What’s turning the wheel of decarbonisation in the public sector? see page 14
A sustainable procurement strategy reaches every corner of your supply chain, from sourcing and suppliers to materials and workers. Some examples of sustainable procurement include:
• purchasing electricity from renewable sources
• using energy e icient technologies such as LED lighting
• changing fleet vehicles to ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV) or electric vehicles (EV)
• using low carbon construction materials
As sustainability continues to grow in significance on the global agenda, it’s imperative to align your procurement strategy with the evolving values of stakeholders, customers, and employees.
Learn how building sustainability into procurement can help you achieve net zero: crowncommercial.gov.uk/procurement-essentials-cnz
Reports of continuous alarms on pump stations or slow draining, blocked drains? These are the headaches facility managers might be used to, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Metro Rod’s specialist drainage and pump engineers are here to help prevent disruption for you and your customers.
Sewage pumps are essential for moving wastewater from buildings into the main sewer line. If they fail or are not maintained, neglected pumps can unexpectedly break down, causing wastewater to overflow. This not only puts your customers at risk from contaminated waste spilling into the building but can also create leaks in the pipework leading to damp in the property walls.
With the demand for facilities increasing and costs rising, FM providers must review their drainage and pump maintenance to keep on top of building safety and prevent minor issues from escalating.
Pump Maintenance Service and Repairs:
Much like a service on your car or boiler, a Pump Maintenance Plan can be implemented to ensure your sewage pump station runs smoothly without causing your customers hassle. Regular cleans and checks on the condition of the pumps and control panel can help keep the system running, check
its efficiency, and identify any minor issues that can escalate. Helping you extend the life of the pump, reduce the risk of disruption for your customers, and save you money in the long run.
Pump Installation and Design: When it comes to new buildings and the installation of pumps, we truly understand the complexity involved. In partnership with our sister company Willow Pumps, our in-house design specialists can assess your site’s requirements to create a bespoke design to ensure your site has a robust sewage removal process. Working to SFA (Sewers for Adoption) and SSG (Sewer Sector Guidance) standards, we can also install your pump station and see it through the adoption process to provide you with a complete one-
stop shop from design to installation and maintenance.
At Metro Rod, we believe prevention is better than a cure. It’s far better to carry out maintenance at a time that suits you than have more significant issues later down the line, resulting in out-of-use facilities and disruption for your customers. Building a preplanned drain maintenance plan can provide you with services such as grease trap emptying, drain cleaning, gully emptying and much more, carried out at a time that suits your business and reduces emergency callouts to save you money.
To discuss your pump maintenance and drainage plans or arrange a free site visit, please visit www.metrorod.co.uk
The Public Sector Sustainability Association (PSSA) provides a professional association and network for all those working in the Public Sector who have a common interest in sustainability.
For more information on joining, please visit www.pssa.info
As the UK’s leading provider of specialist services to the construction and FM sectors, PTSG’s engineers enjoy views from some of the nation’s finest buildings as they go about their work in five independent divisions.
This ‘view from the top’ was a project in London’s Square Mile (11 Pilgrim Street) in which our Access & Safety engineers delivered a new system that will enable operatives to safely access the building’s façade in order to carry out essential maintenance work.
Eco-friendly water filtration and reusable glass bottle company, EcoPure Waters, is delighted to announce its new partnership with 5-star resort The Chedi Luštica Bay in Montenegro.
EcoPure Waters, a leading provider of sustainable solutions for water provision, has provided The Chedi with its eco-friendly water filtration systems and reusable glass bottles to aid the resort in eliminating single-use plastic water bottles from its operations.
Water filtration systems provided include an EcoPure Top Control for supplying the hotel’s 111 rooms and suites, and an EcoPure Blu Bar for its main restaurant. Additionally, the installation includes an EcoPure Capping Machine and a supply of custom-branded reusable 750ml designer screw-top glass bottles.
“The Chedi’s passion for sustainability aligns perfectly with EcoPure Waters’ commitment to providing eco-friendly solutions that promote a healthier planet”, said Paul Proctor, Managing Director at EcoPure Waters.
“The Chedi is a forward-thinking company that understands the requirement of today’s consumers for hospitality brands to invest in safeguarding the planet. Our offering plays a significant role in helping The Chedi realise its environmental goals and I am proud to be supporting its vision”.
“With this partnership, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility”, said Jan Albers, General Manager at The Chedi. “Water is filtered on-site, removing our need to buy in plastic bottles. Guests at The Chedi now enjoy refreshing artisan water while lowering their carbon footprints and contributing to a greener future”.
“Our partnership, which began in February 2023, marks an exciting development in our growth in Montenegro”, said Simon Chapman, Business Manager at EcoPure Waters. “The Chedi Luštica Bay is the second partner for EcoPure Waters in Montenegro, following our successful partnership with
Voco Montenegro. Word of our sustainable solutions for water provision is spreading fast and we look forward to expanding our territory in Southeastern Europe and beyond”.
The Chedi Luštica Bay is a 5-star Montenegro hotel situated in the heart of the Luštica Peninsula. The Chedi Luštica Bay offers an array of activities for its guests, such as kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and hiking, providing them with the opportunity to explore its stunning surroundings. To find out more about The Chedi Luštica Bay, its impeccable service, and exquisite accommodations, please visit www.chedilusticabay.com.
EcoPure Waters has been manufacturing, supplying, and maintaining market-leading water purification systems and custom-branded glass bottles for over 30 years, helping over 700 clients worldwide reduce their environmental impact, save money, and create powerful branding opportunities. To find out more about EcoPure Waters, please visit www. ecopurewaters.com.
