January 2023

On The Cover

In April 2022 the University of East London (UEL) announced an aspirational ambition to achieve carbon net-zero at its campuses in London Docklands and Stratford by 2030. The university additionally affirmed its intent to embed sustainability across the curriculum to allow students to develop the skills they need to succeed in a green economy.

The project will also address the needs of the people who live and work in the surrounding London Borough of Newham – the most diverse and fastest-growing region in Europe but with some of the highest pollution and health inequalities in the UK.

Photo courtesy of Siemens SEE PAGE 12 for more details

FEATURES

ENERGY IN EDUCATION

10 There’s life after Triads

The end of the Triads is a blow but there are other opportunities to generate revenue from flexibility services 12

Living and learning net zero

University of East London and Siemens have joined up for so much more than a net-zero target 14

Don’t get caught out

How can a UPS system contribute to energy efficiency programmes in educational facilities?

HEAT PUMPS

28 It’s all about SCoP

ENERGY SAVING AWARDS

Congratulations to our winners

The winners of the first Energy Saving Awards are revealed at a glittering ceremony in London

HEAT PUMPS

Don’t get stranded, future proof

It’s going to be essential to make commercial buildings more sustainable with renewable heating, says James Chaplen

Get the most from a heat pump Kevin Potter takes you from initial sizing and location to installation and to educating users

A useful characteristic of operational performance is the seasonally adjusted annual average efficiency measure 31 Time for another examination With the seemingly unending increases in energy prices, it could be time to take a fresh look at energy efficiency

32

DRIVES & MOTORS

Take a second look at EC fans

EC fans are considered as a more energyefficient solution. But to consider efficiency alone misses the bigger picture

REGULARS

The Warren Report

No EPC surveyor has recommended the installation of a heat pump because they don’t represent value for money

EDITOR’S OPINION

Bright future or bleak winter?

Managing editor of Energy in Buildings & Industry

By now, it’s very likely that most of us know someone who has a heat pump, if we don’t already have one ourselves. I know two families who have them but now have serious gripes. The cold snap last month was a testing time for heat pump technology. One family struggled to get their house to 18ºC with the heat pump despite having ensured insulation was to a good standard in both walls and ceiling. The other had to resort to an open fire. And I can’t repeat what was said when they saw how much it had cost to heat their homes during that freezing fortnight. Despite the efforts of government the heat pump market is still woefully small. Just 43,000 were installed in 2021. I’m guessing the amount for last

year won’t show a massive increase. However, an optimistic study from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (see page 6) concludes that there is no property type that is unsuitable for a heat pump. The study was able to demonstrate that energy efficiency upgrades are not always necessary to install a heat pump. For instance, energy efficiency upgrades were only made for 15 per cent of properties where a heat pump was installed – in most cases this was loft insulation. The majority of homes where a heat pump was installed had

No EPC surveyor has ever recommended installing a heat pump

an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or D.

In fact the EPC ratings system is not going to push the heat pump market forward (see page 9). Before you buy or rent any building (residential or commercial), you must by law be given an Energy Performance Certificate. However, no EPC surveyor has ever recommended installing a heat pump. Simply because it’s not cost-effective. At present, the capital and running cost differential between the list price of condensing gas boilers and heat pumps is at least double.

At the moment the way we structure our energy bills fails to encourage heat pump uptake. Policy costs fall on electricity use, something that made sense 10 years ago. Then, policy costs on electricity were about £35 and on gas £11. But now, when the average household emits far more CO₂ from gas use than electricity use, policy costs on electricity have soared to over £170, while on gas they have fallen. It’s surely time to even up the market. Otherwise heat pumps could be condemned to a bleak future.

Contributors this issue

Energy in Buildings & Industry

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

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Andrew Warren

Mark Thrower

Large-scale hydrogen heating project

A three-year project in the Netherlands is testing 100% hydrogen domestic heating in what is claimed to be the first large scale pilot of its kind.

Baxi’s parent company, BDR Thermea Group, is testing its 100% hydrogen boilers in 12 inhabited homes, with hydrogen supplied via an existing natural gas grid.

Taking place in the eastern Dutch town of Lochem, the pilot is being conducted in detached listed houses, all built around 1900, which will each be equipped with one of the boilers burning pure hydrogen with zero carbon emissions.

The houses were deliberately chosen as older residential housing stock, with restrictions to the changes that can be made to them due to their heritage status. Over the course of the thee-year pilot, researchers will focus on extensive testing in winter, when demand peaks.

Baxi is currently participating in the Government-funded Hy4Heat programme, which sees the manufacturer showcase prototype hydrogen boilers at the UK’s first 100 percent hydrogen public demonstration in Low Thornley, near Gateshead.

GAS CONDENSING BOILERS

Government to consult on boosting gas boiler efficiency

The Government is launching a new public consultation seeking to make gas condensing boilers even more energy efficient and suitable for conversion to hydrogen.

The consultation states that each year up to 1.7m domestic-scale natural gas boilers are installed in the UK. It concedes that “even with increasing heat pump deployment, we expect a minimum of 10m further domestic gas boiler installations between 2025 and 2035.” Present policies hope to see 600,000 heat pumps in 2028. In 2021 just 43,000 were installed.

The consultation argues that such a large marketplace for gas boilers must ensure that these will be “reducing domestic gas consumption, to lower consumer bills and carbon emissions and improve our energy security.” It avowedly “continues in the same vein as previous regulatory improvements, including the introduction of the requirement for gas boilers to be condensing models from 20055(sic) and the introduction of the Boiler Plus Standards in England in 2018.”

It proposes new requirements

that “reflect recent technological developments, and will help ensure consumers are getting the greatest potential out of the condensing boilers in their homes.” These include proposals to “reform boiler controls standards; tackle boiler oversizing, particularly in combination boilers; bring system and regular boilers within the scope of expanded requirements; improve the minimum standards for hot water tanks; develop installer skills; and seek ways to improve heating system design, commissioning, and maintenance.”

It proposes to mandate that from 2026 onwards all new domesticscale gas boilers sold are to be “hydrogen-ready.” The government’s view is that there is a strong case for the introduction of hydrogen-ready boilers as standard from this date. It states that “the government expects the upfront costs of hydrogen-ready boilers to reach price parity with those of existing natural gas boilers once they match the current levels of production.”

The consultation also outlines the government’s “hope” that hybrid

systems of gas boilers and heat pumps “may be able to play an even more substantive role, potentially becoming the new minimum energy performance product from 2028.”

Overall, these policies are expected to improve the in-home performance of the average newly installed natural gas boilers by up to 6 per cent. The consultation is principally focused on domestic-scale natural gas boilers with a capacity of 45kW or less.

However, “views on whether it is appropriate to extend these data” are also sought. Closing date is March 21.

A study funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has concluded that there is no property type that is unsuitable for a heat pump. However, scaling the roll out of heat pumps across the UK will require crosssector innovation to overcome the challenges to adoption, including upfront costs and disruption during installation.

The ‘Electrification of Heat’ demonstration project has been set up to better understand the technical and practical feasibility, and constraints of a mass roll out of heat pumps into British homes.

The study was able to demonstrate that energy efficiency upgrades are not always necessary to install a heat pump. For instance, energy efficiency upgrades were only made for 15 per cent of properties where a heat pump was installed – in most cases this was loft insulation.

The majority of homes where a heat pump was installed had an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or D.

Improving heating controls should be regarded as a fundamental plank of government ambitions to improve energy efficiency in schools and colleges, says Rehau – a supplier of underfloor heating (UFH) systems and controls.

Plans have recently been unveiled to allocate £500m to schools and colleges in England to help save on bills during the winter months and manage energy consumption. While the funding can be used on multiple measures, Rehau is highlighting the benefits of implementing smart technologies for existing UFH systems within educational environments.

“The government announcing financial support to ensure schools and colleges are more thermally efficient is very welcome news at a time when the energy crisis continues,” “However, it is vital that

these finite sums are used efficiently.

“Considering that many schools and colleges use UFH technology as standard, enabling greater control and efficiency over these systems would therefore be highly effective,” said Steve Richmond, head of marketing and technical at Rehau Building Solutions. “Moving from basic controls to smarter solutions that can be monitored easily zone-

by-zone by the facilities team will ensure improved occupant comfort while reducing inefficiency from heating unoccupied areas.

“Smart controls provide an innovative way of futureproofing educational buildings with minimal disruption from building works that would be felt with other thermal efficiency measures,” added Richmond.

Improving schools’ heating controls is ‘fundamental need’

All property types ‘right for heat pumps’

CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS

EU to impose CO2 tariff on imports of polluting goods

The European Union has struck a political deal to impose a carbon dioxide emissions tariff on imports of polluting goods such as steel and cement, a world-first scheme aiming to support European industries as they decarbonise. A new directive will impose CO₂ emissions costs on imports of iron and steel, cement, fertilisers, aluminium and electricity. Companies importing those goods

into the EU will be required to buy certificates to cover their embedded CO₂ emissions. The scheme is designed to apply the same CO₂ cost to overseas firms and domestic EU industries - the latter of which are already required to buy permits from the EU carbon market when they pollute.

Dutch MEP, Mohammed Chahim, European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the law, said the border tariff

would be crucial to EU efforts to fight climate change. “It is one of the only mechanisms we have to incentivise our trading partners to decarbonise their manufacturing industry.”

The aim of the levy is to prevent European industry from being undercut by cheaper goods made in countries with weaker environmental rules. It will also apply to imported hydrogen, which was not in the original EU proposal but which EU lawmakers pushed for in the negotiations. The precise starting date will be determined early in 2023.

Currently, the EU gives domestic industry free CO₂ permits to shield them from foreign competition, but plans to phase out these free permits once the carbon border tariff is phased in, to comply with World Trade Organization rules.

Brussels has said countries could be exempted if they have equivalent climate change policies to the EU, and suggested the United States could dodge the levy on this basis. The EU plan has faced criticism from countries including China, and comes amid heightened trade tensions with the United States over the Inflation Reduction Act’s subsidies for green technologies, which the EU has said could disadvantage European firms.

The tariff is part of a package of EU policies designed to cut emissions from the EU by 55 per cent by 2030 from 1990 levels.

‘Radical steps’ needed to tackle the epidemic of leaky walls

Plans in England to improve insulation levels in homes are being hampered by the epidemic of ‘leaky walls’, and ‘radical steps’ are needed to tackle one of the most difficult hurdles on the road to net zero housing.

This is the conclusion of a new report from the Resolution Foundation, which found that despite the strong case to properly insulate homes, it is uneconomic for most households.

The report, ‘Hitting a brick wall’, points out that insulation drives have focused on the low hanging fruit of loft insulation, while ignoring the difficult problem walls present. It estimates that 9m homes in England alone have walls in need of significant upgrading.

Rather than repeating another failed incentive scheme for home improvements, or putting the entire nationwide wall insulation onto the state, the report calls for a radical new ‘carrot and stick’ approach –

combining targeted financial help for home improvements with a ban on poorly insulated homes by 2035.

The report says with leaky homes often concentrated in less affluent neighbourhoods, targeted financial support will be vital for those who simply can’t afford vital home improvements. A means test that

takes account of households’ income and assets in order to determine eligibility, could be used.

The ‘stick’ should be a new regulation setting a hard deadline for homes to meet energy efficiency standards. The government, says the report, should require all homes to be EPC C rated by 2035.

In Brief

UK’s largest heat pump factory opens

The UK’s largest production facility dedicated to ground source heat pumps has been officially opened at Mount Wellington Mine in Truro, Cornwall, following a major investment by Kensa Group and Legal & General Capital (LGC).

The factory has the capacity to manufacture 30,000 ground source heat pumps every year.

