102 HEATING, VENTILATION & SERVICES Design, decarbonise, deliver
Richard Brown at Ideal Commercial Heating explores key pointers for specifi ers looking to transition projects from gas boilers to heat pumps.
and air tightness can reduce peak heating loads by as much as 60 to 70%. This has a direct impact on the size of heat pump plant required, the capital cost of the system, and the achievable seasonal effi ciency. This fabric-fi rst mindset is refl ected in industry guidance such as CIBSE AM17.
Understanding the client brief & project objectives
Commercial heat pump projects succeed when technical solutions are aligned with the client’s objectives, whether the primary driver is carbon reduction, regulatory compliance, operating cost control, resilience, reputational performance or a combination of these. Budget constraints, expectations around comfort, requirements for redundancy and resilience, and plans for future building use all infl uence the most appropriate system approach. The way in which the system will be operated and maintained, and how it will be handed over to facilities teams, is equally important.
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Commercial heat pump projects succeed when technical solutions are aligned with the client’s objectives
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
he electrifi cation of heat is now fi rmly embedded in the future of the UK’s built environment. Yet successful deployment relies on far more than replacing one appliance (a boiler) with another (a heat pump). It demands careful design, an understanding of buildings in their entirety, and a rigorous approach to specifi cation. The most successful projects are those where heat pumps are treated as part of a whole-building strategy rather than as a single equipment substitution.
Start with the building
Before plant selection is even considered, attention should be given to how heat demand can be reduced at source. Improvements to fabric, insulation levels
These considerations often lead to more nuanced solutions than a straightforward move to fully electric heating. In many cases, hybrid systems that combine heat pumps with boilers provide a pragmatic balance between decarbonisation, cost control and operational confi dence. Hybrid systems can reduce upfront capital investment, maintain resilience during peak demand, allow gradual upgrades to distribution systems, and provide reassurance to facilities teams adapting to unfamiliar technologies.
Working within regulatory & best practice frameworks Designers and specifi ers are supported by a wide range of established guidance that helps shape better outcomes, such as CIBSE AM17 for large non-domestic heat pump installations, as well as CIBSE CP1 guidance for heat networks, Building Regulations Part L, and frameworks including EPCs, SAP, and MEES.
ADF APRIL/MAY 2026
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