Tom attended a blind customer’s house where he found the customer’s dog had passed away. The customer was completely unaware. Tom worked tirelessly to complete the job and then respectfully informed the customer, and provided comfort until his carer arrived.
Drainage, sewage pump, tanker and plumbing solutions. Find out more: www.metrorod.co.uk
Most people would run away, we’re not most people.
This will be the first time Clivet has exhibited at HVACRLive ’23 at ExCel and we can’t wait! We are planning to launch at this amazing event with a bang and for the first time in the UK, and show you the extensive product range Clivet has to offer.
Clivet is a name you all know of but maybe don’t know the full range of what we do, so now is your chance to see that we aren’t just an applied products brand, but have a whole lot more up our sleeve.
Clivet is focused very much on developing new solutions for sustainable comfort for people and the environment. Energy saving and keeping bills down is of paramount importance to us, benefits for people and the planet alike.
Come and see us on Stand B40, 18/19th April at ExCel at the HVACRLive ’23 https://
hvacrlive.com/ where we will be showcasing…
• Clivet Smart Living, the integrated home comfort and energy management system including product showcase of Edge EVO
• Preview of the EZ Cool: A new wall split from Clivet that has R290 refrigerant
• Preview of the VRF CVT8 series, featuring an even wider operating range and higher efficiency than the previous series
• SPLIT systems –including Box 2 multi split,
• ELFOFresh EVO –our award winning fresh air solution for any application
• And much more!
The stand has an easy flow to it and our product demonstrators also can’t wait to greet you!
• Simply by having a short product demonstration on one of our 4 product areas, you will be given a scratch card to win one of 1,300 Clivet prizes to redeem immediately at our prize booth.
• These range from small gifts up to some very high end items!
• Every card is a winner so come along and find out more about our Clivet range, and hopefully you will be a lucky Clivet winner!
Our stand is all about finding out more about Clivet and what we have to offer. It’s a stand you don’t want to miss!
See you on stand B40!
enquiries@clivetgroup.co.uk www.clivet.com
Humidity control specialist, Condair, is celebrating its 75-year anniversary. Having been founded in 1948 as Defensor AG in Switzerland by chemist, Dr Bernard Joos, the company is marking the occasion across its many offices around the world.
Tony Fleming, Managing Director of Condair limited, commented, “75 years is a wonderful milestone to achieve as an organisation. Condair’s longevity is testament to its ability to innovate and proudly develop market leading technology and deliver it with expert knowledge and service support. The company has always been at the forefront of the humidification sector and continues to lead the field in engineering excellence.”
The first product offered back in 1948 was an air spray disinfection system, which “defended” against cattle infections, hence the company name at the time of Defensor. It was soon realised that the humidification properties of the atomiser were greatly beneficial in several manufacturing sectors, particularly cheese ripening rooms. Through the fifties and sixties, Defensor continued to develop humidification technologies in fierce competition with the other main player in the market, Plascon. Spray and evaporative humidifiers were advanced by the two companies, along with the invention of the electrode boiler steam humidifier and the pioneering use of resistive element heaters to boil water and humidify the air.
In 1975, a Swiss importing business, Walter Meier, looking to diversify its portfolio acquired Defensor and entered the humidification market.
Then in 1981 it also acquired Plascon, bringing together the two leading humidification companies. The 80s also saw expansion into North America with the acquisition of Nortec, a significant distributor for both Defensor and Plascon, along with the rebranding of Plascon to Condair.
The organisation continued to develop throughout the 80s and 90s, until in 1995 the world’s largest humidification company was formed with the fusion of the Defensor and Condair companies under the new name of Axair. Further acquisitions in the sector resulted in a total of 12 humidifier companies being owned by the Walter Meier Group by 2012. The decision was then taken by the principal shareholder, Silvan Meier, to consolidate operations under the motto of “one brand, one company” and bring together all its interests in the humidity control sector under the banner of Condair.
Tony Fleming, continues, “Today Condair operates sales and service organisations in 23 countries, has distribution partners in a further 50 regions, and manufacturing facilities in Asia, Europe and North America. The company has been the driving force in
the sector, having invented systems such as the electrode boiler steam humidifier, which is probably the most widely used type of industrial humidifier in the world.
“The company continues to innovate with new smart features such as IoT connected devices, ensuring the end customer gets the very best support directly from the manufacturer. Also with innovative new products, like centrally managed, wholehouse residential humidifiers, controlled by a phone app, which are again pushing the boundaries for the industry.
“Condair also champions the positive purpose of the sector. The company’s claim “Humidity for a better life” communicates both the health benefits of maintaining an optimum indoor humidity, alongside the more traditional manufacturing benefits. We deliver solutions that protect people’s health and we’re committed as a global organisation to increasing awareness of this, and to fulfil our duty to make the built environment healthier. We are very proud of our company’s values and heritage, and we are all delighted to wish ourselves a very happy 75th anniversary. ” Tony concludes.
Accelerating investment in energy efficiency is essential if the UK’s commercial property sector is to meet the strengthened Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) that come into force on 1 April, says lighting manufacturer Tamlite Lighting.
Introduced eight years ago, the MEES legislation stated that property owners or landlords could not grant a tenancy to new or existing tenants of properties with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G. From April this year, those requirements will apply to existing leases too, meaning it will be unlawful to continue to let properties with an F or G rating.