In the 24 months since LGC became shareholders, the manufacturer has broken records by doubling the amount of ground source heat pumps made at the facility. A plan is in place to increase output by a further 50 per cent.

The world is set to add as much renewable power in the next five years as it did in the past 20 with renewables overtaking coal as the largest source of electricity generation by mid century.

The International Energy Agency’s latest report on the state of the global renewables market found that renewables will account for over 90 per cent of global electricity expansion in the next five years.

Solar photovoltaic capacity will almost triple by 2027, becoming the largest source of power capacity in the world, while wind capacity will almost double.

Smart grid potential on show for C&I sites

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has announced a collaboration with Power Transition to host a Smart MicroGrid Demonstrator at BRE’s Science Park in Watford.

The first-of-its-kind Smart MicroGrid application, developed by Power Transition, will demonstrate how this solution can be utilised by commercial and industrial (C&I) sites.

Power Transition’s Smart MicroGrid solution for C&I sites combines software and hardware technologies with AI and machine learning to optimise generation, storage and energy usage. The solution unlocks the functionality of smart energy hardware and exploits new markets including demand side response (DSR), reducing carbon and cutting energy costs.

Renewable power set to overtake coal

European Parliament upgrades take a hit

Millions of euros worth of capital renovations to European Parliament buildings — including energy efficiency measures, new carpets and a bar — have been scrapped in a bid to cover the “drastic increase” in energy prices.

The Directorate-General for Infrastructure and Logistics (INLO) is responsible for managing buildings and maintenance in the European Parliament’s places of work. It has recently suspended 14 renovation projects that would improve energy efficiency, worth more than €6.7m combined. This was to shift the money to cover revenue costs for increased fuel bills due to the running costs of buildings in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg.

Leena Maria Linnus, the directorgeneral for the INLO, told the committee that capital investment cost-cutting was necessary to cover soaring energy prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Some of our buildings that are new here in Brussels are extremely energy efficient. But some others are not energy efficient because of the building itself. That definitely includes several of the administrative buildings,” she said.

Critics say that working remotely or cancelling parliamentary sessions in Strasbourg would save millions of euros while also reducing energy waste. A spokesman for Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, stated they are committed to reducing energy consumption.

Record investment in energy efficiency measures in 2022

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has declared that 2022 could have marked a “vital turning point” in the drive to use energy more efficiently, after record investment was directed to measures that reduce consumption of energy, from building renovations to public transport upgrades and electric car infrastructure. However, it warns that such investments need to double in size to meet net zero targets.

Data published by the influential agency indicates the global economy used energy 2 per cent more efficiently in 2022 than it did in 2021, marking a step change in global efforts to consume energy more carefully after years of flat-lining progress. The findings suggest that energy efficiency spending was set to reach an all-time high last year, with investment increasing a massive 16 per cent on 2021 levels to reach $560bn.

The IEA said the preliminary data was notable because it marked a break with nearly a decade of sluggish progress on improving energy efficiency that has badly undermined efforts to meet global climate goals. The report, titled Energy Efficiency 2022, notes that 2020 and 2021 were “two of the worst years for global energy efficiency progress” with annual gains falling to around 0.5 per cent as the Covid 19 pandemic slowed the pace of building and factory upgrades. The slowdown came after the global rate of energy efficiency

improvement had already fallen from 2 per cent in the first half of the last decade to 1.3 per cent in the second half.

Ramping up the energy efficiency of buildings, technology and industrial processes, is seen to be a key solution for meeting climate goals by midcentury as the global population expands. Its profile has grown over the past year as governments, particularly in the European Union have looked to find ways to boost their energy independence and curb soaring energy bills in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent fossil fuel supply crunch. This has seen governments announce targets to cut energy use by 10 to 15 per cent in response to the threat of gas shortages that has resulted from Russia’s weaponisation of energy supplies to the continent.

Green jobs growing ‘at four times the rate of overall UK market’

Green jobs are growing around four times the rate of the overall UK employment market, with 2.2 per cent of all new jobs classed as green. However more than one-third of these roles are now based in London and the South East, with a dominance of professional and scientific roles.

The second edition of PwC’s Green Jobs Barometer has found that the number of green jobs advertised in the UK has almost trebled in the last year, equating to 336,000 positions, providing encouragement that the economy is becoming greener.

In the year to June 2022, every region of the UK saw green jobs accounting for a greater share of the job market, and the number of green jobs at least double in absolute terms.

Dr Fatih Birol (left), executive director of the IEA, said the world was seeing a repeat of some of the policies that emerged in response to the oil supply crisis of the 1970s. “The oil shocks of the 1970s led to a massive push by governments on energy efficiency, resulting in substantial improvements in the energy efficiency of cars, appliances and buildings,” he explained. “Amid today’s energy crisis, we are seeing signs that energy efficiency is once again being prioritised. Energy efficiency is essential for dealing with today’s crisis, with its huge potential to help tackle the challenges of energy affordability, energy security and climate change.”

Despite the encouraging preliminary findings for 2022, the IEA counsels that governments need to significantly ramp up their energy efficiency investments and enhance policy frameworks even further to achieve net zero. The 2 per cent improvement is a welcome acceleration compared with underpowered improvements seen in recent years. But achieving climate goals by 2050 calls for a 4 per cent improvement annually this decade, according to the IEA’s net zero scenario. Strengthening building codes, energy-saving awareness campaigns, and investments in emerging and developing economies are all avenues policymakers should explore, according to the report.

The IEA’s report calculates that total energy bills in its 31 member countries would have been $680bn higher if governments had not introduced energy efficiency measures since 2020 - which would amount to roughly 15 per cent of their cumulative energy expenditure this year.

Scotland has the highest proportion of green jobs, at 3.3 per cent (up from 1.7 per cent last year). London saw the second strongest increase in green jobs as a proportion of its job market, and by volume of jobs London and the South East are pulling away from the rest of the country. Just 7,594 unique green job ads were for roles in the North East in 2022, compared to the significant 110,067 located across London and the South East.

The demand for green jobs in Scotland is being driven by the energy sector – a thriving energy hub, the region boasts the largest pool of energy-related skills in the UK, skills which are highly transferable to roles in the emerging renewables subsector.

Why heat pumps may never be value for money

It costs more to run a heat pump than the best condensing boilers. As long as EPCs recommend the most cost-effective method of energy efficiency upgrades then installations will remain low

By 2030, we want to reduce energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15 per cent.” The Government’s Autumn Statement featured the most ambitious objectives to cut energy usage enunciated since the Coalition government ended back in 2015.

The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, promised that “reducing demand by this much means, in today’s prices, a £28bn saving from our national energy bill or £450 off the average household bill.”

Initially, some commentators scoffed about how realistic such ambition might be. Until they were reminded that between 2005 and 2015, final energy consumption did drop by as much as 16.2 per cent. According to the official Directory of UK Energy Statistics, during that decade, annual energy usage fell from 159,676ktoe (kilotonnes of energy equivalent) to 137,430ktoe.

Existing building stock

Inevitably, there has been much concentration upon what can best be done to improve the energy efficiency of the existing building stock. Since the overnight demise of the Green Homes Grant scheme in March 2021, with 80 per cent of its initial budget left unspent, I have lost count - as will have most readers - of the number of independent studies that have set out blueprints of how important it is to improve the fabric energy performance of the nation’s buildings.

These point to ever widening policy and funding gaps They also detail how, despite having a far more energyefficient building stock, many other European nations are injecting billions into similar schemes designed to “build back better” after Covid 19.

Starting next April, the longestablished Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, designed to enable the installation of energy-

saving measures in homes, is set to be doubled in size. Of the £1bn additional funding likely to be available through the new ECO+ scheme, around 80 per cent of the funding will be made available for those households who live in some of the least energyefficient homes in the country – that is, those with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or below. Crucially, investments will be concentrated upon those living in homes which are in the lower council tax bands. These cheaper council tax bands are, confusingly in this context, labelled A to D.

Double fuel spending

Empirical work undertaken by the UCL Smart Energy Research Lab, monitoring actual consumption levels in 13,000 homes, has revealed that during last winter F and G EPC-rated homes actually spent almost twice as much on fuel as did an A or B EPCrated household (97kWh per day, as opposed to 47.1kWh per day).

National Grid’s Future Energy Scenarios have calculated that “improving thermal efficiency of most homes by just one EPC rating gives the potential for a 14 per cent reduction in residential gas demand in 2030.”

In November 2021, the Government finally published a document that should strictly have been called a “heat IN buildings”, rather than the “heat AND buildings”, strategy it was officially named. The emphasis was firmly against gas and oil boilers, in favour of electric heat pumps. But only subject to “expected” cost declines. The press release led with “Government sets out plan to drive down the cost of low carbon heating technologies like heat pumps, working with industry to ensure that in future they are no more expensive to buy and run for consumers as (sic) fossil fuel boilers.”

Half-hearted centrepiece

The subsequent centrepiece grant scheme is pretty half hearted. Consider. There were 43,000 heat pumps installed during 2021. The fund announced only provides a £5,000 part payment for just 30,000 heat pumps to be installed during each of the current three financial years.

But how does anybody find out what they should be installing to make their building more energy efficient? Simple. Before you buy or rent any building (residential or commercial), you must by law be given an Energy Performance Certificate. Each quarter, around 400,000 of these are issued.

The majority of buildings in Britain now have an EPC. As well as measuring from A (great) to G (dreadful), the energy surveyor must provide useful proposals on how to improve the building: upgrade windows, lighting, insulate roofs and walls, change the boiler etc.

Indefatigable Green MP for Brighton, Caroline Lucas, wondered, just how often EPC advice has included installing a heat pump? She raised the matter in Parliament. The then Buildings Minister, Eddie Hughes, had to confess that, er, no surveyor had ever recommended installing a heat pump.

Why is that? It will be because right now installing and running a heat pump is rather more expensive than putting in a highly efficient condensing boiler. And the advice provided with the EPC must, by law, stress cost-effectiveness. EPCs were introduced quite deliberately in order to provide specific information for building occupants regarding what would be the most cost-effective items that might be installed. At present, the capital and running cost differential between the list price of condensing gas boilers and heat pumps is at least double.

Scheme discards heat pumps

Most damaging of all, to the prospects for heat pumps becoming major players in existing buildings, is the undeniable fact that by opting for EPCs as its measurement of progress, the Government has created an evaluation scheme which effectively discards this technology as being of little or no value. Replacing a conventional boiler with a heat pump can never be recommended as a method of improving a home’s EPC rating.

Already nobody can legally let out any of the worst energy performing buildings (F or G). Ministers are already planning to ensure that only A or B ratings will become permissible in non-residential lettings. So, it is difficult to see how heat pumps can surmount this barrier, unless there is a root and branch revision of how and what an EPC measures.

From past experience, agreeing such major alterations could take many years. Until such changes are made, government ministers will continue to have to admit that no EPC surveyor has yet, or ever will, recommend installing a heat pump. And absent 75 per cent installation grants, it will be very difficult to make mass market heat pump installations value-for-money. ■

The Government has created an evaluation scheme which discards this technology

Chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation

Andrew Warren

ENERGY IN EDUCATION

There’s life after Triads

The end of the Triads is a blow to major energy consumers such as universities, but, according to Barry Hurst, there are other opportunities to generate revenue from flexibility services

DFS is predictable, so will help with business planning and investment decisions and could earn a business £3,000/MWh with a Guaranteed Acceptance Price (GAP) for DFS tests.

There are no up-front costs for getting involved. Demand customers are monitored via their existing half hourly meter, so there is no need to change any installed equipment. In essence, it’s a turnkey ‘plug in and play’ solution that guarantees a revenue stream until 31st March 2023. It’s not a bad earner for the short term, but the real prize lies in the Capacity Market (CM).

