Don’t get stranded, future proof

Don’t get stranded, future proof now

On the road to net zero it will be essential to make commercial buildings more sustainable with renewable heating. James Chaplen looks at the many options

James Chaplen

Senior product manager at Mitsubishi Electric

www.mitsubishielectric.com

hen it comes to reducing

Wthe carbon impact of a building, heating must also be a key area of focus, as heating and hot water are significant contributors to a building’s carbon emissions. In fact, heating creates over a third (37 per cent) of the total carbon emissions in the UK.

Heat pump technology is already available to combat this and heat commercial buildings in a more energy efficient, renewable way. The UK government aims to have 600,000 heat pumps installed every year by 2030, and many of these will need to be applied in commercial spaces. So, what benefits can heat pumps offer, and how can building managers be sure that they are the right solution for a commercial space?

There are already regulations and measures in place to help achieve the net zero goal – from the Climate Change Act back in 2008, to the UK’s recent decision to invest £65m to help develop new technologies more quickly, as announced by the Business Secretary at CoP27. For commercial buildings specifically, there is also legislation that focuses on how heat is provided to these spaces – and this needs to be considered when investing in heating technology.

Move to low-carbon sources

Part L of the Building Regulations also states that non-domestic buildings should be moving to low-carbon heat sources, and the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) means it’s been illegal to let any property with EPC rating of less than band ‘E’ since April 2020.

And there is a growing focus on embodied carbon in commercial buildings, as well as the amount of carbon produced by a building across its whole lifecycle. When looking at carbon impact, building managers must consider the full environmental cost of the extraction, processing, manufacture, delivery and assembly of every single product or material used.

Accounting for all these factors may seem like a lot, but it’s also evidence that focusing on renewable heating now is the best way to future-proof commercial buildings for years to come.

Heat pumps are a vital tool for decarbonising. In fact, the Carbon Trust has found that heat pumps have the potential to reduce CO emissions by up to 70 per cent compared to conventional electric heating, and up to 65 per cent compared to an A-rated gas boiler. The Committee on Climate Change even estimates that 19m heat pumps will need to be installed by 2050 to achieve the net zero goal.

To reach this goal, maintaining the momentum of heat pump uptake is critical. As well as offering renewable heating, heat pumps can allow for a reduction in running costs and increased efficiencies. They are also becoming the first choice for building managers planning renovations because they are designed for both retrofit and new build, are easy to design and install, and are scalable to work with other systems. This means they’re a suitable solution for almost any space, and are even able to work alongside existing heating systems in a hybrid situation if required.

Right heat pump for the job

A heat pump is the ideal solution to make commercial buildings more sustainable, but it’s important to find the right one for the job. Since heat pumps first came onto the market, the choice and range has expanded, and building owners are now able to select exactly the right equipment for a building’s requirements.

For example, heat pumps can now work at higher temperatures, so they are a great option for buildings like hotels, hospitals, and leisure centres – they help remove the need to use a gas boiler where there is a high demand for hot water at peak times.

Mixed-use buildings which combine residential homes and commercial businesses are also becoming increasingly popular in the UK, and they can benefit from heat pumps. These buildings will indeed have a wide variety of heating and cooling requirements, and up to this point gas boilers, combined heat and power systems or electric water heating have met that need. Now, high temperature heat pumps – like the 40kW Ecodan QAHV – can deliver hot water up to 90°C, and support helping businesses to increase the efficiency of hot water production while cutting their carbon footprint.

Installations are scalable

Other heat pumps offer options for a modular approach, so that multiple devices can operate in one system, meaning the multiple unit system can cascade available units on and off, to meet the required load of a building. It also means heat pump installations are scalable and can work for a small doctor’s surgery through to entire district heating projects.

Modern heat pumps can also be applied in buildings alongside other technologies and boost the renewable element of a project – reducing the requirement for heat energy.

The heating equipment we install today will be in a building for the next decade or two, so installing a heating system based on fossil fuels might risk leaving the building as a ‘stranded asset’ in the future. Embracing renewable heating will help ensure buildings are meeting efficient and environmental standards both now and for years to come. ■