LOW CARBON HEATING/HVAC
RETROFITTING CARE HOMES FOR DEC If the UK is to meet its 2050 net zero target, the way we heat our buildings needs to change across
all sectors, including care homes. Heat is both one of the largest energy users in these buildings and a critical service to ensure resident wellbeing and safety, so identifying opportunities to improve system efficiency and reduce associated carbon emissions is key. Andy Green, head of Technical Solutions at Baxi, looks at some of the actionable options in existing care home facilities
T
here are almost 17,000 care homes across the UK, caring for
roughly half a million people. If we consider that an average care home’s annual carbon emissions is around 100 tonnes, the combined carbon impact could be as much as 1.5 million tonnes per year. This significant carbon footprint clearly offers huge scope for improvement opportunities, with the heating and hot water service typically a good starting point. Ensuring a reliable and efficient heating and hot water system will not only help avoid needless energy waste but is vital to ensure high-quality care, comfort and wellbeing for the more vulnerable residents.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Encouragingly, respondents to a recent Baxi survey, part of a wider care home research report, recognised the importance of decarbonisation. However, the survey also identified significant challenges – the cost to decarbonise, improved access to funding, the need for guidance on the available options to decarbonise their facilities, and support on developing an achievable plan for decarbonising their heating provision. Subsequent focus group sessions revealed that unplanned replacements are common and often result in a like-for-like distress purchase, further underlining the need to develop and implement a net zero roadmap. However, identifying the best approach to
decarbonising heat can feel daunting for care home operators. So let’s consider some of the options.
ALL-ELECTRIC APPROACH Ultimately the goal is to move towards all-electric solutions. New build care homes will be designed to require less heat for operational use, and optimised for a decarbonised electricity grid. In buildings like these, a fully electric approach to heating and domestic hot water (DHW) based around renewable solutions such as heat pumps will be the favoured approach, particularly when combined with solar thermal and/or solar PV solutions. When designing the hot water strategy, your
chosen solutions provider will be able to advise you on the benefits of the different options. One option
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happen overnight. So, let’s consider possible first steps. In existing care home buildings, energy efficiency, which is crucial for cutting carbon emissions and operating costs, should always be a priority. Regardless of which technology is eventually used, understanding where energy is used and addressing heat loss is essential for making meaningful carbon reductions. Draughty buildings let cold air in and heat out, making achieving and maintaining optimal temperatures challenging. Implementing fabric upgrades – such as roof and wall insulation, draught proofing, and improving the thermal performance of windows and doors – can help address this. Limiting the amount of heat lost to the environment can dramatically reduce the size or capacity of the solution needed, and in turn lower capital expenditure when refurbishing the system, while improving running costs. Examining the pipework can also
offer a prime opportunity to reduce heat loss. If pipework is not well insulated, heat can be lost within the
One practical option might be to consider introducing a hybrid heating system
might be to consider high temperature heat pumps, like Baxi’s Auriga HP+, which can offer greater design flexibility and require less space for a simpler and easier installation. This is because they can deliver the high flow temperature required to meet the design temperature and avoid the need for an alternative form of technology to store the DHW above legionella temperatures (60˚C or higher). However, it should be noted that the coefficiency of performance (COP) of heat pumps falls off at higher temperatures, affecting the real- world efficiency and subsequently operating costs. So always consult with the heat experts!
STEP ONE: PRIORITISE ENERGY EFFICIENCY While the low-carbon credentials of heat pumps are well established, capital expenditure and operating costs may influence the design strategy decision when dealing with older care homes. The reality, as our research report revealed, is that gas boilers are still a prominent technology in existing care home buildings. Moving straight to an all-electric solution is therefore unlikely to
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Winter 2025
system, so adding lagging can provide a quick win for improved system efficiency.
GET ‘HEAT PUMP READY’ According to our focus group research, light refurbishment still accounts for much of the work in retrofitting care homes, despite the willingness among survey respondents to embark on larger heat decarbonisation projects. If the decision is to upgrade to more efficient gas condensing boilers or direct fired water heaters, care homes would be advised to use this opportunity to prepare the heating system for the integration of low temperature heat pumps at a future stage. One example might be to address the system’s
distribution pipework and heat emitters during the replacement process to allow the system to operate at a maximum flow temperature of 55˚C (or lower), in line with Building Regulations. This has the added benefit of allowing condensing boilers and water heaters to operate in condensing mode, where they can achieve their maximum efficiencies.
HYBRID APPROACH In harder-to-treat care home building stock where the existing building thermal envelope
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