Tamlite has long championed the retrofit of legacy real estate with low carbon technologies including modern LED lighting systems, coupled with intelligent control networks. The company believes that with the replacement of outdated lighting, buildings can be more efficient, generating energy savings of between 60% to 80%. For commercial landlords, this may be the difference between a building being lettable, or unlettable under the forthcoming legal changes.
The news that all let commercial properties will need to have a minimum EPC rating of E has sent shockwaves throughout the UK property market. Recent research by real estate firm Savills (1) has indicated that the changes could mean 185 million sq ft of all retail space in the UK could soon become ‘unlettable’. Whilst a 2023 study from BNP Paribas
Real Estate (2) focused on inner London suggested that 8% of existing commercial stock in that region could be impossible to let after 1 April, 2023.
Failure to comply with the strengthened MEES legislation means significant fines for those who fail to bring their let commercial properties up to standard. The onus is on property owners and landlords to make the necessary changes – and quickly. The most important first step is to build a strong dialogue (including with the tenant) to ensure that the lines of responsibility are transparent, and that an effective timetable is established.
Once those aspects have been defined, stakeholders need to review their use of technology and how it helps – or hinders –the efficiency of their buildings. Total operational carbon emissions from all buildings make up around 17% of the UK’s overall emissions; and when you consider that lighting accounts for nearly 5% of global CO2 emissions (3), it goes to show that the measures being put into place by MEES legislation will make a big difference towards overall energy consumption. And without doubt, one of the most important factors is lighting.
Tamlite designs and manufactures an extensive range of LED systems to suit a wide range of commercial applications, including retail and corporate premises. In addition, it can also provide intelligent controls and sensors that allow businesses to monitor how their spaces are being utilised and make changes to lighting settings. By ensuring that lighting is only in use when required, property owners can set the scene for a further dramatic
reduction in energy consumption.
The Tamlite team says it is ready to help property owners and landlords implement changes that will help prepare them for the MEES measures coming into force in April –and beyond. Because in four years’ time, the regulations will be tightened once again, meaning that a further significant percentage (possibly upwards of 40%) of existing commercial property will become unlettable.
“The imminent alterations to the MEES regulations have underlined how critical it is for building systems to be as efficient as possible,” says Tamlite’s Debbie-Sue Farrell. “Not only does lighting represent one of the greatest single ways in which the energy performance of a building can be improved, it is also a huge factor in improving the longterm wellbeing and productivity of tenants and employees.”
Sources:
1. https://www.punchlinegloucester.com/articles/aanews/ uk-retail-reaches-epc-cliff-edgewith-185-million-sq-ft-at-risk-ofbeing-unlettable-by-next-year
2. https://propertyindustryeye. com/almost-a-quarterof-commercial-propertystock-unlettable-as-meeslegislative-changes-loom/
3. https://www. theclimategroup.org/led
If the UK is to meet its netzero ambitions, it’s imperative that the public sector embrace decarbonisation. But the retrofit and rebuild of tens of thousands of public sector buildings will take time and money.
Revised regulations have set the pace of change for public sector bodies to follow, while funds have come online to support their investments in low and zero carbon initiatives. So, what does the public sector need to know about the journey towards decarbonisation?
As a first step in this long transition, changes to UK Building Regulation Part L –the conservation of fuel and power – came into effect. These introduced greater targets than
ever before to curb fuel usage and improve heating efficiency. Its focus is to reduce CO2 emissions by 31% for dwellings and 27% for other buildings –while providing a new emphasis on low carbon heating systems. This legislative change has highlighted that for nondwellings, where feasible: “all parts of the system, including pipework and emitters, should be sized to allow the space heating system to operate effectively and in a manner that meets the heating needs of the building, at a maximum flow temperature of 55°C or lower.”
This temperature is key as it will drive change toward using condensing boilers, such as Ideal Heating’s EVOMAX 2 wall hung commercial boiler, which can recover heat that
is typically lost via the flue in non-condensing models while also recycling this heat for preheating purposes. This more efficient condensing process can only work when the temperature of the water returning to the boiler is less than 54°C.
Naturally, careful budgeting is required by public sector organisations as they look to make the most cost-effective investments across their estates. With the aim of reducing carbon emissions from public sector buildings by 75% by 2037, The Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund is set to share out more than £1.4 billion in grants to aid changes to housing estates across the country by
2025. The next application window to the scheme, Phase 3c, is expected to open to applications in autumn 2023.
Laying a foundation for better installation
It’s important for local authorities to recognise the need for a methodical approach to their sustainable renovations to deliver the best outcomes and value for money.
Ensuring buildings are well insulated is essential for enabling low carbon heating solutions to do their job to the fullest. This may mean taking an extended approach to installations in two-year stints. It’s imperative that across the first year, organisations carry out a comprehensive assessment and improvement to their building’s fabric.
By ensuring that cladding, insulation, windows and other
fixings are as insulative as possible, organisations can take an initial step forward to being more heat efficient, requiring less energy to keep buildings warm.
Following refurbishment, new heat systems such as heat pumps, such as Ideal’s ECOMOD range, can then be installed and work within an optimised environment. This process is essential as modern heating methods have been designed to work within insulated surroundings for the best effect.
The right tool in the right place
For local authorities supporting more densely urbanised environments, there are other effective heating options to consider. For example, heat networks use singular heating sources to supply heat to buildings in close proximity
with greater efficiency and less usage than individual heating solutions. You can find out more about heat networks here.
Employing this kind of centralised heating for cities has already received significant support with the ability to provide heating across apartment blocks as well as larger buildings.