Candidate for Capacity Market

If your university or higher educational establishment meets the criteria to participate in DFS, you are also likely to be a candidate for the CM. Any campus with the ability to turn down or switch on a MW or more of capacity across their sites can earn revenue from the CM.

The deepening energy crisis and ongoing economic challenges are increasing costs across the board. The considerable pressure they add to the further and higher education (FHE) sector will continue into 2023. The end of Triad calculations for the UK’s Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charge in February 2023 may seem like yet another blow, but there are other opportunities available for universities and colleges to generate revenue from demand flexibility services.

Triad avoidance presented an opportunity for universities and colleges to reduce their annual energy bill by 25-30 per cent or more. Given that annual energy costs for the FHE sector are around £200m, it was an opportunity worth pursuing. The challenge was to predict the three busiest half-hour periods of the winter that the TNUoS charge is based on and reduce demand during those periods. It could take 20 or 30 attempts to correctly anticipate

which three peaks – the Triad periods – would be retrospectively selected, potentially reducing consumption each time with no guarantee of success. If you were successful, you received a financial benefit. Universities with large student accommodation blocks who were able to adjust consumption could make massive savings. Adjusting water temperature and HVAC settings for a 1,000-room facility could achieve a saving of around £18,000 for each of the half-hour periods.

Ongoing opportunities

It is not all doom and gloom however as there are ongoing opportunities to help address the energy crisis and deliver a more stable revenue. These include both National Grid’s recently launched Demand Flexibility Service

(DFS) trial and the more established Capacity Market (CM).

DFS is a short-term mechanism established to support the grid over the winter months from 03rd November 2022 to 31st March 2023. Its offer of a guaranteed revenue stream for participants promises to ease some of the economic pressures on the FHE sector. While it offers more stability and predictability to businesses than the Triads, DFS is only a short-term measure. What it does do is provide a taste of what it would be like to participate in an established and longer-term solution – the Capacity Market.

Anticipated peaks

Instead of previously trying to predict when to avoid three retrospective peak periods between November and the end of February, under the new DFS universities and colleges are invited to participate in at least 12 anticipated peaks between 01st November 2022 and 31st March 2023 for a minimum of 30 minutes. On all of these occasions, participants can receive revenue for reducing their demand on the electricity grid or increasing their onsite generation.

This presents a real great opportunity for any FHE facility with the ability to reduce load or ramp up onsite generation by more than 1MW across their portfolio.

The CM is a well-established, longterm mechanism. On the demand side, the CM incentivises electricity users to free up grid capacity when it is needed most, for instance by modulating their own generation assets – such as CHPs, switching to back-up generation and storage, or by curtailing equipment to reduce external load at peak periods. Simply balancing on-site air handling units, heaters or chillers for a few minutes at a time – while keeping them within their performance boundaries – could generate valuable extra revenue without students or staff being impacted at all.

Like DFS, participants are paid to flex their electricity usage at periods of grid stress, but the CM offers contracts that span years rather than months. A participating university or college could realise an approximate additional £16,000-£17,000 per MW per year over four years (from 1st October 2023) via the CM. Money that could be invested in future sustainability projects.

The application deadline for the CM is 31st March 2023, for involvement from 1st October 2023. Participation in the DFS scheme opened on 01st November 2022, but there is still time to apply, participate and generate revenue before March 2023.

If you’re new to operational flexibility, the best way to approach the DFS or CM is to partner up with a flexibility expert who can handle all of the market and program complexities. ■

Universities and colleges are invited to participate in at least 12 anticipated peaks up to March 2023

Head of sales for Enel X UK & I

Barry Hurst www.enelx.com

Participants can receive revenue for reducing their demand on the electricity grid

Living and learning net zero

identify how energy mix and energy consumption relate to the occupancy and use of each individual space.

up to 90 per cent more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs.

Living Lab can be used to simulate, and rigorously test, changes before they happen. It’s an innovation space available to pilot the technologies Siemens is installing across the campus; testing the technology and how the work will be carried out ahead of commissioning for a smooth transition. This reduces time for installation, avoids the costs of trial and error and encourages the UEL and Siemens project team to focus on continuous improvement throughout the project lifecycle.

Platform for student research

The evolving energy system and changing energy use data provides an excellent, live platform for student and graduate research projects to be formulated and executed, as well as new technology concepts to be tested and evaluated. So, the overall project is embedded in the curriculum of the university and the project is open to new ideas and innovations.

In April 2022 the University of East London (UEL) announced an aspirational ambition to achieve carbon net-zero at its campuses in London Docklands and Stratford by 2030. The university additionally affirmed its intent to embed sustainability across the curriculum to allow students to develop the skills they need to succeed in a green economy.

The project will also address the needs of the people who live and work in the surrounding London borough of Newham – the most diverse and fastest-growing region in Europe but with some of the highest pollution and health inequalities in the UK.

UEL is committed, through its work with Siemens, to produce a costeffective pathway to net-zero that can achieve wider outcomes for the university, students, staff and the local community. However, the campuses have complex energy requirements with over 25,000 students and 2,000 staff.

The first step in the project focused on understanding existing energy usage. The Siemens team audited the 17 buildings on the campuses to

From this, UEL’s total emissions were calculated, providing a clear project trajectory to achieve the goal of carbon net-zero by 2030. The resulting road-map creates a schedule of work to be carried out taking into account the financial implications, both operational savings and funding of capital investments as they arise.

BMS system upgrades

For implementation, the starting point was improving energy efficiency through building management system upgrades. This controls the heating and ventilation across all the university’s buildings for existing plant and new technology as it is introduced to replace or augment the current equipment. An early element of the project was then to set about replacing over 11,000 light fittings with LED lighting that produces light

The generation of clean energy, within the space constraints of a very urban location, created a major challenge area for the team. This has so far indicated using solar (PV) and water-source heat pumps, fed from the Thames, plus, where necessary, air- or ground-source heat pumps. Electric vehicle charging solutions are also being implemented across the sites. These activities will take the university to net zero and deliver carbon-free energy for at least the next 25 years.

Real-time energy data

UEL, crucially, has access to real-time campus energy data through a Living Lab – a physical and virtual space that staff, students, researchers and UEL’s partners, locally and globally, can use to monitor and understand energy usage, occupancy data and energy resilience across the estate. The

Together, UEL and Siemens are providing students with access to real industry experience and exposure to a live net-zero transformation that incorporates strong examples of the skills and jobs being created by the green economy. The students also see first-hand the application of smart technology that a net-zero future will rely on. This is important in the context of world economies and the UK, which, for example, is still woefully short of meeting the projected annual demand, from its growing green economy, for 124,000 engineers and technicians, alongside an additional requirement for 79,000 related roles involving a mixed application of other skill sets.

UEL’s similarity to a city also encourages everybody involved to look at the scalability of solutions used and their potential application in the planning of smart towns and cities of the future both in the UK and abroad.

The Living Lab exists within the current Knowledge Dock Building, soon to become the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability, which also serves as an innovation hub for local green energy enterprises. These are attracted to the locale by access to the university’s resources, graduates and research facilities. New businesses are equally created as spin-offs from the university research.

A touchstone of the project is that everyone must benefit. The university’s net-zero project helps the Newham borough become greener and cleaner as it develops and inspires the next generation of sustainability leaders and contributes to the pool of knowledge about how we all achieve net-zero. ■

The University of East London and Siemens have joined up for so much more than a net-zero target. Faye Bowser examines how the university and the wider community are benefitting

UEL and Siemens are providing students with access to real industry experience

Head of energy & performance services at Siemens

Faye Bowser www.siemens.com

Don’t get caught out

How can an uninterruptible power supply system contribute to energy efficiency programmes in educational facilities?

Alex Emms examines the options for energy managers

Electronics and battery bank

level of redundancy. In a system built of equally sized modules, this extra level can be just one extra module. For a 200kVA load the total system size for an N+N system would need to be 400kVA, whereas for a modular system built up of 50kVA modules the system could be just 250kVA. Apart from the initial purchase cost for a 250kVA system being less than for a 400kVA system, the running costs for the smaller system would also be lower and a system can be gradually expanded as load grows.

Balancing UPS load

director for Kohler Uninterruptible Power Ltd

Emms www.kohler-ups.co.uk

As significant energy users with varied estates, most educational facilities will devote considerable effort and innovation to reducing their energy bills and carbon footprint. Many have environmental schemes in place to recognise progress.

Their complex nature means educational institutions depend on a resilient, efficient IT infrastructure to support students and staff both on and off-site, and as well as requiring dependable power for life-safety and access control systems to protect their students, staff and visitors.

With the risk of frequency fluctuations, voltage variations and even blackouts increasing as the UK adopts more renewable sources into its grid, comes the need for a back-up power supply which can manage the demands of the educational establishment and keep things functioning without drama. Therefore, an integrated power

protection solution that encompasses an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and generator system is often used.

Protection from power loss UPS systems with associated batteries will protect the critical loads from power loss and either keep them running until power is restored, a generator comes online or will provide time to shut protected equipment down safely. Note that even if generators are present, uninterruptible power supplies are necessary to support the critical loads until the generators can reach operating speed and frequency synchronisation.

As the total power provided to critical loads can be significant, and this all passes through a UPS, it is important to question how much of that power is lost as it does so – in other words how efficient the UPS is. Similarly, it is vital to recognise the efficiency of a UPS varies across its load range, with the efficiency sweet spot typically at 50 per cent and, in conventional operation, marked deterioration below 25 per cent of rated load.

For this reason, often the most appropriate and energy efficient UPS type for educational facilities is a “static, continuous online, modular N+1 system”.

A static UPS uses electronics and a battery bank to protect against power disturbances, as opposed to rotary UPS – these instead use a large rotating mass but are typically more bulky, less efficient and more complex to maintain so have almost entirely been replaced by static UPS in educational applications.

Continuous online systems are better for most educational applications as they provide continuous protection against both voltage and frequency variations, as opposed to “line interactive” systems which cut in after a short delay, something which may result in data corruption or equipment shutting down. However, as these are continuously operating their size and format must be carefully considered.

Critical power systems usually have a level of redundancy, defined as the power to support the load, N, and the amount of extra protection. An “N+N” system will have twice the power needed to protect the load, whereas an “N+1” system has enough power to protect the load plus one

Modular systems also have an additional advantage if they have smart, load dependent operating functionality, such as Kohler’s “XTRA VFI” mode. This functionality balances UPS load across its modules so they operate at their most efficient point. If load falls significantly (e.g. overnight), it concentrates the load on certain modules, keeping an additional one active to cover the “+1” redundancy requirement and then putting the others into standby mode to save energy. These can quickly be turned on again, so protection is not put at risk but the energy saving, especially below 25 per cent of rated load, is very significant.

Fixed in place systems

Due to cost, immobility, reliability and environmental impact most UPS systems use Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries. Lithium-ion systems are lightweight and compact, so great for mobile applications, but UPS systems remain fixed in place. This means the 3X extra cost is unjustifiable and the existing 98 per cent recycling programme for UK VRLA batteries wins out. Advances in battery management from lithiumion batteries have spread to VRLA systems though, where charge balancing systems can now add 30 per cent to typical VRLA service life.

Given the disruption replacing an inappropriate power protection system can cause, or the consequences of it not meeting the need when called upon, it is also worth highlighting there is considerable variation in the quality levels of systems and service in the market today. Energy efficiency claims should be verified – reviewing particularly if they are “up to” and over what band that applies, as well as if they are for “continuous online” mode or “ECO” mode, which is essentially a line interactive mode that will produce a gap in supply if the mains fails.

