Driving Energy Efficiency

Driving Energy Efficiency

The M&S Bank Arena and Convention Centre recently took a significant step towards sustainability by decarbonising their entire hot water system.

Led by CorEnergy, part of Sureserve, this ambitious project replaced gas-fired boilers with a bespoke 200 kW Air-Source Heat Pump (ASHP) system. The new system significantly boosted energy efficiency, increasing it from 60% gas-based to an impressive 300% with electrical heat pump technology. The project was designed to reduce carbon emissions and improve operational efficiency, ensuring the system could meet the high demands of the venue and minimising its environmental impact.

This project was mainly funded with a £ 1.3 million grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, administered by Salix to support the broader decarbonisation of heating in public sector buildings. CorEnergy helped to secure the grant on behalf of the client to reduce the capital outlay for the project.

The initiative was carefully planned and carried out with minimal disruption to the venue'operations, ensuring uninterrupted hot water provision throughout the installation process.

Smarter Energy Storage

The ASHP system also features innovative thermal storage technology to optimise energy use. The storage system includes 1,000 litres of hot water with additional storage for 8,000 litres. This ensures the venue can meet demand during busy periods and minimise heat loss when not in use, reducing energy waste and operational costs.

Sustainable Refrigerant Choice

The heat pump system uses CO2 as a refrigerant, a natural alternative that avoids ozone depletion and lowers embodied carbon. This choice enables the system to operate optimally at higher temperatures making it ideal for commercial hot water generation. A temperature difference of approximately 40°C between the flow and return further enhances cost savings and energy efficiency.

Smart Thermal Storage for Efficiency

The thermal storage system, connected in series with the semi-instantaneous domestic hot water package, features a "partial and full load" function to reduce heat loss during low-use periods. This reduces the temperature in all four vessels, reducing heat loss from 5.6kWh to 2.27kWh per day. The system automatically switches to partial load when no events are scheduled, improving heat efficiency.

Carbon & Energy Savings

Hot water usage at M&S Bank Arena varies from 8,000 litres on busy days to under 500 litres. The new heat pump system is set to reduce energy consumption by 75% and carbon emissions by 83%, a significant improvement over the previous gas boiler system and a key step towards net zero carbon.
 
The building operator made additional efforts to ensure that 100% of the electricity used comes from renewable sources. This project has had a highly positive impact on the carbon footprint and energy efficiency of the M&S Bank Arena and Convention Centre. 

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