Local authorities looking to include heat networks in their renovation plans are eligible to apply for extra funding under the Green Heat Network Fund. A timeline for success
For public sector bodies, the time is now to come together and build out a framework for more carbon-efficient buildings, through securing new funding and building a foundation of support for when new methods of heating are installed.
idealcommercialboilers.com
THE appointment of two new board directors has been announced at one of the UK’s leading external wall insulation (EWI) and specialist render system designers, manufacturers, and suppliers, PermaRock.
Both longstanding employees, Nigel Watson and Kieran Loftus join the board bringing a combined three decades of experience as the company looks to double its turnover to £12 million this year. The appointments recognise the capabilities of the new board directors, who have both progressed through the business to operate within senior management roles at PermaRock.
Nigel Watson becomes operations director following a quarter century with the business. Joining the business in 1996, Nigel has held several key operational roles at PermaRock, building up targeted commercial insight to help drive the company forward.
Meanwhile, Kieran Loftus becomes logistics director, having originally joined the business more than 15 years ago. Throughout that time, he has used his extensive experience from across the textiles and waste sectors, playing an instrumental role in the growth of the business over recent years.
Sean Waldrum, managing director at PermaRock, who has also been with the business for 34 years, said: “Our business philosophy brings performance and experience together with quality and innovation, and this is really reflected in Nigel and Kieran’s appointments
to the board. They both bring incredible strengths that help us improve and expand our services and develop our systems even further.
“It’s an exciting time for us, and we’re incredibly pleased to be able to provide the room for growth for our staff. The whole board is now made up of people who have progressed up through the business, setting us up to continue business the ‘PermaRock way’, making sure that we continually improve, while continuing to offer and exceed the levels of service our customers have come to expect from us.”
Established four decades ago, PermaRock has become well-known for its experience in designing and manufacturing external wall insulation and rendering systems that are extensively tested by third parties and accredited through the Building Research Establishment (BRE).
With systems equally suitable for new-build and refurbishment schemes, including on highrise buildings, PermaRock provides comprehensive levels of technical service to create attractive, innovative energyefficient buildings that will help the residential and public sector
decarbonise properties to meet the UK’s net zero targets over the coming decades. All EWI and render systems designed and supplied by PermaRock are installed through a nationwide network of specialist registered installers, including sister company Sustainable Building Services (UK) Ltd.
PermaRock owner Derek Horrocks said: “Having longstanding staff with the strengths to help us both improve and expand our services, while continuing to develop our systems will be central to our continued success as a business as we look to grow even further in the coming years.
“We know that our people are completely instrumental to the success we are seeing as the demands for energy efficiency measures are skyrocketing across all markets. It’s really important to us to continually reinvest in our people, whether it’s the recent refurbishment of our office to enhance the working environment further or providing people with growth opportunities – like Nigel and Kieran.”
For more information about PermaRock, please visit https://www.permarock.com/
The Public Sector Sustainability Association (PSSA) provides a professional association and network for all those working in the Public Sector who have a common interest in sustainability. The aim of the association is to bring together a wide group of people working across all areas of the Public Sector – to help educate, train, support and connect as we work towards a more sustainable future.
Benefits of membership
• Access to up to date info on all issues of sustainability affecting the public sector including the latest news, case studies, legislation, policy and reports
• Reminders and invitation to trade events, exhibitions, conferences and seminars involving sustainability
• Networking opportunities
• Discounted training and education courses
• Access to a PSSA Members-Only online forum to discuss issues, problem solve and connect (Launch date TBC)
For more information on becoming a member of the PSSA, please visit www.pssa.info.
DLA Architecture has completed the radical interior design project for the new 70,000 sq ft headquarters of Home Group in Newcastle.
Home Group is one of the UK’s largest providers of housing, health and care, employing nearly 3,000 colleagues. With a turnover of around £430 million, the North-East based social enterprise provides homes for over 120,000 customers across 55,000 properties in England and Scotland.
One Strawberry Lane, a prominent new building in Newcastle city centre, is one of the first workspace in the UK to be specifically designed for the new post-Covid way of working. It is also one of only 80 buildings in the
world to receive Smartscore certification – the highest possible global accreditation for modern buildings.
DLA won an invited competition to design the CAT-B workplace fitout during lockdown with a brief very much led by the need for the new HQ to respond to the anticipated next generation of hybrid working with equality of experience and a variety of activity settings for all types of people and business functions. DLA also used its extensive CAT-A knowledge and experience to reivew and improve elements of the
base build CAT-A design. Whilst the majority of the building is the new head office for Home Group, two of the five floors are being let to external organisations. One Strawberry Lane aims to be an inclusive space which can bring organisations and city stakeholders together, as well as being a hub in support of the city’s voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE).
The DLA design approach from the outset was to amplify the benefits of being in the office in a dynamic, collaborative, environment more akin to a theatre stage than
traditional office. Designed for ultimate flexibility, the workplace accommodates a wide array of scenarios and settings. To create real flexibility, DLA looked to urban design for inspiration and translated them to the workplace interiors.
Routes have been carved out between hubs of core infrastructure, such as tea points or scanning facilities, dividing the floorplate into flexible zones that can be programmed for different work settings. These zones can be enclosed for focused work, opened up with different furniture programmes for cluster gatherings, or combined for larger social events. This innovative approach was developed through detailed workshops with the people of Home Group to understand their views on the future of work and how to foster collaboration, excitement, and equality through design.