■

Universities and colleges are dependent on a robust IT infrastructure

Operations

Alex

There is considerable variation in the quality of systems and service

SMART WATER HEATING

Three-strong range of heat pumps for hotels, offices

In response to increased demand and the company’s continued growth, MODUTHERM has launched a new and exclusive range of commercial heat pumps. The AW Monobloc range has been specifically developed to offer consultants powerful heating, cooling and hot water outputs for a wide range of applications, including residential apartment buildings, schools, offices and hotels.

The new AW Monobloc is available in three models – 30kW, 45kW and 90kW – with all units capable of cascade arrangements up to 16 units from one controller, providing a maximum combined output of 1,440kW.

By utilising the latest inverter driven compressor and Enhanced Vapour Injection (EVI) technology, the AW Monobloc has an A++ energy efficiency rating alongside a COP up to 5.06. The impressive performance is achieved by automatically adjusting outputs according to heat demand

for optimum system efficiency. In addition, the EVI stabilises the heat pump’s output and minimises energy consumption, which is particularly important in colder winter months. For reliable performance, the AW Monobloc range also features nano-coated condensers. This facilitates faster water drainage from the condenser surface, reducing ice formation and defrost times. Plus, for added peace of mind, all models are supplied with a five-year warranty on the compressor and a three-year warranty on parts. ■ www.modutherm.co.uk

PREFECT CONTROLS has teamed up with cylinder manufacturer, Gledhill, to produce a cylinder that combines the latest tank technology with state-of-the-art monitoring, measuring and management.

The Irus SMART tank is an unvented stainless steel direct cylinder and is factory fitted with high-grade, long-life titanium elements. The brain of the tank is the control box. This is pre-wired to the elements, water meters, probes, sensors, and optional leak detection equipment.

Two integrated water meters monitor supply in, and output to, the hot water system. They provide accurate data on the volume of water being used. Additionally, by monitoring flow, should a tap or shower be left running, an alert is sent to managers.

The Tundish sensor monitors any throughput and alerts that hot water is being wasted. Sensors attached to the cold inlet and hot outlet, monitor the temperature of water entering and leaving the tank. While another input, with the addition of a leak sensor, will detect any

leak from pipework within the cupboard.

The SMART tank connects to Prefect’s Irus Central Control system and the data is displayed on the dedicated internet portal. The equipment was installed recently in student accommodation and controlled 39 existing tanks. The data shows energy savings of 17.5 per cent during the threemonth, like-for-like monitoring periods. ■ www.prefectcontrols.com

HEATING/COOLING

VRF system can be switch between heat pump and heat recovery

LG has launched its new range of water source VRF systems – Multi V water 5 - a system that is interchangeable between heat pump and heat recovery.

These new units have a capacity between 22.4kW and 168kW and an allowable system pipe length of up to 500 metres, making them extremely flexible for installation. The same model can be installed as either a heat pump or a heat recovery system depending on the design of the system.

Electric storage boiler could enable on-site generators to store solar power

A new type of electric storage boiler could enable on-site generators to store solar energy cheaper and more safely than batteries.

The patented technology, developed by British startup CALDERA, uses a solid material which is heated up using off-peak electricity and on-site renewables. This energy is then stored with very high efficiency and released when required as highpressure steam.

It is ideally suited to industrial users who rely on process heat or steam.

The Hampshire-based firm is already producing a

domestic scale heat store, which is currently being rolled out in a number of trial homes countrywide.

Caldera CEO James Macnaghten, said: “For industrial users who have processes which use heat, we believe it will be more cost-effective to store excess on-site generation as heat.

“Lithium-Ion batteries are a tremendous technology, but they are expensive, and bring associated downside risks including fire. And for many industrial users, it is heat they need, not electricity.

“It therefore makes more sense to store excess solar

energy directly as heat, using a technology which replicates (and in many cases can replace) existing gas or oilfired boilers.

“With our technology, banks of solid-state electric storage boilers can be charged by on-site solar PV at around 99 per cent efficiency, and can hold this heat for hours, ready to deliver high pressure steam as required at temperatures up to 200ºC.

“It is a simple, modular system which costs significantly less than batteries,” Macnaghten concludes.■ www.caldera.co.uk

These new systems can also be utilised in conjunction with energy sources - in the form of hot water - that might otherwise get wasted such as industrial process waste heat sources, cooling towers, computer/server rooms and facilities – and turned into useful energy to heat buildings.

Typically, in combination with different indoor units, the energy taken by outdoor units from the water source can be used to provide indoor solutions including space conditioning, such as heating or cooling via regular air conditioning indoor units, but it can also work with underfloor heating systems or radiators in conjunction with a hydro kit. It can also work well with supplying domestic hot water for buildings.■ www.lg.com

Hot water cylinder with state-of-the-art control system

BOILER TECHNOLOGY

ESTA VIEWPOINT

Calm needed after the turmoil of 2022

Mervyn Pilley looks back at the upheavals of the past 12 months and hopes that UK energy policy will lead to calmer waters in 2023

of the required installers for these measures are going to come from.

For further info on ESTA visit www.estaenergy.org.uk

As I write the first column for 2023, I am looking back on yet another year of turmoil and change. I try to think back to April 2019 when I joined ESTA and wonder if I could possible have had any clue as to what was going to happen in the subsequent three and a half years. Certainly not is the answer, no one could have done, to be honest.

Looking back on 2022, there was little good news in the UK and internationally, but for ESTA members the energy crisis at least meant that many of them have been frantically busy helping their clients to reduce their energy costs and equally recover some of their pandemic-induced work losses.

I was also very pleased that the Chancellor – the third one of 2022 – finally used two key words in the autumn statement – energy efficiency. Hurrah, thought I, but the initial enthusiasm was tempered somewhat as the detail of the additional spending commitment started to come out. Is the additional spending going to just be spent on insulation in homes without any overarching national retrofit plan – the answer may regrettably be yes. On that front still no credible solution on just where all

The SME installer sector has been very badly affected by the failure of the green homes grant scheme and it is going to need a lot of direct government funding into sector training in the very near future if the additional funding is not going to be wasted.

Energy efficiency information

No obvious money is going to be spent on commercial and non-domestic energy efficiency needs, with the finally issued energy efficiency information campaign looking as though it is just going to amount to ‘the secretary of state presents from his own home!'

So much went wrong in 2022 both for the energy sector at large and also for UK businesses and the economy. The Government just did not get the blindingly obvious message that energy efficiency really is the first fuel and is therefore an energy supply and consequently also an energy security issue. As a result, they have committed to eye watering investments in long term solutions such as carbon capture and storage and building nuclear power stations at the same time messing around with the renewables sector both in planning and taxation areas. We used our 40th anniversary to remind them just how long the energy management solution has been around but sensible lobbying activity continued to become an ever harder job as both Ministers and policies came and

went. An election is needed but in the meantime the policy freeze in key energy related areas cannot continue for another two years.

Ofgem continued to make a total mess of their role in 2022. Unfortunately they managed to fall between both stools in trying to represent both the suppliers and consumers at the same time. Supplier failures seemed to slow down although we, the taxpayers, are going to be paying for the Bulb fiasco for many years to come. In true shutting the stable door long after the whole heard has gone mode they announced a tightening up of new entrants to the sector financial criteria. It is hard to see why any company would now be looking to enter the market.

At the time of me writing this it would seem that UK businesses are expected to try and plan for the future when they don’t have a clue what, if any, financial support in relation to

their energy costs will be coming from the Government. Business failures have increased substantially in 2022 meaning greater costs for us all and less tax take for the government.

Little progress for change COP27 came and went and the overwhelming feeling was that little real game changing progress had been made post COP26. This feeling was certainly not helped by a last minute, will-he/won’t-he appearance by the Prime Minister who seemed to be going backwards in his speech followed by the confirmation of a new coal mine opening in the UK.

On the ESTA front, things picked up during the year and we returned to physical member meetings again as well as attending a number of trade shows. Rising venue costs certainly didn’t help us and the fact that our members were on the whole frantically busy helping their clients in the crisis continued to reduce the time that they had to talk to/engage with their trade association. Towards the end of the year, I have had some exciting discussions over a number of new ESTA groups that we are introducing in 2023 and some new collaboration projects. I look forward to recruiting more members this year and running a more active physical meetings programme, probably using members’ premises as the venues.

To conclude I would wish all members, stakeholders and partners of ESTA a far more prosperous and stable New Year than they have experienced in the last three years.

Executive director of ESTA (Energy Services and Technology Association)

Mervyn Pilley

The Government just did not get the message that energy efficiency is the first fuel

For details on how to obtain your Energy Institute CPD Certificate,

see ENTRY FORM and details on page 20

Dr Richard Bujko, energy management trainer with the Energy Institute

E-mobility has attracted huge attention with the government providing significant financial incentives to encourage the transition from existing fossil-fuelled vehicles to both pure electric and low emission vehicles. Over the last decade, additional government financial funding was provided to establish a robust and pragmatic EV charging infrastructure across the UK as well as contributing to further grant support towards the cost of domestic EV charging stations.

Consequently, and despite, the headwinds of rising energy prices due to the on-going Russia-Ukraine conflict, post Covid challenges and the current cost-of-living crisis, the electric car market has maintained steady growth with over 590,000 pure-electric cars on UK roads at the end of October 2022 and over 1m plug-in models (including plug in hybrids), according to NextGreenCar¹. What’s more, in November 2022 there were 36,752 charging points representing 60,701 connections at 21,906 locations countrywide according to EV charging app ZapMap²

stated that all new vehicles should be zero emission and the large automotive organisations have gradually directed their research and development (R&D) budgets to the production of zero carbon vehicles.

The UK has legally committed to achieving a net zero-carbon economy by 2050 and expects to fulfil this ambition by ending sales of new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 with hybrid vehicles only permitted until 2035.

Classifications of vehicles

The main classifications of electric vehicles (EVs) are:

● Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) which utilise electric motors powered by a rechargeable onboard battery. The latter can also generate energy through the car’s own braking system to recharge the battery in a process known as ‘regenerative braking’;

● Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) which can be simultaneously powered by an electric motor and internal combustion engine (ICE) but which require to be charged from an external charge point;

● Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) which employ both an electric motor powered by a battery and ICE where the latter charges the battery and therefore does not require access to an external charge point; and

● Extended-Range EVs (EREVs)

comprise the same components as PHEVs but the wheels are always driven by an electric motor with the ICE acting as a generator to recharge the battery when it is depleted.

Fuel cell electric vehicle

Other low carbon vehicles include: fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)³ which comprise an electric engine that utilises a mixture of compressed hydrogen and oxygen obtained from the air with water representing the only waste product from this process.

Increased EV sales will inevitably lead to a significant increase in electricity demand especially during the evening peak when the majority of EV owners are assumed will be charging their vehicles once they reach home from work. This will demand increased network grid reinforcement both at the local distribution network and at national level. To partially mitigate this potentially onerous cost impact on developing enhanced grid networks in the near future, intelligent digital technologies will be increasingly incorporated within EVs in the medium to long term. In the short term, high premium EVs such as the Volvo EX90⁴ –due to be released in 2023 and will have two electric motors controlling both the front and rear axles to provide fourwheel drive – with a battery capacity of 111kWh. This will be Volvo’s first electric model to have bi-directional charging capability allowing it to charge another EV with a low battery charge. This capability is being explored further to determine whether load management services could be provided directly to the Grid i.e. Vehicleto-Grid (V2G) technology.

