Heat Pumps Today

Info www.cdlweb.info 25 N E T Z E R O www.acrjournal.uk/heat-pumps Now, through the combination of higher energy costs and government support in the form of schemes such as the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) and Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), there is a significant added incentive for clients to opt for heat pumps. Building regulations The recent changes to the building regulations have also radically tilted the balance in favour of heat pumps. Under the new requirements, building designers are legally required to meet the new statutory targets for renewable energy, which in practice means using electricity for heating and hot water generation. As a result, air source heat pumps have become practically the default choice to enable buildings to meet the targets. The result of these changes has been dramatic growth in the number and value of heat pump projects we support. From a relatively low base a decade ago, commercial heat pump projects now account for around 10% of turnover, equating to some £2m. And we anticipate this to increase substantially in the coming months and years. Traditional AC specialists A key challenge for traditional air conditioning specialists to support the heat pump roll-out is ensuring we have the experienced sta to support the increase in the number of projects. From our experience, sta already have the core knowledge on the principles of thermodynamics and DX vapour compression; it is just a matter of providing training and building expertise in the specifics of heat pump applications and system control. We have found that existing sta have embraced the challenge. Internal sta have been given training to expand their understanding of the work of in-house design teams, and are constantly developing new ideas and approaches. Projects teams have learnt rapidly due to delivering ground- breaking heat pump projects in sectors such as schools and public buildings. We are now looking to set up a dedicated customer training centre for air-to-water systems, as we feel training in this area is needed as the pace of change accelerates. Decarbonisation journey Supporting consultants on the decarbonisation journey has to be a key focus. The pivot to new technologies and approaches has been so rapid and profound, many have been scrambling to get up to speed with the new reality they are operating in. The learning curve for most consultants has been almost vertical. For example; if we had approached a consultant five years ago with a heat pump-based design for a project, more than likely they would have simply shaken their head. Today, minds are open and people fully engaged from the first conversation. It has been a radical shift. In particular, support via the PSDS scheme – which has made funds available quickly – has contributed to this change in mind-set. PSDS applications come in waves, which are ongoing, and we are supporting many consultancy practices across the UK in preparing applications under the scheme. Projects include schools and public buildings, such as swimming pools, libraries, leisure centres and fire stations. On a larger scale, we are also involved in stage one planning for decarbonisation schemes for hospitals and universities. Here, the feasibility of heat networks is under active consideration. Net Zero The UK has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. However, the reality is that for many projects, particularly in the public sector, the target completion dates are much sooner, around 2030. Working back, it is clear that big changes in power and infrastructure will be required, and quickly. It requires courageous design decisions and capital commitment to deliver these ambitious projects within this timescale. We are supporting the relevant consulting engineers with all options through the evaluation phases. For the reasons outlined, we believe heat pumps will play a central role in this national – and indeed global – eort to decarbonise the economy. For our part, we are focussed on gearing up to support the roll-out, and have the people, products and expertise in place to help make it a reality.