Aesthetically, quirkiness and colour has been taken from more domestic environments to bring the work and home atmospheres closer together. Greenery and landscape design greatly influenced the top floor with its patio, green and forest spaces. This greenery cascades down the central stairwell down a green wall, as a lively, biophilic connection through the building, that starts at the café and entrance.
Neil Matthews, Director in the London Office of DLA Architecture, said, “Led by a truly inspirational and creative Chief Executive, Home Group placed its people and communities at the very centre of the brief. This allowed us an opportunity to implement many innovative ideas that we have been developing for some time and create a groundbreaking post-covid working environment. This workspace is like no other – it combines flexibility and innovation with
our prime goal to improve the wellness of occupiers.”
Kitson Keen, Director of Development at Home Group, said,
“The initial feedback from our teams has been phenomenal. DLA Architecture’s interior design will bring so many benefits to our company culture, our ability to collaborate, innovate and of course integrate with local businesses, organisations, and communities. Who would want to work from home when your workspace looks like this?!”
One Strawberry Lane was developed by Ask Real Estate and built by BAM. Ryder Architecture designed the CAT-A new building whilst Overbury delivered the fit out for Home Group.
Peter Knight, Managing Director at Overbury, said, There’s no denying that this project has delivered on Home Group’s forwardthinking workplace strategy. We’re proud to have been part of the delivery team and help generate £6.4m in social value
across the six-month project. This represents an 86% return for the local community for every penny on the project. This result is testament to Home Group and the wider delivery team’s commitment to leaving a positive legacy in the communities our work affects.
DLA Architecture is a Top 100 practice*. As well as designing exceptional buildings and public realm the practice also has strong expertise in commercial interiors. It has delivered refurbishment design for schemes including Nash House, 15 Stratford Place, 31 Bruton Place, and St James Square, all prominent buildings in Mayfair, London.
DLA Architecture is an award-winning architecture company with offices in London, Leeds, and Manchester. Its expertise covers a broad range of sectors including workplace, residential mixeduse, learning, sport, industry, retail, conservation, and re-use.
www.dla-architecture.co.uk
ICS Cool Energy multi-pipe chillers and heat pumps took over from the hospital’s gas boilers, reducing heating system’s gas consumption by almost 69% in first five months of operations, and help Hull Hospitals on their way to carbon neutrality.
Hull University Teaching Hospitals (HUTH) NHS Trust worked with ICS Cool Energy, an international market leader specializing in complete temperature control solutions for manufacturing process and facilities applications, to retrofit and decarbonise their heating system with the latest heat pump and multipipe chiller technologies.
Commissioned in October 2022, the Hull Royal Infirmary’s new heating system is based on an ICS Cool Energy multipipe Aptus chiller and an i-FH heat pump set to take over from gas-fired boilers. In the first five months of operations, the average gas consumption dropped by almost 69%, reaching a record low of 40,748 kWh in February 2023 – compared to over 221,594 kWh in February 2022.
The hospitals’ decarbonisation of heating project involving switching from gas fired boilers to renewable sources of heating is part of their ambitious Zero30 commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030. Their efforts to use sustainable technologies in buildings have been recognised many times by the industry, including winning the ‘Sustainable Achievement Award’ from the Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estates Management (IHEEM) in 2021.
“Our efforts put us among the greenest hospitals in the UK and we are aiming to become one of the first hospital trusts in
England to reach zero carbon emissions by 2030, up to 15 years earlier than the targets set by the Department of Health,” said Alex Best, Head of Capital at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. “The Trust has already made some significant progress towards this goal. Our project with ICS Cool Energy and the replacement of gas boilers with heat pumps is an important milestone in our journey. We also created a solar farm of 11,000 panels, which currently generates enough power to meet the daytime needs of the entire hospital site.”
“Over the last few years, innovation in cooling and heating has progressed immensely. Today’s technologies offer significant environmental and energy benefits, compared to the ones that they are designed to replace like the fossil-fuelled heating,” said Philip Ayres, Regional Sales Manager at ICS Cool Energy. “When Hull Hospitals approached ICS Cool Energy to retrofit their existing heating system, we knew we have the right solutions to ensure the lowcarbon heat so critical for the hospital wards and theatres.”
For the hospital, maintaining the right temperature, humidity, and air quality is essential to ensure comfortable and healthy conditions for patients’ care and staff’s comfort all day and night. Sanitary hot water is just as vital for cleaning and hygiene in a hospital
environment. The existing heating plant serving two wards, office areas and seven operating theatres in the Hull Royal Infirmary, was based on 650kW gas boilers, and designed for a return hot water temperature of 80°C. This temperature range was also one of the main requirements for the new, environmentally friendlier technology.
“We discussed our requirements with several installation companies, and they were all saying it wouldn’t be possible to retrofit the system using heat pumps,” said James Watts, Engineering Project Manager at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. “The team at ICS Cool Energy proved them wrong. ICS clearly explained the benefits of electrifying our heating, which involved adding a cascade system with the i-FH heat pump and a multi-pipe chiller unit to our existing installation.”
The installed ICS Cool Energy Aptus multi-pipe unit can offer simultaneously up to 574kW of cooling and 695kW of heating, allowing the shift from a separate boiler and chiller to one single unit, reducing both operational costs and saving on energy. Featuring two completely independent water circuits, the units ensure precise temperature control for both leaving chilled and hot water. For the production of hot water, the units use renewable and recovered
energy, and can replace the existing fossil-fuel boiler and chiller system to deliver both cooling and heating for the building with no direct greenhouse gas emissions.