The International Energy Agency (IEA)⁵ has stated that after a decade of growth, the number of electric cars worldwide will reach the 10m mark representing 1 per cent of the total vehicle count. BEVs accounted for two-thirds of new electric vehicle (EV) registrations and comprised 66 per cent of the total stock in 2020. China has the largest EV fleet comprising 4.5m EVs while Europe has a total of 3.2m EVs which includes BEVs, PHEVs and light commercial vehicles.

Phasing out the ICE

During CoP26 in 2021, the then UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, re-emphasised the country’s commitment to ‘phase out ICE vehicles by 2035’ and end their sales by 2030. As of March 2022, there are more than 840,000 plug-in vehicles registered in the UK comprising a combination of

EIBI | JANUARY 2023

The rise and rise of electric vehicles

Electric Vehicles

460,000 BEVs and 380,000 PHEVs.

Initially, the government concentrated on providing plug-in grants for the purchase of EVs but the focus has turned increasingly towards investment countrywide on charge point (CP) infrastructure. Total funding committed to vehicle grants and infrastructure is now anticipated to amount to £2.5bn with £1.6bn dedicated to EV charging infrastructure to meet government’s plans to achieve 300,000 public EV CPs by 2030. This will result in CPs outnumbering existing conventional fuel pumps by a factor of 5.

£950m will be assigned to a rapid charging fund (RCF) which is envisaged to fund 6,000 high powered charge stations across England’s motorways and major A-roads by 2035. This is expected to future-proof electrical capacity on strategic roadways in preparation of increased EV uptake. The private sector will be encouraged to likewise deliver CPs where this is commercially viable.

A further £500m will be offered to local authorities (LAs) to enable them to extensively develop ‘high quality’ EV charge point coverage. This complements the financial support given to 140 LAs since 2017 in respect of an On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) designed to install 4,000 CPs.

Workplace charging scheme

A Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) – which will be extended to Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) - is also offering up to £350 discount off the cost and installation of an EVCP for a total of 40 sockets.

However, from 1 April 2022, the UK government has withdrawn the Electric Vehicle Home-Charge Scheme (EVHS) and replaced it with the EV CP grant. The latter provides funding of 75 per cent of the costs of purchasing and installing EV CPs in a domestic property - to a maximum of £350 (including VAT).

Other financial incentives for would be EV purchasers have included exemption from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for BEVs due to their zero CO2 tailpipe emissions. In contrast, PHEVs are subject to a VED levy varying from £10-140 depending on their specific vehicle’s CO₂ emissions in the first year of ownership but then PHEV owners face an on-going annual charge of £140 in subsequent years. However, in the 17 November 2022 budget, the UK chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, outlined in his Autumn Statement that from 2025, EVs will be subject to road tax which could become a financial barrier in the medium term to the purchase of future EVs which is also currently already

amplified by the cost-of-living crisis.

Although there will be a slight increase in their future running costs, the added attraction of EVs has been supplemented by new BEVs incorporating larger battery capacities which will provide increased driving ranges comparable to that of conventional fossil fuelled vehicles with up to 200-300 miles of driving range from a fully charged battery.

Other zero emission technologies in transport have included FCEVs such as the Toyota Mirai which is reliant on hydrogen as a fuel and whose waste stream is predominantly water vapour. This latter genre has required substantial financial support from the UK Government and has led to the construction of a number of hydrogen fuelling stations.⁶. Although they represent a relatively small number, FCEVs allow rapid charging and offer a driving range equivalent to modern medium sized conventional vehicles of around 300 miles.

Common EV anxieties

There are still ‘key anxieties’ exhibited by prospective EV purchasers with the more frequent ones characterised as follows:

The average price of the majority of mid range EVs fall in the range of £25,000 - £30,000 and therefore, in some instances, the overall cost of an EV can represent almost double that of a conventional family saloon. However, manufacturers plan to accelerate their transition to the production of BEVs which should inevitably lead to increased economies of scale and therefore a gradual fall in the price of the latter.

Although the upfront capital costs of EVs are still currently more expensive to buy outright than traditional ICE cars, prospective EV owners should base their purchase decision on the total cost of ownership over four years according to the latest government findings. The latter addresses common misconceptions regarding

the premium cost of ownership of EVs relative to conventional vehicles. It emphasises that an EV owner could save c. £170 per 1,000 miles in running costs which would completely offset the EV price premium at the end of four years of ownership. This is predominantly due to the running costs for EVs equating to c. 2 pence/ mile when charging the vehicle using off-peak electricity compared to the c. 20p/mile for petrol (and even higher for diesel) fuel costs for ICE cars. In addition, the fewer moving parts in an EV translate to less maintenance costs. Further financial incentives are also available for EVs including (until 2024) zero road tax and favourable company car tax rates – which are expected to save some EV drivers over £2,000/year.

Apart from reduced maintenance costs other non-financial benefits of EVs include:

● positive impact on air quality leading to improved health benefits;

● increased safety precautions in the event of an accident;

● reduced effect on climate change (despite the need to recycle the batteries); and

● a major contribution to tackling noise pollution.

Additional monetary benefits are anticipated with business EV owners through the implementation of V2G technology which will encourage the development of demand response service offerings (Flexibility) from local DNOs⁸. This could take the form of discharging batteries during a DNO’s peak demand periods and therefore offsetting or delaying the capital costs necessary for localised grid reinforcement. EV owners could also benefit from reduced electricity costs when recharging during offpeak hours when there is a surplus of generation capacity. Nissan offer V2G compatible EVs in the UK with both their Nissan Leaf BEVs and the enV200 van models⁹

Numerous financial payment methods have been formulated

to accelerate the transition to EV ownership without having to incur the full upfront capital cost of an EV. In particular by leasing over a 2/3/4 year periods with fixed monthly fees inflation-proofing your vehicle costs for the duration of the lease.

A lack of conveniently accessible EV charge points close to home and their driving range limitations – commonly referred to as range anxiety – have often been blamed as reasons for delaying their EV purchase. Especially for those without access to off-street parking at home, increased reliance will be placed on workplace charging or ‘community hubs’ located within retail, hospitality, leisure centre car parks, etc. UK Government funding has been increased to encourage both the number of charge points strategically available around the UK and the range of fast charging capabilities.

Initially, the low carbon transportation sector was dominated on the supply side by the large global auto manufacturers developing niche markets in EVs. However, a robust and widespread EV charging infrastructure capability was becoming a necessity and had to be more price competitive. This encouraged the entry of new CP service providers such as BP’s Chargemaster, Shell’s Ubitricity and PodPoint.

Home charging is slow EV charging has taken various forms. Home charging is generally provided at 3.7kW or 7kW as most domestic properties have single phase power facilitating a driving range of c1530 miles. For those households benefitting from a three-phase supply and most commercial properties, faster charge points of 22kW are now fairly common. Nevertheless home charging is still regarded as slow charging and best used for overnight charging as a BEV would take between 6-12 hours to fully charge while a PHEV might take 2 -4 hours. Whereas fast charging can take 3-4 hours to fully charge a BEV using an output of 7kW at single phase or 22kW at three phases.

One of UK’s leading providers of domestic smart EV charging points is PodPoint¹⁰ and one of their standard wall boxes is pictured. Installation of a PodPoint application will also allow access to their extensive network of other public charge points across the UK.

Some energy suppliers offer special ‘electric vehicle’ tariff structures which encourage EV drivers to charge overnight by offering a discounted unit rate for electricity that equates to c2p/mile. Island utility companies such as Manx Utilities¹¹ offer a specialised EV tariff which provides a discounted rate of 12p/kWh (2022) pricing off-peak

relative to their standard rate of 22p/kWh.

Public charging stations for EVs are becoming more commonplace. As of October 2022, there were 59,059 charging points (CPs) at 21,378 locations around the country according to EV charging app specialists Zapmap.

An increasing number of large organisations operating significantly sized vehicle fleets are gradually transitioning to low-carbon technologies as the speed and capacity of commercial EV charge points have improved. Public charging points (CPs) are being established in various forms ranging from dedicated charging hubs where more than 40 cars can be charged simultaneously to chargers incorporated in lamp-posts and on bollards in residential streets to facilitate overnight charging for EV owners whose properties do not have a driveway. This is the case with Shell’s Ubitricity which operates the UK’s largest public charging network for electric vehicles through on-street lamp post and bollard chargers.

Fast charging up to 100kW

The advent of Rapid Charging comprising either 43kW AC chargers or 50kW DC chargers with even larger EV capacity up to 100kW is now become more readily available. The larger EV stations are capable of charging the majority of EVs to 70-80 per cent of total capacity within 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the battery. However, the rising cost of electricity during 2022 has been accompanied by a significant rise in the average cost of public charging. Research instigated by the RAC has revealed that the average cost of a Rapid Charge (up to 100kW) increased by 72 per cent in the last 12 months to September 2022 while an Ultra-Rapid

charge has increased by 87 per cent.

Some vehicle manufacturers such as BMW, Porsche and Ford are supporting the need to reinforce the grid infrastructure to develop an ultrarapid (350kW) EV charging network in Europe which will recharge EVs in less than 20 minutes.

Large EV Charge Point Operators (CPOs) have also established collaborative alliances with utility service companies and National Grid to provide fast and ultra-fast EV charging capability ranging from 50kW to 150kW and as large as 350kW. This has encouraged organisations operating large commercial fleets such as delivery vans to switch to all–electric alternatives – zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) as is the case with British Gas / Centrica ¹² and which utilise a ‘virtual fuel card’ for EV charging.

The majority of EVs have a relatively short driving range of c150 miles compared to conventional ICE based vehicles. However, the next generation of EVs such as the popular Nissan Leaf has a driving range of c180 miles while the latest Tesla Model S has a range of over 310 miles.

Increased lithium ion battery capacity and advances in battery storage technologies is already leading to major improvements in the total driving range of modern EVs. Given that the average vehicle journey is c9 miles/ day than the range of an EV should not be a major concern. Access to home charging and the development by the public and private sector of a wide range of fast and ultra-fast EV charging stations will also contribute to building confidence and allaying prospective EV purchasers’ anxiety regarding the perceived short driving range of the average EV model.

EVs are regarded as very energy

Electric Vehicles

efficient with 60 per cent of the electrical energy from the national grid is converted to power at the wheels in contrast to the 20 per cent of the energy stored in conventional fuels for ICE vehicles. Other environmental benefits consist of zero emission of CO2 and other tailpipe discharges. Advancements in EV technologies and additional incentives are expected to lower the cost of EV batteries reducing the Life Cycle cost of EVs compared to conventional ICE cars. EDF - a major energy supplier in the UK - has suggested that across the lifecycle of an EV the latter is around 14 times more carbon efficient than a typical ICE vehicle.

Petrol mixed with ethanol

Advances in bio-fuel production have resulted in low carbon emission solutions by powering ICE vehicles with petrol mixed with ethanol with petrol and diesel with methyl fatty acid. Percentage mixes of up to 10 per cent - known as E10 petrol – has been at fuel courts across the UK. This is expected to cut transport related CO2 emissions by 750,000 tonnes a year. Motorists will be expected to take advantage of a new E10 compatibility checker to determine whether their vehicles can effectively use this higher percentage of ethanol in petrol. Ethanol will comprise low-grade grains, sugars and waste wood and will greatly support the UK Government’s ambitions to achieve net zero by 2050¹³ Growth in e-mobility is expected to continue at a high pace but major changes will be required in the interaction between the EV customer and the local electricity supplier as the latter anticipate increasing challenges on the resilience of their networks particularly at peak charging times.

For 2030 zero emission targets to be met rapid transformations are expected in the transport and e-mobility landscape from the universal and ubiquitous adoption of ultra-fast wireless charging of EVs to the design and development of high energy battery systems. Current designs of EV batteries are comparatively heavy in order to deliver the required driving range capability. This translates into more energy being consumed in a single journey. Developments in the ‘highly energy dense solid state cells’ sector will lead to batteries with better energy storage, a more compact design and the capability of being fast charged. Alternative forms of low and zero emission transportation schemes have been trialled including compressed natural gas, liquid natural gas and liquid petroleum gas.

