Specialist contractor, Kershaw Mechanical Services Limited, has installed Gaia’s wet underfloor heating system as part of its £1.9m mechanical & electrical (M&E) package at the new Further Education building for West Suffolk College.

Located on the college’s campus in Bury St Edmunds, the new FE building is the main focus of all FE provision and provides improved study facilities as well as student support and recreational opportunities.

With a focus on energy efficiency, the building’s M&E works included a natural ventilation system, a biomass boiler, domestic services, heating, air conditioning and full building management system.

Gaia’s underfloor heating system was installed throughout the ground floor of the new building which consists of a social seating area, shop and drop-in computer station.

The system was chosen partly for its energy efficiency, but also for the fact that it offered the most effective heating solution for the space, says [John Pritchard, Project Manager]:

“Underfloor heating is ideal for use in large open plan areas as the heat is distributed evenly throughout the area,” S/HE said. “The Gaia system is well-proven and reliable and the technical assistance offered by Gaia helped ensure a trouble-free installation“. John Pritchard, Project Manager.

Gaia wet underfloor heating system utilises water at low temperatures. The water is circulated through a series of continuous pipe loops laid within a screed or between timber joists beneath the floor surface. The pipe loops for each room (or zone) all run from and back to the system manifold.

The nature in which heat is radiated across the whole floor surface makes underfloor heating a highly cost efficient and comfortable alternative to traditional radiant heating methods.

For further information on Gaia Climate Solutions, please call 0845 434 9488 or visit www.gaia.co.uk.