To boost the hot water temperature to the 80°C levels desired by the hospital, the multi-pipe chiller was paired with the 429kW i-FH waterto-water heat pump. The i-FH can deliver hot water between 50°C and 80°C, with source temperatures from +5°C to +30°C, offering a unique opportunity to move to renewable energy heating.
The installation and leading pipework for this project proved to be an engineeringly complex task, requiring changes to the infrastructure and integration of the hospital’s chilled water and heat systems. Two of the old chillers were removed and the gas-boilers were temporarily kept for emergency. The hospitals’ Building Management System (BMS) was programmed to efficiently manage the old and new elements of the cooling and heating systems.
“This project and the
significant progress in our decarbonisation efforts have been made possible thanks to the government grants received by the Trust. This also requires us to calculate and demonstrate the resulting savings,” said Alex Best. “During the first five months of operations, since commissioning in October 2022, the average gas consumption for heating dropped by almost 69%. The new system has practically taken over the full heating load with the boilers kicking in just sporadically. In February 2023, gas consumption dropped to 40,748 kWh compared to 255,814 kWh the year before, and we expect it to keep dropping. The decarbonisation aspect of the project is further reinforced, as we use the electric power coming from our solar plant to power for the cooling and heating units.”
“The ICS Cool Energy i-FH and multi-pipe units are an example of product development that can create a sustainable heating sector, contribute to mitigating climate change and massively reducing
buildings’ and processes’ carbon footprint,” said Phil Ayres. “It is uplifting to work together with partners like Hull Hospitals, and together put sustainability front and centre, demonstrating the capabilities of the new technologies.”
For more information on ICS Cool Energy complete process temperature control solutions, please visit www. icscoolenergy.com/.
• Innovative DC optimised solar system provides energy for a number of Durrell’s key buildings, including the charity shop, Les Noyers farm buildings and nursery and the Conservation Training Academy, including the Hostel
• Installers deployed multi-layered industryleading safety solutions to ensure infrastructure and occupant protection
SolarEdge technologies announces the installation of a 75kWp, 242-module DCoptimised solar array at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey, Channel Islands. The system is now helping Durrell reduce the environmental impact of many of its buildings, including its charity shop, training academy, hostel, farm buildings and nursery operations. The environmental benefit of this installation is made evident in the just shy of 4 tonnes CO2e of emissions that were saved in its first full year of operation.
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust array is sub-divided to 80 solar PV panels providing electricity to the charity shop and 162 which feed energy to the training centre that also includes their hostel. In order to reduce its environmental footprint, Durrell, which is headquartered at Jersey Zoo engaged with Jersey-based solar installer, Sunworks, to install a SolarEdge DC-optimised solar system.
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is an organisation at the forefront of protecting and supporting some of the
world’s most endangered species through extensive global conservation efforts. Through Jersey Zoo, they manage breeding programmes for release back to the wild, develop the skills and tools to conserve species in the wild, train others in animal husbandry and conservation practice, and communicate important messages to their visitors.
Ben Spencer-Newman, Solar Surveyor at Sunworks explained: “By installing the solar system at the same time as the charity shop was constructed, we were presented with a rare blank canvas. The building is ideal for solar placement with a uniform pitched roof and no shading from local structures. Understanding how busy the zoo site is, and how important the charity shop would be in helping to raise funds for conservation work, we recommended REC panels with SolarEdge infrastructure as the best solution for higher safety, quick return-on-investment and ease of monitoring.”
SolarEdge inverters offer SafeDC technology, enabling the power optimizers on each module to drop the voltage across the entire array down to
a touch-safe 1V, and Integrated arc fault protection that detects and interrupts potential arc faults. For this installation, the SolarEdge Firefighter Gateway was also chosen to further enhance the system safety, because it provides a single centralised control for the entire solar system, allowing either manual or automatic shutdown to safe voltages using the in-built SafeDC technology. This gives the peace of mind that staff, visitors, maintenance crews, emergency first responders and of course the zoo’s residents are fully protected.
“As with any project, safety was paramount and we felt that the SolarEdge SafeDC™ and Firefighter Gateway gave ultimate peace of mind. The remote monitoring capability with pinpointed alerts allows less site visits and less module maintenance, saving Operations and Management costs. Finally, a solar system is a long-term investment, so we wanted to provide peace-of-mind to the zoo by working with an established supplier such as SolarEdge, that is able to back up its warranties over the lifetime of the system,” concluded Spencer-Newman.
Many organisations are already in the habit of undertaking energy audits to highlight where energy and water efficiencies can be made, save on utility costs, and reduce carbon emissions. Unfortunately, the sad reality of many energy audits and surveys (especially ones that are completed for compliance with ESOS), is that once they are completed, the report is often tucked away into a ‘virtual’ drawer, never to be seen again.
But what if there was another use for that forgotten energy audit? Did you know that it could actually be a really useful business tool to help get you started on your net zero journey?
To help you harness that data in a practical way, our Energy Services Analyst, Rhiannon Farquhar explains what makes energy audits so essential to carbon management and how they can be used to get your business on the path to net zero.
So, what is an energy audit?
To put it simply, an energy audit is an assessment of the energy needs and efficiency of a building (or process), which will help you understand your consumption, anomalies and where savings can be made.
An auditor will inspect equipment, examine historical energy data from, for example, utility bills and conduct onsite measurements. Your organisation can obtain important information regarding your energy usage, which can then be used to identify and correct any energy inefficiencies to cut costs.