Impact on electricity demand

With rapid EV growth forecast for the coming decade, the National Grid Electricity System Operator’s (NG ESO’s) Future Energy Scenarios Report¹⁴, ‘Community Renewables’, considers the impact of this growth on electricity demand. The report projects that unconstrained EV charging demand at peak times could rise to approximately 24GW by 2050 However, NG ESO also highlights that this demand could be significantly mitigated by implementing smart charging techniques and further reduced by exploiting V2G techniques for load control and the provision of flexibility services to the local DNOs.

To avoid system peaks a number of alternative and innovative load control measures have been explored including the integration of EV charge point infrastructure with renewable energy sources. This has been explored by the Shetland Islands where tidal power is the fuel supply for the Island’s EVs¹⁵

REFERENCES

1 https://nextgreencar.com/electric-cars/statistics/

2 https://www.zap-map.com/statistics/

3 https://www.mdpi.com/2624-6511/4/1/22

4 Autocar Magazine - January 2023 pp8-11

5 https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2021/ trends-and-developments-in-electric-vehicle-markets

6 https://www.driving.co.uk/news/the-future-of-hydrogenfiling-stations-in-britain/

7 https://www.biffa.co.uk/media-centre/news/uks-largestfleet-of-electric-waste-vehicles-launches-in-manchester

8 https://theenergyst.com/uk-power-networks-awards123mw-of-flex-contracts-evs-included/

9 https://www.nissan.co.uk/range/electric-cars/v2g.html

10 https://pod-point.com/about

11 https://www.manxutilities.im/your-home/electricity/ electric-vehicles/

12 https://www.centrica.com/media-centre/news/2021/ centrica-introduces-virtual-fuel-card-for-electric-fleetcharging/

13 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fuelling-a-greenerfuture-e10-petrol-set-for-september-2021-launch

14 https://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/stories/journey-to-netzero-stories/eso-future-energy-scenarios-next-30-years

15 https://www.novainnovation.com/news/news_/i per cent20tidal-powered-cars-driving-scotland-to-net-zero/

The availability of EV charging from lamp posts is increasing steadily

Global real estate advisor JLL recently relocated some of its London-based teams to the second and third floors at 20 Water Street, Canary Wharf. The move is part of its commitment to shaping the workplace for its employees, providing a flexible and inclusive work environment underpinned by a sustainable and technologically advanced workplace that boasts excellent connectivity and amenities.

The project team included consultant Hilson Moran, designer and main contractor Tétris Design x Build, and electrical contractor Bridgegate Electrical.

The brief was to create a collaborative, sustainable, inclusive, health-led, techsmart, energy-efficient, and flexible workplace, targeting WELL Platinum, SKA Gold and BREEAM Excellent. Therefore, circular economy principles, embodied carbon reduction, and well-being, were critical. The project had to meet JLL’s targets for its Net Zero Carbon 2025 milestone.

AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS

Two AEROTOP T26 air source heat pumps from ELCO continue to operate at peak performance and supply highly sustainable heating to Heath Primary School in Suffolk – ten years after their installation.

In 2012, the heat pumps were fitted outside a new purpose-built teaching block and have since supplied efficient space heating to six classrooms, communal rooms and toilet facilities via a low temperature underfloor heating circuit.

During their operating lifecycle, the heat pumps have consistently delivered extremely high CoPs, allowing the school to save up to 15 tonnes of carbon, when compared to a traditional gas boiler setup*.

UK specification manager for ELCO, Mark Ferris, returned to the school last

PRODUCTS IN ACTION

HEATING & COOLING

Split system brings warehouse to life

Lime Tree Work Shop, originally a historic derelict warehouse based in the heart of Sevenoaks, Kent, has recently been transformed into a sleek industriallooking modern co-working space with an energy-efficient PANASONIC heating and cooling PACi split system with nanoe X to ensure all round comfort.

Installer, Mid-Tech Services Ltd, worked with TJK Builders on the project, where a Panasonic PACi split system was specified, along with a range of Panasonic energy efficient indoor ducted fan coils and cassette units to ensure maximum comfort in each of the different areas in this historic building. Indoor air quality is a top priority for the owners.

Highly efficient and sustainable TRILUX luminaires helped meet the project’s sustainability goals and create JLL’s desired workspaces.

A mix of surface, suspended, and recessed Sonnos downlights in various configurations complement the interior design, including biophilic accents and features.

Striking circular and rectangular arrangements of the Finea 50 flexible, modular light channel system add aesthetic appeal in collaboration areas and its pure, high-quality white light aid communication.

Additional feature lighting is provided by the Canilio, a small but powerful suspended downlight colour matched to complement the scheme.

The lighting control system exploited the DALI2 drivers. This latest standard provides JLL with detailed data extraction options to assist in the efficient operation of the building. ■ www.trilux.com

Spread over 420m2 Lime Tree Work Shop offers a flexible co-working environment, with communal co-working spaces, lounge areas, meeting rooms and offices to meet a multitude of different needs: the ground floor even doubles as a hireable events space during evenings and weekends. To meet the demands of the space, Mid-Tech Services specified

the Panasonic split system for this project. The open plan communal areas were fitted with two 25 kW three phase Panasonic PACi Elite R32 outdoor split units with four ducted fan coil units spread across the ground and first floor. The extension at the rear of the building had two PACi NX Standard twin split units connected to four 4-Way Cassette indoor units across the two floors.

Finally, four offices and two meeting rooms are installed with a 2.5kW FZ wall mounted unit and one with a 3.5kW, to provide complete flexibility of heating and cooling to suit the individual areas. ■ www.aircon.panasonic.eu

year to witness the success story for himself. “It’s hard to believe now but, 10 years ago, there were not many commercial heat pumps being specified for applications like this,” he commented.

“It’s fantastic to see the ELCO units still operating to the same level as they did in 2012.”

AEROTOP T heat pumps have outputs up to 34.4kW and COPs up to 3.7, as well as an extremely robust and corrosionresistant housing, which provided optimal protection from the weather. ■ www.elco.co.uk

AIR CONDITIONING

VRF system fits the bill at north west office, retail complex

A former Marks & Spencer building in Stockport has been transformed into a modern office, retail and leisure facility, equipped with high efficiency air conditioning based on an award-winning TOSHIBA SHRM-e heat recovery Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system.

The project, by developer Glenbrook, involved remodelling the 5,950m2 building, including creation of a new fullheight glazed atrium, an outdoor terrace and high-end office accommodation across two open-plan floors, with leisure and retail facilities in the basement and ground floor.

Five separate Toshiba three-pipe VRF systems were installed by Coolair Services, working for Medway Heating under main contractor City Build, with Toshiba VN heat recovery ventilation

systems – installed by Ventilation Design Services – providing fresh air to the building.

“The remodelled building has completely open ceilings, giving a contemporary, spacious feeling,” said David McSherry, head of sales, Toshiba Air Conditioning UK, Carrier Global Comfort Solutions Europe. “This means ductwork is exposed to retain the clean, industrial design.

To accommodate this and prevent the risk of condensation forming on ducting, the fresh air system is engineered to operate with a maximum of 14ºC air-off temperature.”

The Toshiba ceiling-suspended cassettes are painted in a bespoke black livery to match the contemporary lighting frames. Outdoor condensers are mounted on the rooftop, on a specially constructed support frame.

Each VRF system is connected to a central touch screen controller, enabling the landlord to set comfort and performance parameters separately for each zoned area of the building. ■ www.toshiba.co.uk

Heat pumps still delivering 10 years on

THE ENERGY SAVING AWARDS

Congratulations to our winners!

The winners of the first Energy Saving Awards were revealed at a glittering ceremony at the Tower Hotel, London, at the beginning of last month

The Energy Saving Awards celebrate the very best professionals, products and projects across the plumbing, heating, ventilation and energy management sectors. They acknowledge the work that has been achieved in reducing carbon emissions and raising efficiency.

Organised by Energy in Buildings & Industry, in conjunction with sister publication, PHAM News, the new event provided an opportunity to recognise those companies and

individuals who have taken strides to reduce energy consumption, either through the design of energy-saving products or the completion of an installation project.

A huge number of entries were received across the categories. Readers were then invited to make their choices online.

Over 5,000 votes poured in and determined the victors in each category.

Comedian, actor and satirist, Marcus Brigstocke, announced the winners.

THE

ENERGY

SAVINGAWARDS

Campaign of the Year

WINNER: Wates Group

Wates Group launched the Wates Innovation Network (WIN) portal to accelerate the transition to net zero buildings and support the uptake of sustainable innovations. The WIN connects companies directly, free of charge, with partners that can offer solutions to help meet sustainability targets. It aims to create an industry-leading network that will accelerate the transition to net zero by showcasing smarter solutions to design, construct and maintain buildings.

Commercial Installation of the Year

WINNER: Samsung and AXD Environmental Samsung and AXD Environmental worked to improve the energy efficiency of Warringtonbased Element House, a multi-tenanted building providing over 4,000m² of office space across three floors.

A key requirement for the remodel was that it should be sustainably built as an environmentally conscious workspace. The building needed a heating and cooling system that offered the capability to determine the cost per kilowatt hour of each system for each tenant.

All elements in the system have been linked via Samsung’s B.IoT control platform which has a number of benefits to promote energy efficiency including providing efficient building operation with energy usage analysis and monitoring, data-based comfort control, target-based energy usage to certain zones and tenancy-based power use distribution.

Commercial Ventilation Product of the Year

The Lindab Ultra BT is a demand-controlled ventilation system that can be installed one room at a time. It does not require any remodelling of walls or long-term closure of offices. It is claimed to reduce ventilation costs by 73 per cent, and give an average payback of 4.5 years.

It combines the Lindab UltraLink ultrasonic VAV controller with new Bluetooth sensors and specially designed apps that allow the building owner to configure, monitor and control everything from CO levels, airflow, humidity and temperature.

WINNER: Lindab for Ultra BT

Public Sector Project of the Year

WINNER: Westminster City

Council

A grant of £13m through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and a contract with Vital Energi Utilities has enabled Westminster City Council to drive forward its Carbon Management Programme. The type of work considered included measures such as pipework insulation and draught proofing through to air source heat pumps and solar PV panels. In addition, there have been LED lighting upgrade works in more than 50 buildings. The council expects to see a reduction in emissions of 20 per cent.

THE ENERGY SAVING AWARDS

Water Saving Commercial Product of the Year

WINNER: Cistermiser for the Easyflush EVO

Cistermiser launched the Easyflush EVO this year and claims it will revolutionise WC flushing by bringing together the previously unattainable benefits of non-touch and leak-free flushing. By saving as much as 78,000 of litres of water per unit, per annum, the product can give payback in as little as eight months.

Commercial Heating Product of the Year

WINNER: Klima-Therm for Spectrum Water heat pump

Supplied in the UK by Klima-Therm, the Engie Spectrum Water is a high efficiency heat pump designed for industrial and commercial applications or integration into heat networks and district heating in housing developments.

The unit features a combination of turbo compressors with magnetic bearing, flooded shell and tube condensers as well as an open-flash economiser that maximises seasonal efficiency and performance with a small footprint. Instead of employing a single compressor, capacity is split among multiple compressors which enhances operational reliability.

Lighting Product of the Year

WINNER: Thorn Lighting for Plurio LED

Plurio LED is a family of decorative, outdoor, post-top luminaires that control light to offer urban planners. Lighting designers and building owners up to 86 per cent energy savings for residential streets, urban area, and car parks. It minimises light pollution and prevents light from radiating upwards.

