HEAT PUMPS
High-effi ciency cascade heat pump system for the National Wool Museum
The National Wool Museum in south-west Wales has recently transitioned to a sustainable air-to-water heat pump system as part of its strategic decarbonisation programme. Delivered by M&E contractor FP Hurley, the project replaced legacy gas-fi red boilers with a cascade installation of four Panasonic Aquarea 30 kW T-CAP M Series heat pumps — the fi rst of its kind in the UK.
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ocated in a remote heritage setting and surrounded by residential properties, the museum’s brief required a compact, low-noise and high-effi ciency heating solution with the capacity to interface with existing radiator-based infrastructure. The external space for the plant was limited, and the installation had to align with the funding criteria of a Welsh government grant scheme supporting low-carbon building services. Following site assessment, FP Hurley selected Panasonic’s
Aquarea T-CAP M Series for its compatibility with existing circuits, acoustic performance and high heat output. Each unit off ers plug-and-play connectivity, enabling integration without requiring any structural modifi cations.
Technology overview Each of the four 30 kW Aquarea units operates with R290 refrigerant, off ering a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 0.02. The system is designed to deliver water temperatures up to 75°C and maintain performance in ambient temperatures as low as –25°C. The T-CAP series allows stable capacity even in extreme conditions, which is critical in older heritage buildings where insulation and thermal loss present ongoing challenges. The units operate in cascade, coordinated by Panasonic’s dedicated Cascade Controller. This control interface enables load-sharing across up to 10 units, distributing run-hours to reduce wear and maximise operational lifespan. It also provides remote diagnostics and commissioning via an integrated touchscreen display, streamlining service access and system management.
Installer experience and training FP Hurley engaged with Panasonic’s Cardiff -based training facility before installation. Engineers received hands-on technical guidance on Aquarea systems and the supporting control architecture. The company has since become an accredited Panasonic Pro Partner, enabling them to off er a seven-year extended warranty to clients. According to project manager Ronan Templeton: “Panasonic’s unit was the only option on the market capable of
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meeting the required output, size and acoustic limitations. The training support was instrumental in delivering the system to specifi cation.”
Outcome and performance The choice of R290 signifi cantly improves the sustainability credentials, aligning with the museum’s goal of achieving net zero. By employing a cascade approach, the installation off ers redundancy and system resilience, ensuring uninterrupted performance during maintenance intervals. Paul Taylor, Head of Renewable Heating at Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions, noted that “modular cascade installations provide greater fl exibility and effi ciency in larger retrofi t projects, particularly where thermal demand varies seasonally or zonally across legacy estates.” This project illustrates the potential for modern heat pump technology to retrofi t legacy heritage buildings without compromising on effi ciency or noise. The use of high-temperature, low-GWP systems with intelligent control frameworks such as Panasonic’s Cascade Controller represents a replicable model for low-carbon heating in space-restricted or acoustically sensitive environments.
This project illustrates the potential for modern heat pump technology to retrofi t legacy heritage buildings without
compromising on effi ciency or noise.
www.acr-news.com • July 2025 23
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