27 March 2025
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The listed Victorian Gothic Revival ‘Riverside School’ is situated along the Thames, 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; and underscores the feasibility of integrating sustainable heating solutions within historic buildings.
HOB Mechanical Services the mechanical services contract, necessitated the design and installation of a pre-specified Mitsubishi Electric heat pump system. The project presented two primary challenges: space constraints within the designated plant room and to mitigate noise in a densely populated residential area.
Innovative Engineering Solutions
In collaboration with Kooltech, HOB Mechanical Services engineered a bespoke solution to address these challenges. Kooltech's expertise facilitated the integration of their K-con product range, specifically tailored thermal storage vessels. Two custom-fabricated, stainless steel cladded vessels were externally situated freeing up valuable internal plant room space that houses the installation of two 255L stainless domestic hot water cylinders connected to the QAHV heat pump units.
To mitigate noise pollution, acoustic enclosures were incorporated into the design, achieving an additional 8dBA reduction from the CAHV air source heat pump units utilised for space heating. This, coupled with the CAHV units' integrated noise reduction capabilities, ensured minimal disruption 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 issue requirements. This is one of the first projects that we’ve worked with Kooltech directly on, and the ease and speed of service was second to none, we look forward to working with them on future projects as we know that if they do not have an off-the-shelf solution, they are able to customise their K-con products to suit.”
Ben Hancock, Head of Southern Sales at Kooltech, added, “With the support of our engineering and K-con R&D team and our exclusive partnership with Mitsubishi Electric we were able to apply our expertise in the complete system design and integrating components to help deliver the projects tight requirements and create a lasting positive impact with the school and working with H O B Mechanical Services.”
The project culminated in the successful installation of a high-efficiency heating and hot water decarbonisation system, adhering to stringent noise reduction parameters. This project shows how the implementation of sustainable heating solutions in heritage buildings, working together with engineers and suppliers achieves great results.
