Sunderland Council specify heat pump system for Stansfield Business Centre

Stansfield Business Centre is located to the south of the River Wear within the Hendon area of Sunderland in a predominantly industrial and commercial area. Built in 2002, the building was originally fitted with two gas-fired boilers and pressurisation units, and two circulating pumps which had reached the end of life and needed to be replaced.

Reducing carbon emissions

Alan Cowgill, Mechanical Building Services Engineer at Sunderland City Council, who is part of a team responsible for reducing energy use across council-run buildings in Sunderland was tasked with finding a system that would meet year-round heating demands whilst reducing operational environmental impact: He explained: 

Sunderland City Council is committed to playing its part in tackling the global climate change emergency and has taken steps to reduce its carbon emissions from operational activities so as to be carbon neutral by 2030. As part of this commitment, when the existing LTHW heating system at Stansfield Business Centre, which was served by two wall-hung gas boilers, was due for replacement, Sunderland City Council saw this as an excellent opportunity to install a hybrid system that would help to both reduce carbon emissions and save on energy.

Following an evaluation of the building’s heating requirements, Alan Cowgill from Sunderland City Council found:  

As the existing gas boilers were operating at elevated temperatures and the heating system was designed to operate with high-grade heat at peak loads at Stansfield Business Centre, air source heat pump (ASHP) low-grade heat was deemed unsuitable to replace the current system alone. To meet the requirement, it was established that a hybrid system was therefore required with the ASHP being the lead source of heating, and a gas boiler providing a top-up when the temperatures were required.

The solution

Combining traditional heating systems such as gas boilers with low and zero carbon technologies – such as heat pumps – is an alternative that helps reduce the carbon impact of the heat generators used in a building.

To accurately meet the heating demands of the building, the new Hamworthy Heating system at Sunderland Business Centre consists of a 32kW Tyneham air source monobloc heat pump which is connected to a 500L buffer cylinder. Offering superb operational reliability, excellent quality, and outstanding performance, Tyneham heat pumps feature a co-efficiency of performance (COP) rating of up to 4.85, to provide efficient, low carbon heating.

Serving as the primary heat source within the new hybrid set up, the Tyneham heat pump efficiently increases the heat up to 55º to a buffer tank. As and when additional temperature is required, the system, which also includes a Stratton mk3 condensing wall-hung boiler as a secondary heat source, will switch over to the boiler to meet the required load. Not only does this ensure year-round reliability, as the boiler supports the heat pump, but it will also ensure that the building is supplied with the most energy-efficient system, at any given time. Offering outstanding efficiency, the Stratton mk3 features a 5:1 turndown ratio, excellent low-class 6 NOx emission across all models, and up to 97% gross seasonal efficiency.

Controlled by a BMS system, designed by WS Controls, which can be accessed on site or remotely, Sunderland Council is now able to conveniently and simply manage the system and monitor set points, as and when required.

Installed by one of Hamworthy’s approved installers, John Paul Malpass of Compac Services N.E Ltd comments:

We’ve worked with Hamworthy since we first started the company in 1988 and have always felt extremely well supported. The Hamworthy sales team is a pleasure to work with and the products are great, with an excellent aftercare service to match.

Following the successful upgrade, Stansfield Business Centre now benefits from a reliable and energy-efficient hybrid heating system, which has enabled Sunderland Council to continue to further reduce its carbon impact. Alan Cowgill concludes:

Thanks to the Hamworthy team and their technical staff for assisting with this project. 

Find out more about Hamworthy Heating by visiting their Manufacturer Profile. Or alternatively, check out their Website, LinkedIn, and YouTube.