Air Source Heat Pump at 350 Euston Road

Purpose of the project

British Land’s award-winning energy reduction programme generates cost savings for occupiers, protects asset value for investors and reduces carbon emissions. At 350 Euston Road at Regent’s Place, British Land and property management partner Broadgate Estates Ltd have reduced landlord energy use by 65% in six years. When the traditional boiler and chiller system was due for replacement, the team joined forces with Climaveneta, a manufacturer of central climate control systems, to identify the most efficient solution for occupiers’ energy needs. The result? A new air source heat pump that is delivering further efficiency savings, whilst maintaining thermal comfort levels.

Approach

Together, British Land, Broadgate Estates Ltd and Climaveneta developed a comprehensive energy model to simulate how the building operates, so they could test different options and select the most appropriate solution for the building.
The old central heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprised three boilers, two air-cooled chillers and two air handling units (AHUs) without heat recovery, as well as on-floor fan coil units.
The team looked at two main solutions:

1. Replacing the existing units with upgraded high-efficiency boilers and chillers
2. Installing a system based on air source heat pumps that transfers heat from outside to inside the building and vice versa.
3. The air source heat pump offered the best efficiency and greatest lifetime savings for occupiers, based on thorough analysis of payback supported by robust data.

When planning for the plant replacement, the team built a good understanding of occupier requirements in each area of the building at different points in the day, to ensure that the new equipment would deliver on these. Cavendish Engineers also provided the right technical involvement to integrate the new air source heat pump into the existing building management system to operate the building in the most efficient way.
350 Euston Road is a seven-storey building, offering over 130,000 sq ft of grade A office space occupied by firms including Balfour Beatty, Capital One, Digital Cinema Media, ELEXON, the General Medical Council, DS Smith Plc, Networking People and Nimrodental.

Results

Forecast annual savings (backed up by performance data for the first six months since installation) include:

• £60,000 energy cost savings
• 85% less gas use
• 50% less total building energy use
• 470 tonnes less carbon

Although the air source heat pump costs more upfront than a like-for-like replacement with modern technology, its energy efficient performance means occupiers will get payback on the additional investment within one year and will then benefit from ongoing savings for years to come.
Payback was based on conservative estimates, with cost savings assuming the same average annual energy price increases for the coming years as the past ten years, even though energy costs are widely expected to rise by more. The team also included all associated costs in the calculations, such as changes to the distribution system required to make the switch to the new equipment.
In addition, the selected heat pump (Climaveneta Integra) can produce a combination of hot and chilled water, replacing the need for separate boiler and chiller units. This has saved space on the roof, now available to occupiers for further plant requirements.

“We believe that British Land is one of the first landlords to retrofit this type of technology in the UK. Our experience working with the manufacturer on more conventional projects gave us the confidence to install the air source heat pump at 350 Euston Road. The technology has proven well suited to the building’s position and to occupiers’ heating and cooling demands. We will continue to seek innovative technologies and approaches to further reduce energy consumption.”
– Matthew Webster, Sustainability and Wellbeing Executive at British Land