Grade II Listed London School Achieves Carbon Reduction Through Heat Pump Installation

The listed Victorian Gothic Revival ‘Riverside School’ is situated along the Thames and has successfully implemented a comprehensive decarbonisation project, featuring the Mitsubishi Electric 2*40kW CAHV and a 40kW QAHV heat pump units connected to K-con thermal and potable water vessels. This school has recently been fully refurbished and extended, highlighting the feasibility of integrating sustainable heating solutions within historic buildings.

HOB Mechanical Services managed the mechanicalservices contract, which required the design and installation of a Mitsubishi Electric heat pump system as specified. The project faced two main challenges: space constraints within the plant room and the need to reduce noise in a densely populated residential area.

Innovative Engineering Solutions:

In partnership with Kooltech. Kooltech's expertise enabled the integration of their K-con product range, specifically tailored thermal storage vessels. Two custom-fabricated, stainless steel-clad vessels were installed externally, freeing up valuable space inside the plant room for two 255L stainless steel domestic hot water cylinders connected to the QAHV units.

To reduce noise pollution, acoustic enclosures were added to the design, achieving an additional 8dBA noise reduction from the CAHV air source heat pump units used for space heating. Coupled with the units' inherent noise reduction features, this ensured minimal disturbance to the surrounding community.

Luke Edwards, Contracts Manager at HOB Mechanical Services, said, “Working with Kooltech meant that we found a solution to meet the stringent needs for this project. They designed the vessels to purposely meet our space requirements. This is one of the first projects where we’ve worked directly with Kooltech, and the ease and speed of service was unmatched. We look forward to collaborating with them on future projects, knowing that if they do not have an off-the-shelf solution, they can customise their K-con products accordingly.”

Ben Hancock, Head of Southern Sales at Kooltech, added, “With support from our engineering and K-con R&D team and our exclusive partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, we were able to apply our expertise in complete system design and component integration to meet the project’s strict requirements and create a lasting positive impact for the school and in collaboration with H O B Mechanical Services.”

The project concluded with the successful installation of a high-efficiency heating and hot water decarbonisation system, adhering to strict noise reduction standards. This demonstrates how the implementation of sustainable heating solutions in heritage buildings, through teamwork with engineers and suppliers, can achieve excellent results.