OTHER CATEGORY WINNERS

Domestic Heating Product of the Year

WINNER; Navien for the NCB700 ON gas boiler

Domestic Installation of the Year

WINNER: Blakemore Plumbing Heating Renewables

Domestic Ventilation Product of the Year

WINNER: Clivet Group for the ELFOFresh EVO

Water-Saving Domestic Product of the Year

WINNER: Neoperl for the Pressure Compensating Washer Influencer of the Year

WINNER: Adam Chapman, Heat Geek

Special Recognition Award

WINNER: Peter Thom, Green Heat Ltd

Over a career spanning over 57 years Peter Thom has campaigned tirelessly to raise professionalism and has been a strong advocate of renewable and sustainable technologies.

As well as running his own family business, Thom has dedicated a lot of his time to industry bodies such as the Institute of Domestic Heating and Environmental Engineers (IDHEE) and has been an effective voice of the industry when engaging with government, decision makers and other organisations.

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

now is the best way to future-proof commercial buildings for years to come.

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.

Senior product manager at Mitsubishi Electric

Chaplen www.mitsubishielectric.com

When it comes to reducing the 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

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

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.

Installing a heat pump could avoid leaving a building as a stranded asset in the coming years as we move away from fossil fuels

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. ■

James

tool that will make this process much easier and will automatically calculate the size of appliance required.

Correct sizing matters

In the world of gas boilers, it’s standard practice to oversize them, which doesn’t really matter as the boilers just work less hard. Oversizing a heat pump however doesn’t mean you’ll benefit from more heat, but it does make it less efficient, so correct sizing matters.

The location of a heat pump is also completely different to that of a gas boiler, as a heat pump requires external air flow to function so must be installed externally. Units are commonly installed at ground level or on the roof depending on the building type, but the key requirement is adequate clearances to ensure good air flow. Manufacturer’s specifications must be adhered to and whatever you do, don't cover the heat pump or even put a roof over it. Impeding the air flow to a heat pump will negatively impact performance and can result in higher running costs.

Get the maximum from a heat pump

Kevin Potter takes you through the essential steps to be taken to get the most from a heat pump –from initial sizing and location to installation and to educating users

buildings heated with gas-fired boilers.

Undertaking a building survey will enable you to identify heat loss within your building and remedial work that needs to be done to reduce this.

Survey addresses services

underfloor heating systems, which have a large surface area from which to disperse heat.

The energy efficiency of heat pumps is not in doubt; they are up to three times as efficient as a gas boiler. But to maximise the energy efficiency of a heat pump, there are four key aspects that need careful consideration: building fabric, building services, heat pump system design, and usage.

The design of your building and the material it is made from will impact the energy efficiency of your heat pump. The aim is to minimise heat loss through, for example, the uncontrolled flow of air through gaps in the fabric of a building. The more thermally efficient the building, the more energy efficient it will be. Consideration therefore needs to be given to all aspects of building fabric, including insulation, glazing, etc. However, these considerations should also apply to

A building survey should also address the services within that building, including the existing heating system to see if it is fit for purpose when it comes to running efficiently with a heat pump. Key to the success of a heat pump-based heating system is the ability for the building’s heating system to be able to operate on lower temperatures. That means correctly sized radiators. In the UK, we are relatively poor at sizing radiators as we often base the decision on aesthetics which normally translates into smaller radiators. With a heat pump, the temperature running through the radiators is lower than that provided by a gas boiler, so the radiator must be of a size and nature that provides it with ample opportunity to deliver heat to that area. In many cases, that will mean larger radiators than we are used to.

For the same reason, heat pumps are particularly well suited to use with

When it comes to gas boilers, most installers will head straight for the plant room and will be able to specify the boiler pretty accurately from that and a cursory look around the building. With a heat pump, the plant room is no longer the first port of call. Instead, to correctly specify a heat pump, the thermal efficiency of all the areas to be heated – including aspects such as window sizes and the building’s materials - need to be measured and calculated. It needs a skilled person to conduct a survey of this nature, although Hamworthy Heating will shortly launch a sizing

Educating the building occupants to the

new heating system

is important

Another aspect that differs from gas boiler installations is the use of a buffer tank, but this has an important role to play when it comes to heat pump energy efficiency. A buffer tank keeps a minimum volume of water ‘in circuit’ at times when the heating load is very low. It prevents the heat pump from short cycling and provides a bypass route to maintain the minimum flow rate through the heat pump if most of the heating zones have shut down. Short cycling not only impacts energy efficiency and comfort levels but can also reduce compressor life.

Understanding the building

As with all heating systems, understanding the building and its usage is important to identifying what you want to achieve from your heating system. This then needs to be translated into a good control strategy for maximum energy efficiency. Heat pumps are capable of everything that boilers are capable of when it comes to control, and can readily be integrated into a BMS.

Educating the building occupants to the new heating system is an important consideration, but one that mostly gets overlooked. With a gas boiler, if the temperature drops you can turn it up and in a relatively short timeframe the building reaches the required temperature. With a heat pump, you need to maintain a base heating temperature over a long period of time. Opening windows or messing around with thermostats will cause an imbalance in the system that will take time to rectify. ■

National sales manager at Hamworthy Heating

Kevin Potter www.hamworthy-heating.com

The site survey for the installation of a heat pump should take into account the thermal efficiency of the areas to be heated

HEAT PUMPS

It’s all about the SCoP

When selecting a heat pump a more accurate and useful characteristic of operational performance is the seasonally adjusted annual average efficiency measure, says Adrian Walker

with its significantly higher kWh cost compared to natural gas.

www.strebel.co.uk

You makes your choice. You pays your money.” This phrase comes to mind when I talk to design consultants and building owners about selecting from the range of commercial heating products that are on offer today.

Aside from the clear direction towards electricity as the input ‘fuel’ for space heating, by which I mean the seemingly irrepressible drive to select air source heat pumps over gas boilers for almost every application, there is also a wide range of considerations when selecting a heat pump.

Unlike modern condensing gas boilers which generally share similar operating efficiency performances (around 95 per cent Part L Seasonal Efficiency) and output temperatures (generally up to around 90oC) it is a totally different picture when it comes to the published efficiencies of available air source heat pumps. Essentially all these machines operate in the same way by transferring heat from a compressed refrigerant into a wet system across a plate heat exchanger. However, there is a wide variation in how efficiently this happens and, as a result, a wide variation in the running costs of different machines on the market.

Forefront of product design

At Strebel we have always taken the view that highly efficient heating technology should be at the forefront of product design. There are always going to be different manufactured goods on the market, each with their own idiosyncrasies, but fundamentally one performance characteristic stands out to us when we consider bringing a product to market – that it operates with a low cost and delivers the required amount of useful heat at the required temperature. This has never been more pertinent than today with the elevated cost of energy; specifically with the drive towards the electrification of heat

With the recent revisions of the Building Regulations driving a reduction in system operating temperatures down to a maximum of 55C there is a clear direction towards the application of air source heat pumps as these operate with a higher Coefficient of Performance (CoP) at lower flow temperatures. However, a more accurate and useful characteristic of operational performance is the seasonally adjusted annual average efficiency measure. In the case of air source heat pumps this is the Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCoP) value. Simply put the higher the SCoP of the machine the less energy it will use, and therefore the lower the electricity bill will be.

Correctly sized fans

Product design engineers have several ways to achieve high SCoP when designing heat pumps. Surface area and air gap spacing in heat exchanger design are critical, as is selection of correctly sized fans. Paramount, however, is the matching of compressors with a refrigerant to optimise both thermal power and temperature in the most efficient manner.

Different refrigerants, dependant on their density and composition, possess different thermal conductivity characteristics when matched with compressors to offer a wide range of temperature outputs and thermal efficiencies.

Clearly, all building operators will favour design changes that encourage an improvement in efficiency as this will drive down running costs. With energy costs front and central for the foreseeable future

installing technology that reduces running costs is the fundamental challenge for designers of air source heat pumps which, let us not forget, cost significantly more than modern gas boilers to buy, and run on an energy source, electricity, that is also between three and four times more expensive than natural gas per kWh.

Highest SCoP performance

Therefore, when selecting an air source heat pump we consider the golden rule is to select the machine that gives the highest SCoP performance at the output and temperature required for each project. After all machines that use less energy not only cost less to run but also, by definition, have a lower operational emissions footprint by the fact they use less energy in the first place.

If the project requires a higher than usual temperature – say up to 68C for a retrofit installation – then it is key to consider the SCoP at a high temperature. Our S-ASX-VP machine, with a SCoP of 3.09 at 65ºC has been designed for just such applications combining twin scroll compressors with an additional vapour and liquid injection system and a R410A

refrigerant circuit.

Alternatively, if the project has been designed to operate at a lower temperature – say up to 55ºC for a new build – then it is more appropriate to consider the SCoP at that level. Our S-ASX-LP model, with a SCoP of 3.37 at 55ºC, is the optimal selection matching twin scroll compressors with a low GWP R454B refrigerant in this case.

As SCoP outputs and achievable consistent outlet temperatures vary with different compressor and refrigerant combinations so, of course, do the GWP ratings of the chosen refrigerants as well as the embodied carbon numbers for each machine. Making all such information accessible and easy to read is a key responsibility of the manufacturer.

Publication of TM65 data as well as full performance characteristics in terms of thermal output and CoP at different Air and Water temperatures is critical. Clearly having SCoP data available at different system flow temperatures will also assist optimal machine selection.

■

National sales manager at Strebel Heating Technology

Adrian Walker

The higher the SCoP of the heat pump the less energy it will consume

The seasonally adjusted annual average efficiency measure is a more accurate characteristic of operational performance

Heat pumps recognised for top design

The Aquarea K and L Generation heat pumps have been recognised in the 2022 Good Design Awards (sponsored by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion). As well as recognising the performance efficiencies of the units, the judges commended the outdoor unit’s design contributes to the improvement of the surrounding environment.

The Good Design Award selects “good design” from various industries and an experienced jury panel deliberates to recognise design that aims to lead our lives, industries, and society as a whole to

This year’s award scheme received 5,715 entries, with a total of 1,560 submissions being selected for awards. Among all the winners, 100 designs received especially high evaluations from jury members and were selected as the GOOD DESIGN BEST100, including Panasonic’s Aquarea K & L Generation Heat Pumps.

Available from Spring 2023, the new models are focused on improving energy

performance and offer a series utilising a natural refrigerant:

Aquarea K Generation: uses R32 refrigerant and is ideal for heating, cooling and domestic hot water production that delivers outstanding performance, even at extreme outdoor temperatures. This model is particularly suitable for new installations and wellinsulated homes. T-CAP available.

Aquarea L Generation: using the natural refrigerant R290, L generation models have a hydraulic connection between the indoor and outdoor unit, providing water outlet temperatures of up to 75°C down to -10°C. These units are ideal for retrofit applications, when renovating a home with existing radiators.

In securing a place in the 2022 Good Design Awards, the judges commented that Panasonic’s design for the Aquarea K & L Generation “has been raised to an appearance that blends into the landscape and contributes to the improvement of the surrounding environment.

"In addition, considering the fact that many remote-control devices are mixed on the wall, the remote control adopts a flexible system that can be installed either integrally with the indoor hot water tank or separately.”

