CARBON AND ENERGY REDUCTION
temperature requirements, and work through using the gas as the natural refrigerant fluid. They’re efficient, non- toxic, and also cheaper than other heat pump alternatives. Heat pumps can reduce the user’s carbon footprint and energy bills in the long run, and are much more sustainable compared with gas boilers – which produce more CO2
per unit energy produced.
Heat pumps can play a key role in the NHS’s road to Net Zero NHS Hospitals and Trusts across the UK can benefit in many ways from installing a heat pump, including via: n Lower energy bills. n Improved local air quality. n Improved energy security – moving away from fossil fuel imports.
n Access to flexible markets for further energy cost reductions.
The NHS uses enormous quantities of
heat and hot water to provide safe and effective healthcare for patients. Currently this is generated by the combustion of fossil fuels, a high-cost and high-carbon activity. Heat pumps are the only scalable, available, and viable low carbon heat generation technology. In particular, natural refrigerant heat pumps offer a very low carbon sustainable heating option. CO2
heat pumps can generate very
high temperatures suitable for hospitals, where cleanliness and hygiene are of vital importance. NHS sites are often complex, while the services they provide are of a critical nature, which means that additional expertise is required to specify, design, and commission, these important systems. This can take some time to do properly, but is worth the investment in time. Clade Engineering helps many different
sectors across the UK – including the NHS – reach their decarbonisation targets, and has the capability to manufacture and install multi-megawatt heat pumps for large commercial and public buildings – the type of refrigerant and heat pump used are really very site-dependent. In design the company would work with the NHS to determine what works best – whether water, ground, or air source heat pump technology. For some applications CO2
is ideal as a refrigerant, but for others
Propane is better. These decisions need to be weighed against cost and other management factors in the early stages of design.
Installing a heat pump in a hospital Hospitals’ 365 day-a-year, 24 hour-a-day operation requires a larger heat pump with a high output to maintain efficiency. Before determining what heat pump a hospital actually needs, an engineer would carry out a feasibility study which covers the big questions: space, noise, power supply,
58 Health Estate Journal May 2023
and suitability. This will progress in stages to design and then installation. It is vital that the whole system is commissioned properly, and then serviced correctly. The first year of operation is where the heat pump is optimised to work in all conditions, and where this engineering support is key to long-term success. Generally heat pumps are installed in car parks / open space around the building, or on the roof. They need good air flow to operate correctly. The hot water is then piped into the existing boiler location and distributed from there. Some modifications are usually required to the heating system, which also make things more efficient. A power supply is also required, which is normally drawn from the nearest supply or sub-supply location. Clade Engineering’s range of heat pumps include: The Oak Heat Pump: The Oak Heat Pump is a mid-range CO2
heat pump
design suitable for continuous operation at higher heating capacities in large buildings. This pump incorporates high- quality components designed for long life and efficient performance, and is fully serviceable.
The Acer Heat Pump: The Acer (CO2 )
Heat Pump has a low-noise and compact design, and is well-suited to smaller or rural surgeries. These pumps are smaller, more affordable, and easy to install, and deliver high temperatures of 70-80 °C. The NHS will continue to reduce costs and make our hospitals more eco- friendly for the foreseeable, against the backdrop of the NHS Long Term Plan. Heat pumps will make an incredible difference in the NHS’s road to Net Zero, and are an excellent investment for any industry looking to decarbonise. They are an overlooked solution in the ongoing quest to save money and reduce carbon emissions, while also reducing energy
consumption. Commercial heat pumps can be a significant contributor to reducing our carbon footprint through renewable energy, and we should all be playing our part in creating a more sustainable future.
An installation. Before determining what heat pump a hospital actually needs, an engineer would carry out a feasibility study which covers ‘the big questions’ – space, noise, power supply, and suitability.
Tim Rook
Tim Rook is a Chartered Engineer, and Chief Markets officer for Clade Engineering, which claims to be the UK’s leading manufacturer of natural refrigerant heat pumps. The business works to deliver decarbonisation programmes to well-known businesses, improving their heating and cooling systems, and says it is ‘leading strategy in the global energy transition towards a sustainable future’. Prior to joining the company in April 2021, Tim Rook had a three-year spell as an associate partner – Industrial, Energy, and as Digital Technology lead at IBM, and is also a former Technical director at the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), and head of Build Design at E.ON UK.
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