CO₂ refrigeration specialist Isentra has helped Uk food service wholesaler Brakes reach a new milestone in its goal to reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2025.

Maximising the percentage share that CHP contributes to a system designed to operate at low temperatures is essential for optimum performance. Beata Blachut explains.

The Heating Equipment Testing and Approvals Scheme (HETAS) is is urging chimney sweeps to brush up their knowledge and practical skills with the H009 Service and Maintenance Course ahead of the heating season. HETAS is the UK’s only specialist organisation approving biomass and solid fuel heating appliances, fuels and services.

Swegon's Parasol is to all intents and purposes an active chilled beam, but in modular format with four way distribution. This means that not only does it have all of the features and energy benefits of a chilled beam, but with all the flexibility of fan coils.

Reznor has worked with building envelope manufacturer, CA Group to develop a technology that provides fresh, heated air for space or process heating, while reducing energy use.

Graham Hazell provides an update on the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme and looks at how proposed reforms could impact on the industry.

Rooftop solar photovoltaics remain a popular renewable choice for new build and retrofit projects. Chris Rigby explains why it’s important to plan the installation to make the most of roofspace and ensure that long-term maintenance is straightforward and safe.

New energy efficiency regulations come into effect next year which could see thousands of commercial building landlords needing an upgrade to their building services. Sharon Oliver explores the issue and the potential solutions.

Energy-storage technology is starting to transform the way buildings operate and opens up the possibility of a 100% renewable electricity system, says Tim Rook of BESA.

The ground-source heat-pump system installation to provide heating for the new premises of an expanding veterinary practice in Norfolk was specified and installed by Finn Geotherm. Hannah Kelly, owner of Wood Farm Vets, started the practice in 2014 to care for large and small animals. It originally operated from her farmhouse home in south Norfolk, but rapidly outgrew the premises, to the extent of the lounge becoming the waiting room.

BSRIA’s Krystyna Dawson looks back over the last few years and wonders what the future is for renewable energy in the UK.

Rinnai’s continuous-flow water-heating solutions can work with renewable-energy sources such as solar-thermal and air-source heat pumps. The concept is that the water heater tops up the temperature of stored water heated using renewable energy — but only when required.

Surface water as a potential heat source for heat pumps abounds. Phil Jones would like to see it much more widely exploited.

This solar-thermal installation at Birmingham International railway station is being assessed as a potential pilot for a wider roll out of renewable energy across facilities operated by Network Rail and train operator Virgin trains. The installation comprises 10 evacuated-tube collectors and pre-heats incoming mains water at a typical 10°C to around 35°C, although it is expected to reach 55 to 65°C in high summer.

Schwank now offers high-efficiency gas heat pumps to deliver heating and cooling for industrial and commercial buildings. They are available through specialist distributor Oceanair. They are low on CO2 emissions and below the required standard for NOx emissions.

Renewable energy for a new care home in Derbyshire that specialises in dementia is provided by an integrated heating and hot-water system using a gas absorption heat pump from Lochinvar. Solar PV panels were originally considered for the Callywhite Home, but on inspection it was decided that an Optimus gas absorption heat pump was more appropriate for this type of project. It also met planning requirements at a considerably lower cost that solar PV, even taking into account the potential solar feed-in tariff.

An auction House in Northumberland is expecting to achieve £862 000 in energy savings and commercial Renewable Heat Incentive payments over the next 20 years after installing solar PV panels and a NIBE ground-source heat-pump system. The savings are expected to be more than double the original investment, with a return on investment of 236%.

Water-source heat pumps drawing heat from a stream have been installed to replace two existing boilers serving Schaffer House in Crawley. Mitie, which is Crawley Borough Council’s housing-repair contractor, worked with Baystar, building-services engineers specialising in sustainable energy solutions.

The technical and economic arguments in favour of heat pumps are becoming increasingly persuasive, according to David Pepper of Lochinvar.

Oventrop has been heavily involved with Arup, Interserve and NG Bailey to design (using OVSOL and TSOL software), supply and install seven complete solar-thermal systems to preheat domestic hot water for the new Jaguar Land Rover i54 facility — a £500 million engine-manufacturing centre in Wolverhampton.

Gilberts (Blackpool) offers a solution to maximise the benefits of natural ventilation in rooms such as IT suites and science laboratories in schools. Particular issues in such areas include heat from IT equipment and CO2 from Bunsen burners. Gilberts’ solution is its Mistrale Fusion (MFS) natural-ventilation system with the inclusion of enhanced and boost options.