The auditor will provide
you with a complete energy efficiency assessment along with recommendations on how to reduce your energy usage in ways that will work best for your building type or process and for the ways in which your organisation operates. How can an energy audit help inform your net zero strategy?
Even though they may have the best intentions, not every organisation may feel ready to embark on a net zero journey just yet. That could be due to cost, resource, or perhaps there are other big infrastructure projects that need to be completed first. Whatever the reason, you don’t actually need to delay net zero planning at all, especially if you have recently had (within the last 1-2 years) an energy audit done.
As an energy audit is tailored to your organisation, it will identify short and longterm solutions by highlighting all the ways in which you may be wasting energy. This data is golden for net zero strategy planning.
To begin with, energy audit recommendation reports can be really useful to help you prioritise which areas of consumption to address first. To put your organisation on a path to net zero, you really want to tackle the areas where you can see anomalies in your data and areas of high energy use as these can easily derail your plans.
That can help you then prioritise the implementation of energy saving projects, improve processes and roll out energy efficiency training to employees.
For example, a structural analysis focusing primarily on your building’s infrastructure
can identify upgrades within areas such as lighting systems, heating systems and external building materials to reduce and utilise efficient energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions. Further, an energy audit could also assess where renewable energy technologies could be most beneficially utilised.
Getting started with net zero does not have to be complicated. Utilising data that your organisation most-likely already has from an energy audit to inform carbon emission reductions will get you on your way in no time. Equally, if you ever did decide to seek external help on a net zero strategy, an energy audit report would be an indispensable tool to have to hand.
You can read more about how our Energy Consultants like Rhiannon Farquhar, can help implement a net zero strategy with an energy audit and survey. To find out more about how we could help, get in touch today.
The Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) has launched a revised Client Guide to Office Fit-Out and Refurbishment to promote best practice in the fit-out process and to take account of new working practices post-pandemic, the Building Safety Act and advances in sustainability.
First published in 2017, this updated guide is aimed at clients, contractors and architects involved in fit-out projects in a changing world. For clients, creating or adapting an office fit-out that can suit businesses in an environment where hybrid working has become the norm can prove daunting. The publication will guide them through the process from the initial decision as to whether to refurbiush an existing office or relocate and fit-out new premises, through to postoccupancy evaluation. It explains step-by-step the process, along
with outlining the professional help available to help ensure a successful outcome.
The revised guide reflects the driving forces behind changes to office space design. In the first instance, it considers the responsibilities of a client and other implications of the Building Safety Act such as the interaction with ‘higher risk buildings’ (as defined in the legislation), and how to consider the impact in the early stages of planning a fit-out. It also reflects the evolution and rapid maturation of best practices and methods of measurement relating to sustainability.
Furthermore, the guide will take account of the digitisation of construction information combined with the increasing adoption of video conferencing technology and other post pandemic implications to ways of working that can mean
significant changes to the way offices are designed.
Commenting on the launch of the this updated guide, FIS CEO Iain McIlwee said: “The guide to office fit-out and refurbishment was developed in 2017 by FIS but since then we have seen many changes in the market including the passing of the Building Safety Act which places new emphasis on safety and digitisation of construction data to fulfil the golden thread of information.
“The updated and revised guide will consider these significant changes whilst at the same time assist clients with the task of fitting out or refurbishing their offices and to promote best practice in the fit-out process.”
The guide is freely available from the FIS website at https://www.thefis.org/ membership-hub/publications/ client-guide-to-fit-out/
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As more industries turn to electricity to accelerate their decarbonisation strategies, the UK’s electricity infrastructure is under greater pressure than ever. In the light of this new energy demand, Giles Benbow, Senior Manager Business and Partnership Development at Mer calls for conversations around energy security, and securing solar energy and battery storage into the solutions, and more.
The global energy infrastructure is facing new challenges as we strive to move away from carbon-emitting, fossil-fuelled energy generation towards renewable sources. The challenges go way beyond simply replacing one form of energy production with another. There is a whole new energy demand from industries that are switching away from gas, oil and coal to electricity. Transport is an obvious sector in transition. Electrification and e-mobility are key levers for delivering zero emissions. As well as the increasing take-up of electric vehicles for industrial and residential purposes, over half of the railway lines in Europe are already electrified. Sectors like domestic heating and some industrial processes are replacing their dependence on fossil fuels with electricity. All of which is giving rise to a new energy demand. As John Pettigrew, CEO of the National Grid has said, we will need to build about seven times as much infrastructure in the next seven or eight years than we have built in the last 32 years. A lot of this will be new infrastructure, not just ‘new’ in the sense of replacing or replicating the existing energy infrastructure, but involving radical new thinking around energy and providing access to energy.
For electric vehicles, access
to power is clearly essential, and the most reliable source of energy is the grid. Over the past twenty years, energy efficiency methods have helped to reduce consumption while energy generation assets have, on the whole, maintained the capacity to generate. So, you would think that there is sufficient supply to meet demand. Not so. The new energy demand is going to put much more pressure on supply, and especially on distribution. Access to power via the local, regional distribution network operators (DNOs) is the biggest pinch point. For anyone looking to electrify at scale, connecting to the grid is critical. There are pressures on both suppliers and consumers to future-proof access across all sectors, not just transport. Planning ahead and budgeting for the future is essential, and businesses need to start thinking about different solutions.
