Heat pumps make the grade at Bournemouth Uni
13th December 2024
UK: The replacement of gas boilers with Mitsubishi Electric air-source heat pumps is helping Bournemouth University in its aim of decarbonising heat across its extensive campus.
The university has 17,000 students and 2,000 staff. Its main site is at the Talbot Campus, with 14 academic buildings including Dorset House, home to the Doctoral College, which provides support to the postgraduate research community. Previously heated with three commercial gas boilers, the building was identified as one to focus on as part of a decarbonisation plan.
“We were successful in being awarded Low Carbon Skills Funding to create a heat decarbonisation plan for the Talbot Campus,” explained Lois Betts, Bournemouth University’s sustainability manager. “Our plan aims to achieve a 50% reduction across all scopes of emissions by 2030-31 against a baseline of 2018-19.”
Nine Mitsubishi Electric CAHV-R air-source heat pumps using R454C refrigerant have been installed in a special compound to replace the gas boilers. The CAHV-R units can deliver domestic hot water up to 70°C, which will be used for both heating and hot water throughout Dorset House.
A single CAHV-R unit can deliver up to 40kW of capacity and each unit can work in a cascade system to reach higher capacities of up to 640kW.
For Dorset House, it also means that the multi-unit system can deliver capacities to match the different load requirements of the building throughout the year, and can also rotate operation between units, to help extend equipment life.
The installation of the heat pumps and a dedicated acoustic enclosure was undertaken by Oxford-based mechanical and electrical contractors, Lowe & Oliver.
