HVAC FOR SCHOOLS Four ways A


s sustainability rises up the school agenda, school estates managers are increasingly looking to adapt and decarbonise their


existing building stock. With heat typically the largest user of energy in older school buildings, decarbonising this service is central to the government’s strategy for 2050 net zero. But it’s not without its challenges. First, there’s the perceived risk factor:


decarbonisation can feel daunting and overly technical for those outside the heating industry. Then there’s the scale: England is home to more than 24,000 schools (excluding nurseries), most of which still rely on gas boilers for heat. The limited window of time to carry out the works is an added consideration. Major refurbishments to the heating system are still traditionally carried out during the limited timeframe of the summer holidays to avoid leaving the school without continuous hot water or heating supply for an extended period. Finally, affordability: budget is a significant factor


for schools, so it’s crucial to identify the solutions that offer the most beneficial operational outcomes while moving them towards their long-term sustainability goals. So how could use of prefabrication help resolve


these concerns?


Tried and tested Prefabrication is a tried-and-tested approach to meet the more rigorous heating and hot water standards more efficiently, effectively and predictably in both new build and existing buildings. To date, prefabricated heating solutions from specialists like Baxi Packaged Solutions have proved particularly effective at overcoming design and installation challenges in older school buildings. However, it is the ability to pre-engineer standardised, customisable solutions that could make prefabrication key to accelerating heat pump retrofit across the UK’s existing school estate.


Hybrid heating solutions


What could such a solution look like? One approach for schools might be to introduce a hybrid system that combines air source heat pumps (ASHP) with existing heating infrastructure using a prefabricated packaged plant room. Hybrid heat pump solutions


20 April 2025


nearly always offer a practicable, fast and efficient answer as even a modestly sized heat pump will enable a large portion of the heat in the building to be decarbonised The packaged plant room might contain a


combination of plant and accessory modules including, water to water (booster) heat pumps, boilers, pressurisation units, expansion vessels, buffer vessels, circulating pumps and pipework in a standardised layout. These would be connected to external ASHPs or evaporators connected to split system heat pumps within the plant room. A configurable controller, such as Baxi’s CHVAC Manager, would bring together the modules and components to create a configurable, integrated heating solution for various system designs. Let’s consider four of the key main benefits that such an approach would offer schools.


De-risking decarbonisation


By integrating prefabricated plant rooms and modular heating systems, schools can benefit from improved quality control, with factory- built components ensuring consistency. School estates managers can be assured of a build of the highest quality and precision that will perform


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prefabrication can help schools


decarbonise their heat


The educational sector accounts for 36% of public sector building emissions, making decarbonising the UK’s existing school building stock critical in the drive to achieve 2050 net zero. Could increased use of prefabrication help accelerate heat pump retrofit and enhance sustainability across our school estates? Neville Radford, national education sector manager at Baxi, looks at the benefits to schools of going offsite


as designed. Pre-testing and commissioning also help eliminate any perceived risk factor relating to decarbonisation.


Time savings


Prefabricated plant rooms are plug-and-play systems, pre-wired and factory tested for rapid, simple connection and preassembled in sections or as a single lift for easy placement in the school grounds. This speeds up installation times and reduces on-site disruption, which in turn removes the need to restrict larger heating system refurbishments to the summer holiday period.


Scalability


Hybrid heating solutions and prefabricated plant rooms enable a cost-effective, faster, and less disruptive retrofit process, lowering operational costs over time. Pre-engineering the solution offers the opportunity to scale up decarbonisation across the school estate, with increased standardisation ultimately leading to lower costs. Production and delivery lead time are also reduced, maximising efficiency.


Sustainability


Finally, off-site fabrication can deliver significant reductions in waste and carbon emissions, contributing to school sustainability goals by using energy-efficient solutions and modern methods of construction. In summary, combining hybrid solutions with


prefabricated plant rooms offers a rapid, scalable, affordable and risk-free solution to decarbonising schools. At Baxi, we look forward to supporting the education sector with our specialist end- to-end prefabrication service, from design and manufacture to testing and commissioning.


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