Energy systems
site – which provided services for people with sight loss – that had become increasingly expensive to maintain and run. The Beacon Centre is made up of a three-storey office block, and a residential block. To meet the domestic hot water requirements of both buildings, the preferred technology to provide energy- efficient and low emission systems was solar thermal heating. The system chosen for the office block comprises six roof- mounted, glazed flat plate solar collectors with a total area of 15.6 m2
, with a 900 L
twin-coil cylinder, and a 300 L condensing storage water heater. The system selected for the residential block, meanwhile, has seven roof-mounted solar collectors, covering an area of 18.5 m2
, with a 700 L
twin coil cylinder, and a 300 L condensing water heater.
Solar collectors Water is preheated by the solar collectors, which have a transmission efficiency of 90.8 per cent, an absorption efficiency of 95 per cent, and a low emission loss of only 5 per cent. Heat is transferred to the two cylinders, which in turn pre-heat the supply to the water heaters, which achieve an operational efficiency of 109 per cent, and incorporate a high temperature anti- Legionella programme. The chosen water heater range had a proven pedigree, as its energy-saving capabilities, small carbon footprint, low NOx levels, and economical running costs, had previously gained the range a Queen’s Award for Innovation.
Seaside combinations The heating system was a significant consideration in the design of the Southport Centre for Health andWellbeing in Merseyside, where major challenges included noise levels, and minimising the carbon intensity of the building. Consequently, the Centre was thermally modelled, and designed in such a way that energy efficiency would not need to rely on the use of renewable energy sources, with heat and power requirements being met by a CHP (combined heat and power) solution. Two units were selected, each producing 12.5 kWof heating, and 5.5 kW of electricity, supplemented by a 750 L buffer vessel. Two exhaust flue gas condensers boost their heating output by 3 kWeach, giving a total output of 31 kWof heat, and 11 kWof electricity. The system is coupled with two gas condensing boilers, which, in conjunction with the CHP units, feed a condensing plate heat exchanger to produce domestic hot water. The CHP units selected are designed for continuous
The Acorns Children’s Hospice in Selly Oak, where a centralised system using condensing boilers for heating, and gas-fired storage water heaters for domestic hot water, was selected.
running, with a life of around 80,000 hours. An internal combustion engine drives a low maintenance, three-phase electrical generator, and the heat generated is captured and transferred to the building’s heating system. The lower noise level, down to 52 dB(a) at 1 m, easily met local noise level planning restrictions, and the units offer an overall fuel efficiency of between 79 and 92 per cent.
for Liverpool facility A renewables solution was definitely a design requirement for the Speke Neighbourhood Health Centre in Liverpool, as energy-efficient systems were essential to satisfy the client’s sustainability charter, comply with Building Regulations, and achieve the highest possible BREEAM score. A solar thermal water heating system was chosen to serve some 78 outlets located over the two floors of the Health Centre, comprising washbasins, sinks, and showers, in consulting rooms, treatment rooms, changing, and toilet facilities, utility rooms, and beverage bays. Twelve glazed flat plate solar panels are located on the roof of the building.Water heated by the panels is transferred to a 1,500 L, twin-coil, unvented storage cylinder, which provides for additional water heating via a secondary coil served by a condensing boiler. As well as the
BREEAM ‘Excellent’
The heating systemwas a significant consideration in the design of the Southport Centre for Health and Wellbeing, where challenges included minimising the building’s carbon intensity.
solar collectors, the system package includes solar controls, pump station, expansion vessels, first fill of heat transfer fluid, and collector mounting accessories. The range of sustainable technologies incorporated into the Centre’s design, including the solar thermal water heating system, enabled the building to attain a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.
The pre-fabricated option With projects involving existing buildings, continuity of service delivery will be a primary consideration during any improvement or replacement of the heating system, as highlighted at the Acorn Children’s Hospice project previously described. In that instance, the required continuity was ensured due to the fact that the new heating system could be housed as a separate entity, and then activated to replace the existing system. In many establishments, however, space restrictions will not permit this, with the prospect of a considerable interruption as one system is removed to enable a replacement to be installed. However, there is an established, and increasingly popular, option that can keep any such interruption to a minimum. This is the prefabricated system solution, constructed off site, with measurements personalised for the specific location. A package system ensures that all components have been originated, selected, and supplied, from a single source, which simplifies procurement, delivery, and installation.With connections tailored to exactly fit on-site service access points, interruptions during positioning and activation of the skid-based package are kept to a minimum.
An example of space heating from Potterton, and direct-fired water heating provided by Andrews.
Alnwick’s answer A packaged boiler plant option was the solution of choice when the existing heating system at Percy Court, a sheltered housing facility in Alnwick, Northumberland, needed replacement. The skid package chosen was designed to provide
Health Estate Journal September 2013
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