, being installed by a microgeneration certification scheme (MCS) accredited installer, eligible businesses in England, Scotland and Wales will now continue to be paid for installations completed and commissioned before 2022.

Once successfully accredited, systems will receive quarterly payments per kilowatt-hour (kWth) of energy use, however, if metered as a multiple system, which includes either ASHP or solar thermal and a gas boiler, then payment is made purely for the heat generated by the heat pump or solar thermal aspect of the application.

The current 2020/21 (non-domestic) tariff are:

  • For new air source heat pumps – 2.79(p/kWh)*
  • For new solar thermal collectors less than 200kWth in size (tier 1) – 10.98(p/kWh)*

For specifiers and developers installing renewable heating systems on commercial buildings or small-to-medium-scale district heating projects, the extension also provides crucial financial support ahead of the Green Heat Network Scheme (GHNS) coming into force in April 2022.

*For more information on non-domestic RHI and the full conditions of eligibility, refer to the energy regulator Ofgem.

Adveco L70 Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP).

Adveco L70 ASHP For Hot Water With 70% Less CO₂

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  • 90 kW maximum output for hybrid domestic hot water and heating
  • Specifically designed for the UK climate (-20°C to +35°C)
  • Reduce CO₂ by as much as 70% compared to gas-fired systems

Nov 9th 2020 – Commercial hot water and heating specialist Adveco extends its range of commercial air source heat pumps (ASHP) with the introduction of the Adveco L70. This high-capacity air-to-water monobloc heat pump is designed for the UK climate providing hybrid domestic hot water (DHW) and heating.

Bill Sinclair, technical director, Adveco said:

“In conjunction with Adveco’s bespoke application design, the L70 offers a comprehensive response for sustainable heating and hot water, providing high-efficiency, low-emission, low cost to operate systems for the life of a commercial building.”

Rated 70kW for typical UK operation at 5°C but climbing to a maximum 90 kW from a single compact unit, and with a seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) as high as 4.08 the L70 is perfect for large scale commercial applications and can operate as part of a cascade installation for projects demanding greater capacity. The L70’s dual compressor configuration allows for staged start-up to limit current draw and gives the flexibility to drop to half output under low load conditions.

With ASHPs offering greater efficiencies in low-temperature systems, the high-temperature demands of commercial DHW applications can be a challenge. Achieving working flow temperatures up to 60°C, the L70 supplies preheat for hybrid applications composed of combinations of plate heat exchangers, buffer vessel, with calorifiers, gas-fired boilers or direct-electric water heating providing essential additional heat to meet commercial requirements.

The L70 will dramatically lower CO₂ when analysed using the carbon intensity figures from the new SAP10.  Compared to gas-based systems the carbon emissions are reduced by around 70%, when using the SCOP of 3.47 measured at 55°C flow temperature (Ecodesign warm European temperature zone with a reference design temperature of 2°C).

The L70 remains eligible for applications for the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) until March 2022 and is ideal for projects applying to the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund to drive energy efficiency.

Additional information: L70 ASHP

Adveco L70 Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP).

  • Dual refrigerant circuits with smart control and built-in remote monitoring system.
  • COP 3.65 (7°C ambient) to 2.83 (-10°C ambient) at 35°C water temperature.
  • Maximum working temperature/ambient air -20°C to +35°C
  • Automatic reverse cycle for built-in frost protection.
  • Maximum working temperature range /waterside 25 to 60°C
  • Noise level 51.6 dB(A) (sound pressure at 10m).
  • W2180mm H2100mm D1070mm.
  • Dry mass 900kg.
Time for Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP).

Time for a Switch to Air Source Heat Pumps

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Heating and hot water account for around one-third of the UK’s carbon emissions, so it is not surprising that it continues to receive a considerable amount of scrutiny, especially from those in power.

In 2016, the UK along with the world’s other leading economies signed the Paris Climate Accord, committing to keep global warming under 2°C. As a result, and in order to meet the target, a series of objectives have been set, a crucial one being a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050, as advised by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).

The government is taking decarbonisation seriously and the switch to air source heat pumps  (ASHP) seems to be something they are eager to encourage, for both commercial and multiple occupancy residential properties.

Commercial heating – A Renewable Re-invention

In 2016, a study revealed the fact that 14% of carbon emissions can be attributed to industrial processes. This is in addition to the heating and hot water demands being met by the burning of fossil fuels.

