How a Community Sports Centre Achieved Net Zero and Lowered Its Energy Bills
A community sports centre in Leicestershire reached Net Zero for its direct emissions – while exporting more energy than it imported from the grid.
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About
The National Trust is a highly respected, forward-thinking charity. The organisation invests in many of its barns and buildings with structural issues, bringing them back into use and protecting them for future generations to enjoy.
Ambitions and challenges
The National Trust asked us to design a low carbon heating solution for several barns across the UK.
Many of the buildings owned by the National Trust are not connected to the gas grid, making gas use a challenge. Oil, LPG, and direct electric heating were not feasible options due to the high carbon footprint.
The Project
After consultation with the client and consideration of the barns, locations and future needs, it was agreed that air source heat pumps would be the best solution for the project, addressing the environmental and financial requirements of the client.
To ensure the unique needs of each property were met, we:
- Carried out heat loss calculations on each barn to find the peak heat load and correct heat pump size required
- Gathered performance specifications for the heat pump, thermal store, hot water distribution and underfloor heating
- Determined the location of the heat pump, considering available external space, building aesthetics, proximity to internal water cylinders and underfloor heating manifolds
- Developed a general arrangement drawing of each property.
As a result, the performance specifications and drawings enabled installers to quote for the supply and installation of the heat pumps and supporting equipment.
Conclusion
The conservation projects by the National Trust are truly admirable. Preserving the buildings for future generations and moving towards low carbon solutions set the standards for others to follow.
It was an honour to support such an important cause and help the organisation make a difference.
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