Energy costs in a typical sports centre are second only to labour, accounting for as much as 30% of total running costs. Paul Sands of Stokvis Energy Systems explains how solar-thermal water heating can help cut energy usage and fuel bills in the leisure sector.

With heating bills of up to £500 a month for electric panel convector heaters for 11 homes on a estate in Fressingfield, Suffolk, Kensa ground-source heat-pump systems have been installed following the housing provider Flagship gaining unanimous support for its plans at a consultation meeting with residents.

The first Daikin Altherma hybrid heat pump to be installed in the UK, in a family home in Wigan, has achieved impressive performance figures and significant benefits in running costs. The system combines a gas condensing combi boiler and an air-to-water heat pump to create an efficient domestic heating and hot-water system that is ideal for replacing gas-fired boilers. The system has a capacity of 27 kW for central heating and 33 kW for hot water. The outdoor heat-pump unit has an output of 5 kW. The system replaced a gas combi boiler.

To maximise the benefits of the biomass heating, specifiers and building operators need to address some key criteria — as Martin Murrish of Hoval explains.

Photon Energy has installed a solarPV system for one of the largest speculative office developments in the Thames Valley — 1 Forbury Place, Reading. It comprises 292 Upsolar 250 W modules to give a maximum power output of 73 kW. The project annual carbon saving is over 26 000 t. Five Huawei inverters convert the DC power from the solar panels into AC.

To maximise the performance of its 30 kW solarPV system and to be instantly aware of any problems, George Spencer Academy in Stapleford, Nottingham, has taken out a remote-monitoring and reactive-maintenance packages with Navitron. The contract runs for five years.

Rinnai’s continuous-flow water-heating solutions can work with renewable-energy sources such as solar-thermal and air-source heat pumps. The concept is that the water heater tops up the temperature of stored water heated by renewable energy — but only when required.

Commercial buildings must take an increasingly energy-efficient approach if they are to meet the standards required by ever more stringent Building Regulations and planning requirements. Clare Campbell of Dimplex looks at how heat pumps can help a project to tick all the right boxes — and cut costs too.

The adoption of solar PV on commercial buildings in the UK is well behind other countries. Brian Smithers of Rexel UK highlights the huge benefits solar can offer the UK’s commercial premises and why it’s surely time to join the solar revolution.

The expertise of Dimplex’s renewable-heating design team came to the fore in the application of two ground-source heat pumps to use waste heat from transformers at a major National Grid sub-station to provide space heating and water heating for two adjacent buildings. The heat pumps heat the main sub-station building and a neighbouring environmental education centre.

Hitachi has brought free cooling to the split air-conditioning market with its Econofresh system. It can use outside air to provide free cooling when the temperature of the outdoor air is lower than that of the indoor air, enabling the compressor of the air-conditioning unit to be stopped.

Mitsubishi Electric’s entire range of Ecodan air-source heating pumps has achieved A++ ratings under the first Energy-related Products (ErP) Directive ruling for heating products across Europe. The labels for heat pumps also indicate the three different climate zones in Europe, all of which occur in the UK. The directive came into force on 26 September.

The capabilities of fan convectors as heat emitters make them well suited for use with heat pumps in maximising the use of renewable energy. Jim Bennett of Smith’s Fan Convectors explains.

The Mistrale 75 series of louvres for natural ventilation from Gilberts of Blackpool is claimed to offer some of the lowest air-leakage rates and U values of its kind. It is also very slim — just 200 mm thick— and is designed for ease of integration into the external envelope of the building.

As part of its drive to improve sustainability and reduce carbon emissions, Stroud School in Hampshire has installed two Hoval biomass boilers. They provide space heating and domestic hot water for the main building and two new buildings. The school had previously used LPG boilers.

Lochinvar’s Optimus range of gas absorption heat pumps can deliver outputs of up to 41.7 kW and is capable of operating in ambient temperatures as low as -20°C. These heat pumps can achieve efficiencies of up to 152% with a flow temperature of up to 65°C for space heating and up to 70°C for domestic hot water.

Changes in the structure of the Renewable Heat Incentive highlight opportunities for bigger boilers in the building services sector, believes Peter Solly of Forest Fuels.

Despite some suggestions to the contrary, condensing boilers have an important role to play in delivering energy-efficient space heating and domestic hot water. David Pepper of ICOM Energy Association explains why.