With air source heat pumps offering very high efficiencies under the right conditions, retrofitting commercial properties will make a considerable dent in current emissions, helping that all-important carbon-neutral goal to be achieved on schedule.

Yet convincing commercial organisations to adopt something new is not always the easiest job. With upgrades comes a cost, but something so fundamental as hot water and heating offers a business case for it to gain sufficient support.

Additionally, there are many practical benefits to switching to high-efficiency heat pumps, reducing energy consumption means less CO₂ production and lower operational costs, and don’t forget your company gets all the kudos it deserves for going green.

With that said, here is a summary of all the potential advantages of your company adopting heat pumps:

#1 Reduce CO₂ Output, Earn Green Kudos

Quitting your company’s sole reliance on a gas-based system can drastically cut your CO₂ emissions. Heat pumps produce heat without emitting any CO₂, and the small amount of energy required by a unit from the electric grid is increasingly becoming decarbonised. So, advertising the fact that your company working towards attaining net-zero is a brilliant way to show you are playing your part.

Many people do care intensely about the green agenda, so many people like to see the companies they use showing their support and decarbonising their operations, so advertising the fact that you have gone green is sure to impress.

#2 Reduce Operational Energy Costs

For many organisations, the energy bill can be a contentious issue. There is a struggle between keeping energy costs down, while at the same time, maintaining a working environment where staff and visitors feel warm and comfortable.

Under the right conditions, heat pumps offer an extremely efficient alternative for heating or providing hot water to a building. Heat pumps have a negligible demand for electricity and instead of burning carbon-rich fossil fuels to produce heat, using the principle of vapour compression, a heat pump utilises the heat that already exists in the environment. Escaping the reliance on fossil fuels means you are no longer at the mercy of unplanned for cost increases, allowing those resources to be directed to a more rewarding part of your business.

#3 Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund

For public sector organisations, the Governments new Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund is a £1b fund being made available now for the upgrade of public buildings and social housing to make them more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. As with all current Government decarbonisation initiatives, ASHPs are perceived to have a key role in attaining change that is rapidly required from both new build projects and more critically ageing building stock. The latter especially throw up a range of physical and technical challenges when it comes to adapting or upgrading to new, more efficient systems. Therefore, it is critical to speak to experts, such as Adveco, early on when it comes to scoping out a project and agreeing an application design which delivers on the criteria established under the Decarbonisation Fund.

#4 Adaptability

Heat pumps offer maximum versatility, being able to be installed into a variety of building types and sizes. For larger-scale commercial applications, the annual fluctuation in efficiency due to shifts in ambient temperature, and the peak and high-temperature demands of commercial domestic hot water (DHW) systems means hybrid approaches that combine ASHP with secondary heat sources (gas or electric) are most likely to be required. Despite the potential complexity, the versatility of the ASHP enables it to be integrated in a variety of ways that meet the typically bespoke requirements of such projects.

Whether you have a large single building, or several smaller buildings, a school or medical centre with a substantial heating or hot water needs, heat pumps can help meet the unique demands of the site.

#5 Minimal Upkeep 

Air source heat pumps which have been correctly specified to the regional climate will provide consistent operation absorbing heat from the air throughout the year. For the UK, Adveco will size units based on the Ecodesign Average European Temperature Scale, which sets a minimum reference design temperature of -10°C. This allows for the realistic calculations of Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP). That said, units will still efficiently operate down to -20°C, and many southern and western regions of the UK exhibit much warmer climate.

Despite continually operating at often sub-zero temperatures during the colder months, heat pumps require very little maintenance and, of course, there is no risk of carbon monoxide, CO₂ or NOₓ from the appliance. Smart, remote monitoring ensures any potential issues are quickly flagged and attended to, and if serviced regularly, a heat pump can easily last as long as 20 years

Time to Consider Changing to Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP)

Heat pumps are repeatedly cited in government documentation, so their adoption will no doubt be incentivised. Making the switch to ASHPs offers a variety of benefits for commercial enterprises and public sector organisations, meeting the obligations for sustainable investment and ‘greening the brand’, but it also helps your organisation to maximise its operational budget.

The commercial and public sectors are going to be a key part of the UK achieving its carbon-neutral goal by 2050. There has never been a better time to adopt the technology and reap the rewards of renewability.

Adveco: Time for a Switch to Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP).To request a meeting with Adveco to discuss your project call us on 01252 551 540 or use the form here.

This blog was co-authored with boilerbrain.