Time for another look

You’ve already looked at ways in which you can save energy. But, with the seemingly unending increases in energy prices, it could be time to look again, says Alan Baird

based on the audit.” When the UK government looked at the uptake of energy audits in 2017, it found, astonishingly, that only 9 per cent of SMEs (organisations with fewer than 250 employees) had undertaken one, and it seems that there had been little improvement by 2020.

that an external assessor will have the benefit of looking at systems and procedures with fresh eyes.

run at full speed or stop. However, these motors are necessarily sized for worst-case conditions which means that for 90 per cent of the time or more they are running faster and using more energy than needed. This is significant, because the energy used by a motor is proportional to the cube of its speed or, to put it another way, reducing the speed by 20 per cent cuts the energy usage by 50 per cent. Clearly, there are big savings to be made, and these are easily realised by installing variable speed drives.

Small, inexpensive changes

Even in installations where motors are already controlled by variable speed drives, an energy assessment by a drives specialist is definitely worthwhile, as this will often spot ‘lowhanging fruit’ – small and inexpensive changes that will deliver significant energy savings.

The UK Quarterly Energy Price Review released at the end of September 2022 makes sobering reading. It reports that UK electricity prices for non-domestic consumers were, on average, 45 per cent higher in Quarter 2 of 2022 than they were in the same quarter of the previous year. For small/ medium consumers, the situation was even worse, with prices 57 per cent higher.

With this in mind it would be easy to think that, even before the present crisis, organisations would have been availing themselves of every possible opportunity to find ways of saving energy. Research shows otherwise.

Effective opportunity

One of the most effective tools for identifying opportunities to save energy is an energy audit, for which, according to the Government, “the various activities and processes that make up an organisation’s energy consumption are audited by a trained assessor, who then makes tailored energy savings recommendations

Low uptake of energy audits

What are the reasons for the low uptake of energy audits? One of the most frequently encountered is the belief that “we don’t need one”. Those with responsibilities for energy management in buildings and businesses often feel that they are themselves in the best position to identify opportunities for saving energy. There is some justification for this point of view, and it is certainly possible for them to identify some of the opportunities. Substituting LED light bulbs for less efficient types and mandating that equipment must be switched off out of working hours are typical examples.

Some energy-saving opportunities are rather harder to see, however, which is why the government definition quoted earlier states that energy audits should be carried out by “a trained assessor.” This is no reflection on the capabilities of the organisation’s energy manager, it simply recognises that specialist expertise is needed to maximise energy savings and, to a lesser extent,

One area where expert assessment can bring big benefits is in relation to the drives used to control motors. Again, there may be some who are thinking “we don’t need this – our organisation doesn’t have motors and drives.” Think again! All but the very smallest organisations are likely to have motors and drives in their HVAC systems even if they’re used nowhere else. Such motors and drives are a classic case of “out of sight, out of mind.” But that doesn’t stop them guzzling energy!

Worst-case conditions

Until comparatively recent, motors in HVAC systems in particular often had very basic controls – they could either

Of course, believing that energy audits are unnecessary is not the only reason that organisations shun them. There are also concerns about cost and disruption. Both of these are groundless fears. Companies like Danfoss Drives that have a strong commitment to protecting the environment will carry out energy audits at very low cost or, in some cases, free of charge. This does, of course, lead on to another issue: how can the improvements be financed? With the current high energy prices, this question may be somewhat easier to answer than in the past, as payback periods will be shorter.

Very quickly paid back

However, even before the present energy crisis, investments in energy saving measures usually paid off very quickly, as illustrated by a recent audit carried out by Danfoss. We were invited to carry out an energy audit at a higher educational establishment which is not, perhaps, the most obvious place to look for energy saving drive applications. We discovered that six pump motors in the HVAC installation had very basic controls. Replacing these with variable speed drives has given projected energy savings of almost £20,000 per year. Since the total cost of fitting the new drives was also £20,000, we confidently predicted that the investment would be repaid in a year. Of course, the recent huge increases in energy prices mean that this period will now be even shorter. ■

Even where motors are already controlled by variable speed drives, an energy assessment is worthwhile

Country manager of Danfoss Drives UK

Alan Baird www.danfoss.com

One of the most frequent excuses for not having an energy audit is 'we don't need one'

Take a second look at EC fans

EC fans are considered by some as a more energy-efficient solution for cooling in facilities such as data centres. But to consider efficiency alone is to miss the bigger picture, says Carl Turbitt

fan assembly where the motor and drive must be installed together. Less heat means less wear on components, and a longer lifetime for motors and bearings.

Failures more expensive to fix

product from any major manufacturer, meaning very little downtime and greater flexibility in having the ability to choose the drive and/or manufacturer that fits best with your system.

required airflow levels. This could mean more potential points of failure, whereas a drive and motor can go up to 250kW without breaking a sweat, providing more power with less complexity. With existing ductwork the ability to generate enough static pressure is essential, and so EC fans often have to be over-dimensioned in terms of power to reach the nominal static pressure, and thus run far from their best efficiency point.

Replacing motor and drive

In practice, for an array of eight EC fans you are essentially installing 16 devices, and each motor and drive pair will need replacing entirely in the event of a failure. In many cases they will also require a Modbus gateway connection to link them together. In contrast, the same fan array requires just nine devices in a motor-drive configuration.

Energy costs can account for a large proportion of a building’s upkeep, and in specialist facilities like data centres, this figure can be as high as 40 percent. Much of this is due to cooling requirements and the large number of fans needed to keep temperatures low.

In general, there are two main types of fan technology on the market: motor and drive configurations, and EC (Electronically Commutated) fan assemblies, which in the HVAC industry describes a motor and drive package which is integrated together. Both are capable of precise speed control and optimisation of plant, which can therefore save you money on your energy bills.

EC fans may appear cheaper up front, but when you consider the cost over the lifetime of the asset, the motor-drive package will generally come out on top. Having two separate devices rather than one aids with heat dissipation, as in a motor-drive configuration you can situate them apart from one another, unlike an EC

Failures to EC fans can also be more difficult and expensive to fix. EC fans are often made to measure and so must be replaced like-for-like. Moreover, when it comes to replacing an EC fan within an array, you will often be locked into a particular configuration and a particular manufacturer. This in turn could put you at the mercy of long lead times and supply chain issues. Conversely, if a drive or motor fails, it can typically be replaced off the shelf with a similar

It may seem counterintuitive, but having two devices rather than one can also increase simplicity, as multiple fan motors can be run from the same drive. An EC fan on the other hand requires each fan to have its own drive, which can get complicated in data centre fan arrays with large numbers of units. It also requires additional overload protection.

EC fans have a limited power rating and cannot generate anything like as much torque as a standalone drive, therefore a fan array will typically require several of them to reach the

Harmonics can be a big issue in data centres. These are distortions in current and voltage which can result in nuisance trips and equipment misbehaving or failing. It is a widespread problem, but one that can be underestimated in the building services industry – that is until something goes wrong. Modern variable speed drives typically have harmonic mitigation built in, and in the case of ABB’s Ultra-Low Harmonic (ULH) drive, have a significantly reduced harmonic content compared to conventional drives. In contrast, EC fans not only produce harmonics, but also have no in-built mitigation, and so if harmonic content is too high additional harmonic filters may be required.

Modern VSDs incorporate an increasing amount of additional functionality compared to EC fans. This includes many HVAC-specific features which can either help to improve longevity, efficiency and versatility, or take on the duties of other cabinet components such as thermostats, functional safety apparatus, and energy management and performance analysis tools.

There’s no denying that EC fans are efficient, particularly at peak loads, and then to cost less up front. However, in practice they may not be able to provide everything you need for an effective, reliable and sustainable cooling solution. When you consider the overall package in terms of reliability, longevity, simplicity and versatility, a drive and motor could well be the more cost-effective and sustainable option in the long run.

Operational costs of running a data centre are high with fans contributing a large proportion of energy use

HVAC drives UK sales manager at ABB

Carl Turbitt www.global.abb

Without digitalisation there can be no path to net zero

was a year few of us will forget. While the resumption of a more regular business rhythm will have been welcomed, escalating operational costs and the prospect of a lasting recession mean that optimism has not been in plentiful supply. It has also been a year where the scale and speed of climate change has been repeatedly underlined – the relative failure of CoP27 only adding to the sense of crisis.

All of which means that the need for an effective focus on Net Zero is becoming ever more urgent. With buildings accounting for 39 per cent of annual global emissions, forwardlooking companies will already be aware of how vital it is that they optimise the energy-efficiency of their facilities. They will also be apprised of the role that digitilisation and cloud computing play in achieving those goals.

But pretty soon, it will be impossible for any organisation to ignore the call for digitalisation. A wave of new regulations are on the way in many countries, including the UK, where the Government’s Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) are set to prohibit commercial buildings with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of Grade F or G being let from 1 April 2023. The scale of the problem is underlined by a recent report from real estate firm Savills that indicates 17.2m square metres of all retail space in the UK could be deemed ‘unlettable’ if the new requirements are not met.

Scramble to improve buildings

With significant swathes of nonresidential property already facing an existential crisis due to the rise of hybrid working, it’s probable that the early months of 2023 will witness a scramble to improve existing building stock. Fortunately, there is a great deal that can be done relatively quickly if companies are receptive to embracing new ideas and technologies – many of which fall

2022under the umbrella of digitalisation

Throughout 2022, energy has been in the spotlight in a more sustained way than at any time since the 1970s. Urgent new questions about security and supply resilience have augmented existing ones about efficiency. On a business level, addressing all of these questions can only be done with the kind of systematic collection and analysis of data enabled by the digitalisation of building management technologies.

In most cases, this digitilisation process will include the following key stages: moving away from an on-premise hardware model; utilising a cloud-based platform that can be managed more easily and remotely; and working closely with internal or third-party IT specialists to monitor and maintain building management.

Cloud-based platforms

Moving to this model makes it easier to monitor and identify areas or applications where energy is being wasted – and then take action accordingly. In addition the inherent scalability of cloud-based platforms allows the supporting infrastructure to evolve in line with the business requirements; something that will only become more important as office environments are configured differently or even shared with other organisations. And unlike on-premise systems, which have historically been subject to occasional and lengthy renewal processes, a cloud-driven, digitised company can take advantage of new updates immediately. This can often be done remotely, bringing further benefits in terms of reduced call-out expenses and emissions.

The improvements garnered from completing this process can be dramatic. On-premise systems are expensive to power and keep cool – especially when compared to the latest generation of highly efficient data centres. A recent collaborative study by Berkeley Lab

and Northwestern University in the US reported that cloud computing can reduce energy consumption by 87 per cent when compared to legacy/ on-premise infrastructure. The same report indicated that organisations can expect to save between 60 per cent and 85 per cent in energy costs by moving to cloud-based services

The cost savings are very welcome as energy prices continue to rise unpredictably. But it’s important to note that digitalisation does not have to be complete for energy usage to decline. Even undertaking the process for one aspect of a business, or one particular facility, can bring huge benefits. And once a company has experienced those kind of results, the lure to extend digitalisation will intensify.

Flexible and fleet-of-foot Digitalisation’s rewards spread far and wide. In an industrial context, not only does it enable businesses to be more flexible and fleet-of-foot, it also allows them to collaborate and share data more easily with other organisations – something recently identified by a University College London report for the British Council of Offices as being instrumental to achieving Net Zero in the workplace.

In a global context, along with reducing the problem of embodied carbon by minimising the construction of new buildings, it’s very likely that digitalisation is the most critical thing that any company can do to further Net Zero. And at the end of 12 months of often terrifying climate change data, the importance of that surely can’t be lost on many people now.

● Priva’s new White Paper: The role of digitalizing buildings in achieving Net Zero is available for download via their website.

Holvey General manager for Priva UK & Ireland

Calls for a dramatic improvement in energy efficiency have escalated the need for companies to take action on the digitalisation of buildings, writes Gavin Holvey

Gavin

It is very likely that digitalisation is the most critical thing that any company can do to further net zero