Modern Building Services

MODERN BUILDING SERVICES FEBRUARY 2023 15 FEATURE VERTICAL FOCUS In the Midlands, a third hospital replaced their existing 2,200 kW LPHW boilers and 3,000 kW chillers with an electric thermal management system based on heat pump technology, which delivers heating and cooling simultaneously, taking away 1,990 tons of CO2 emissions each year. This last example is particularly interesting. In a simultaneous system, “heat” pump can be a bit misleading. Because chillers are also a major requirement of equipment for hospitals, as well as other cooling needs as the climate warms, these simultaneous systems will be an increasingly important part of the mix. These electrified Thermal Management System which offers simultaneous heating and cooling, provide an excellent degree of energy efficiency, because of how they convert energy from one process to another. When it is heating, the system also generates cooling without additional energy. And while cooling, it generates and converts heat that can be used for heating applications. People are very familiar with the benefits of driving an electric car, but less so with the possibilities for the electrification of buildings. It is not dissimilar to how electric vehicles use braking to recover energy that is saved later for acceleration. In a large building, a system could switch between the need for heating to cooling and back again several times a day. Instead of wasting that additional energy in the outside air as heat, a heat pump recovers and recycles the energy. This significantly improves the efficiency of heating and cooling occurring at the same time. As we have already started to experience, extreme heat events (for the UK, days where the temperature tops 40°C) hospitals will see more and more patients with heat-related health issues. Planning for that inevitability, even as we strive for Net Zero to avoid the effects of warming becoming even more extreme in decades to come, prudent hospital estate management are planning for their future cooling needs. And simultaneous heat pump systems are a promising solution for that challenge. Though over the medium term, these investments will pay back in increased efficiency as well as lower emissions, choosing to upgrade these systems can be challenging. Fortunately, the Government continues to recognize the need to decarbonize buildings. Recognising that it can help public sector buildings, including hospitals, better deal with the effects of a changing climate while reducing emissions to prevent evenmore extreme changes down the line, the Government is providing support and incentives. The £635 million Public Sector Decarbonization Scheme is a major enabler for hospitals to make these upgrades.The schememakes it easier to improve building infrastructure and increase use of renewable energy sources, as well as make the move to solutions such as heat pumps. By some estimates, previous investments in public sector decarbonisation are expected to save taxpayers some £650 million per year. According to the NHS, more than 30 healthcare facilities have already secured £329 million in funding to decarbonize heat and adopt other energy innovations. They report that they will have removed more than one million tons per year of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of 1.6 million return flights from London to NewYork. Trane Technologies, along with our partners, has been proud to support many NHS hospitals on their journey to being part of the world’s first health system to achieve Net Zero. Every journey has its challenges, but the importance of this one could not be greater. More information can be found at www.tranetechnologies.com