Energy efficient heating for sustainable living in Sheffield

Taconova installs 229 Heat Interface Units in new residential development

A new £37m residential development in Sheffield is benefiting from sustainable and efficient heating, courtesy of Taconova’s market-leading Heat Interface Units (HIUs).

The Ironworks: Redefining Urban Living

Situated on Scotland Street, the Ironworks has been developed by Rise Homes and brings much-needed quality rented accommodation to Sheffield.

Building work began in January 2021 on the site of the former Queens Hotel, and in September 2023, Rise Homes and Taconova were joined by the Mayor of Sheffield to open the new 12-storey Ironworks building.

Inside The Ironworks

This development encompasses 229 furnished apartments, comprising 144 one-bedroom, 80 two-bedroom, and 5 two-bedroom duplex units. A focus on sustainability is evident, with each unit connected to the building’s communal biomass boiler-powered heating system.

The Heating System

Water heated by the basement biomass boiler circulates through the building’s risers and into the Heat Interface Unit (HIU) in each of the 229 apartments. The HIUs ensure efficient and consistent heating and domestic hot water provision, maintaining optimal temperature and flow for the residents.

TacoTherm H 3000E: The Core of Heating

Each flat features a TacoTherm H 3000E Heat Interface Unit. This HIU is an electronically controlled, compact, and connection-ready all-in-one unit that offers indirect heat transfer for heating and domestic hot water.

The 229 HIUs had to be supplied, installed, and commissioned within a three-month window. Taconova delivered 50 HIUs per week, and the contractor installed them in the utility cupboard of each apartment.

The TacoTherm H 3000E has been designed specifically for multi-storey residential buildings and provides an operating pressure of 6 bar. It has an operating temperature of 90°C and generates hot water temperatures of up to 60°C.

The TacoTherm H 3000E is highly efficient and has an overall Volume Weighted Average Return Temperature (VWART) figure of 26, making it a market leader – as independently tested by BESA (Building Engineering Services Association).

More Than Just Hardware

One of the standout benefits of opting for an electronically controlled HIU is the availability of data.

The initial specification for this project was for Heat Interface Units only. However, the TacoTherm H 3000E offers much more than just hardware. The HIU has a smart meter which enables remote monitoring and analysis of heat consumption. The meter gathers information from across the network, from the plant room to the HIU. With this data, the system’s efficiency can be tracked, and improvements may be made based on the information. Likewise, if there are any inefficiencies or faults, these can be identified, pinpointed, and rectified quickly.

The Ironworks management chose to also install the suggested smart heating controls and offer the controls to the residents through a smartphone or tablet app. These controls mean heating can be switched on or off remotely, potentially saving energy.

Rigorous Quality Assurance

Acceptance Test: Good Performance

Before the project was completed, Taconova conducted testing on each HIU. This service formed part of the Taconova’s commitment to ensuring the HIUs function to the correct specification. The testing analysed the operating pressure, temperature, and hot water temperatures in each apartment and measured the overall efficiency of the heating system during a 48-hour period. The results were then measured against set parameters.

After Taconova’s engineers had completed the adjustments and remedial work, the tests were conducted again. Improvements were evident and the scheme was performing according to the set design parameters and achieved overall network compliance.

On-going Monitoring for Sustainable Living

As part of its commitment to customer service and sustainability, Taconova will continue to monitor and improve the heating system for the lifetime of the scheme. It is well documented that the efficiency of a newly built property drops substantially after the first 12-month operation, so it’s important to monitor the efficiency of the whole heating system beyond the initial year.

The ongoing monitoring provides complete oversight of the whole system, not just the HIUs. Therefore, it is possible to recommend improvements to ensure that the network remains at the optimum efficiency level. For example, adjusting the plant room temperature during the summer and winter can optimise the system and improve efficiency.

As well as providing constant monitoring and improvement suggestions, Taconova will also support Ironworks with annual servicing of the HIUs, as part of the service level agreement.

A Greener Future

Exciting plans for the future reveal that things could get even greener if the Ironworks development can join the Sheffield City District Heating Network.

This district heating network is one of the largest city heat networks in the UK and currently supplies 2,800 homes and 140 commercial buildings, saving 21,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

The focal point of the network is the city’s incinerator which burns 120,000 tonnes of municipal waste each year, producing up to 60MW of thermal energy. With an expansion and improvement to the network, it is hoped that the Ironworks will be able to benefit from the waste heat generated from Sheffield’s incinerator.

Joining the network will mean the Ironworks can replace the biomass boiler and utilise waste heat from the network, further enhancing the building’s green credentials.

The indirect TacoTherm H 3000E HIU is future-ready and will seamlessly transition to the heat network and deliver efficient heating to the residents in the building. Thanks to the HIU’s pre-fitted heat meter, the residents’ heat consumption will be calculated based on what they use. Switching to the heat network will mean a lower heating tariff compared to the biomass boiler, so residents’ energy bills will also be lower. Innovative heating solutions like Taconova’s indirect TacoTherm H 3000E HIUs are part of the company’s mission to offer reliable, low-maintenance, and highly efficient heating solutions that save customers time, effort, and money. To find out more, please visit: www.taconova.com.