Accessing power using the current infrastructure will involve paying for any infrastructure upgrades necessary to get the power to where it is needed. A business that wants to electrify
its fleet, for example, might be several kilometres away from the nearest substation or nearest access point to power. Groundwork is needed to create or upgrade the connection, and there is often a backlog of engineering works. Even a fully specified and approved project could be subject to a lengthy wait of some years for the necessary engineering work to bring it online. This means the business might have to reduce its electrification ambitions, relocate or look at alternative solutions. Although upgrading the grid infrastructure to meet future business needs is a priority, there are other technologies that can be deployed to help support the existing infrastructure, reduce business costs, improve business resilience and even earn valuable income to invest in further infrastructure improvements.
Any infrastructure upgrade is likely to take both time and money. In the meantime, there are business needs and net zero targets to be met. Solar
and battery storage assets can be deployed to support the grid and maintain business continuity while major upgrades take place. They can be used to reduce power costs and support the grid at peak times.
The option of developing a solar asset of significant scale and pairing it with batteries allows you to harness energy at a local level and help reduce the load on the grid. The current cost of electricity makes the argument for solar stronger than ever. Once installed, solar panels have minimal ongoing maintenance and operating costs, while producing lower cost energy. The bigger the difference in cost between on-site energy production and network supply, the more attractive the solution becomes.
Batteries can be used as a solution to augment a grid connection. If you only have 50% of the required capacity coming into the building, a battery can act like a reservoir to provide the additional 50%. The battery charges off-peak when electricity is abundant on the grid and prices are low. The stored energy is then deployed when the grid is under stress and unable to supply business demand, which is an effective way to work with a grid connection that might not be wholly adequate to meet business needs.
Financial decisions will come down to the cost of the grid connection and the cost of delays in getting the grid connection, versus the outlay for solar or battery hardware. Though it cannot be overstressed that businesses need to budget for essential grid upgrades now. They need to get a good understanding of the timescales involved in infrastructure upgrades, then they can incorporate plans to install solar and batteries for both short and long-term benefit.
There are options open to every industry sector – not just the EV industry – to support the grid while creating revenue.
Some of these involve using battery storage assets to earn revenue from supplying grid services, such as demand side response or even by enabling parked EVs, including fleets, to become virtual power plants.
Essentially, EVs include large batteries that are only in use when the vehicle is moving. The idea of using those batteries to support the grid as part of virtual power plants is certainly worth exploring. At present, from a practical perspective, the technology is limited to the relatively small number of vehicles that have the ISO15118 bidirectional (two-way) charging/discharging interface. Emerging vehicleto-grid (V2G) or vehicle-toeverything (V2X) solutions have the potential to revolutionise how we view the grid, and the whole energy ecosystem.
While this may be some way into the future, there are already several options for supporting the grid by switching to on-site assets or reducing consumption at times of grid stress and high prices. Many businesses already adopt such programmes as a useful way of generating additional revenues. It even applies at residential levels as some domestic energy providers have run demand side response events in the UK recently.
For residential applications, including EV charging, smart metering is going to play an increasingly important role in how we respond to growing energy demand. Huge infrastructure projects generally garner most interest, but they are also the ones that make people focus on the barriers to electrification. Making smaller changes towards smarter energy use across the whole population would have a huge cumulative impact.
Addressing the new energy demand, achieving net zero
ambitions, and creating a futurefit energy infrastructure, is going to involve conversations around technology, commercial and behavioural change. These conversations need to happen at governmental, cross-industrial and individual levels. They are going to involve utilities, renewable energy producers, EV manufacturers and EV charging companies coming together with ideas and solutions. More than conversations, however, there needs to be commitment, planning and practical applications to bring it all together.
Mer is well placed to be part of the conversation. As we continue to combine state-of-theart electric vehicle charging with clean energy from our parent company Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable energy generator, we are in an exciting place to bring new ideas to contribute to the green economy and help fight climate change.
One thing is for sure, the next few years are going to be fascinating and transformative.
https://uk.mer.eco/
The Public Sector Sustainability Association (PSSA) provides a professional association and network for all those working in the Public Sector who have a common interest in sustainability. The aim of the association is to bring together a wide group of people working across all areas of the Public Sector – to help educate, train, support and connect as we work towards a more sustainable future.
Becoming a Corporate Member of the Public Sector Sustainability Association highlights your organisations commitment to sustainability and offers a unique platform to reach our membership of committed and influencial sustainability professionals in Government, Local Authorities, NHS, Education and Housing Associations. The PSSA offers two levels of Corporate Membership (Gold and Silver), both providing a fantastic opportunity to gain recogniton and exposure with our Public Sector membership.
• Comprehensive listing in Suppliers Directory
• Unlimited opportunity to supply press releases, articles & news to feature on PSSA website
• One release for inclusion in monthly Newsletter
• Opportunity to promote your own events/webinars/training courses to PSSA members
• Logo on PSSA homepage as ‘Gold/Silver Member’ of the PSSA
• Introductory email sent to our members as the latest Gold/Silver Member of the PSSA
• Logo - ‘Gold/Silver Member of the PSSA’ to use on your own websites/materials
Additional Gold Member benefits -
• Potential to conduct research/surveys through the PSSA (Gold Member ONLY)
• 2 x Advertising Banners to appear on the PSSA Newsletter (Gold Member ONLY)
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• Opportunity to present at regular PSSA Webinars (Gold Member ONLY)
The rate for Gold Member status is £1,495+VAT per annum. The rate for Silver Member status is £895+VAT per annum.
Interested in becoming a Corporate Member of the PSSA?
Get in touch today - call us on 01933 316931 or email us at corporate@pssa.info
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