CARBON AND ENERGY REDUCTION
Paul Marsden Remeha EH-P AW air source heat pumps.
consideration should be to install products that are designed for easy maintenance. Examples include equipment with built-in inspection hatches, multiple immersion elements, or multiple gas engine modules, that keep maintenance times to a minimum, and can offer inbuilt redundancy. This will free up time and stop unnecessary expense. Choosing robust products that are designed for easy upkeep and built to last will also help avoid unnecessary time and expense related to maintenance. Technical guidance is available to support NHS Estates and Facilities managers in creating sustainable, energy- efficient buildings that meet the needs of patients now and in the future. These documents include: Delivering a Net Zero Health Service,1
HTM 04-01,8 and the NHS Net Zero Building Standard.10
Plotting pathways In conclusion, when it comes to hot water, there are challenges and opportunities associated with improving energy efficiency in hospital and healthcare buildings. Improving the energy efficiency of the hot water system will reduce energy demand and associated emissions and costs, while improving their operational performance for better outcomes for patients and staff. Quick wins to reduce energy demand, such as pipework lagging, should be acted on now. Upgrading any inefficient equipment with more energy-efficient technology might be an appropriate early stage in the decarbonisation journey. Using renewable and low-to-zero carbon technologies will further support the NHS in reducing its carbon footprint, but will likely require thorough planning. As each project and building type will
have its own particular requirements, Estates and Facilities managers will benefit
58 Health Estate Journal June 2023
from advice and support to enable them to plan their own unique roadmap to the energy transition. The route they chose will depend on many factors, including costs, available space and electrical power, and reliability.
Consult with specialists A number of guidance documents are available, but due to the complexity of the challenge, it’s advisable to consult with specialists. Your manufacturer of choice should be willing to make available their experience and expertise, not just on their specific products, but also with regard to the legislation and guidance around this subject. As hot water experts, they should have an understanding of the unique requirements of each project, and, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the latest technologies and techniques, be able to recommend the most appropriate solution. If the NHS is to make progress towards its Net Zero goals, the time for action is now. Plotting an achievable pathway is the first critical step.
n To discuss the topics raised in this article, email the author, Paul Marsden, at
paul.marsden@
baxi.co.uk
References 1 Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service. NHS England, October 2020.
https://tinyurl.com/2p9xd32t
2 AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023, IPCC, 20 March 2023. https://www.
ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/resources/spm- headline-statements/
3 Press release: Climate change has arrived, yet the country is still strikingly unprepared. Climate Change Committee, 29 March 2023.
https://tinyurl.com/ cj5n5fx9
4 Health and Care Act 2022. HM Government, 28 April 2022. https://
Paul Marsden is Specification manager at Baxi, a role he has held for 13 years. His entire career has been centred around commercial hot water generation and public health engineering. He uses his wealth of experience and expertise of hot water systems and renewable/ LZC technologies to help public health and mechanical engineers understand the relationship between the product/s, the application/s, and the system/s, they are designing. He has an ONC in Gas Utilisation, and City and Guilds in Gas Services, and has delivered a variety of training and CPD presentations and seminars. More recently, he has developed training events and courses targeted at young and graduate engineers. An Affiliate member of both CIBSE and SoPHE, as well as a member of CIPHE, he is currently Chair of the SoPHE Industry Working Group.
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/31/ contents/enacted
5 Press release: More support needed to help the NHS reach net zero. British Medical Association, 16 January 2023.
https://tinyurl.com/wvxhzf3x
6 Heatwaves in 2019 led to almost 900 extra deaths in England. The Guardian, 7 January 2020. https://tinyurl. com/576txtzj
7 HSG274 Part 2. Legionnaires’ disease. The control of Legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems. Health and Safety Executive, 2014.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/ legionnaires/
hot-and-cold.htm
8 HTM 04-01. Safe water in healthcare premises. Department of Health & Social Care, 21 May 2021.
https://tinyurl.com/ mrxumuht
9 Using science to design out healthcare associated infections. UK Health Security Agency blog. 15 March 2023. https://
tinyurl.com/wm8vdbw7
10 NHS Net Zero Building Standard. NHS England. 22 February 2023. https://
tinyurl.com/3p2w8jf2
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68