Vaillant’s UK headquarters refurbishment has transformed an old-fashioned, inefficient building into a state-of-the-art working space, complete with an innovative hybrid heating system that has significantly improved the building’s efficiency and running costs.
In late 2011/early 2012, Vaillant’s headquarters in Belper, Derbyshire was subject to a £3.5M refurbishment and extension. Home to both the UK manufacturing operation and UK and Western Europe head office functions, the aim was to create a highly efficient building with a significant proportion of its energy requirements met by renewable technologies.
The tired and dated 1960s offices were renovated and extended to create a modern and vibrant working environment. Space was provided for two Centres of Excellence (product training suites), as well as improved meeting space and videoconference suites, and extended café/bistro facilities.
Several measures were taken to ensure that the new Vaillant Group UK headquarters is a highly efficient building, benefitting from a combination of all Vaillant Group technologies to provide heat and hot water throughout the premises.
In addition to a Vaillant ecoCRAFT 120kW high-efficiency condensing floor-standing boiler, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic systems were also fitted. Additional measures such as LED lighting and a rainwater-harvesting system were added to the building to reduce the project’s environmental impact. 50mm of insulation and rain cladding was applied to the exterior surfaces of the building. Windows were replaced, a living roof installed on the main roof area, and heat-recovery systems and ground-source heat pumps installed.
The latest in renewable technology
The refurbishment demonstrated real innovation in terms of implementing renewable technologies, especially considering the limitations and energy compromises inherent in an old building. The two heating systems (underfloor heating and air-recovery units elsewhere) and domestic hot water requirements are met as far as practically possible by renewable means. There are two heat-recovery systems:
- The first recovers energy from the entire building including that produced by the kitchens. Heat is recouped and exchanged with fresh incoming air that is then distributed around the building via air-handling units;
- The second captures the energy from the training rooms via plate-to-plate heat exchangers and a pumped ring main, heating water in two buffer cylinders.
The entire heating system is monitored via sensors in 14 locations within the building to provide dynamic reporting. Control is via a bespoke software programme and weather-compensation controls, which ensure the system automatically uses the most efficient heat source, depending on the external temperature and volume of energy available from the heat-recovery systems.
The system intelligently switches between heat sources to ensure the most efficient source is in play at any given time. As a part of Vaillant’s ongoing research and development activity, the system is also capable of allowing tests and trials, and is designed with future technologies in mind.
Energy efficiency and economic benefits
Due to the improvements implemented during the refurbishment, like-for-like comparisons with the old building are challenging. The refurbished building is 3,272sq m, an increase of 95% over the original building. The use has changed too with the introduction of two boiler and renewable-technology training suites. Each makes use of live appliances and therefore has an impact on the building’s energy consumption – in excess of 300kW/h at peak times. The main energy source for the kitchens has also changed from gas to electric.
Initial reports demonstrate that in the first nine months of operation, the operational costs are almost the same as the same period last year (before the building was renovated). On a like-for-like square footage basis, this represents approximately 50-60% of the previous building’s cost, despite overall energy consumption rising.
Peak lighting power has been reduced from 13W/m2 to 4W/m2, a reduction of 70% - despite the building being nearly twice the size.
The factory roof was refurbished to increase the volume of natural light available, while lighting has been replaced with LED units, 95% more efficient than the fluorescent tubes it replaces.
Various zero-cost initiatives have seen the plant achieve landfill waste to zero status. This has been achieved despite the plant doubling output during that period.
Leading by example
As a result of the refurbishment, the Vaillant head office has been brought back to life and transformed from an old-fashioned, inefficient building into a state-of-the-art working space, complete with an innovative hybrid heating system that has significantly improved the building’s efficiency and running costs.
Making use of ground source heat pumps, air to water heat pumps, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic systems, it is thought that no other building in Europe incorporates so many different sources of renewable energy.
A dedicated maintenance engineer has also been appointed to monitor inputs and outputs and keep the building running smoothly, while a cross-departmental project team is in place to review the data and recommend changes that will further reduce energy usage.
Green initiatives
Projects running concurrently to the headquarters refurbishment have focused on improving the efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of the manufacturing facility. Recycling and sustainability are now an integral part of the brand’s core thought processes. For example, suppliers have changed their methods by removing polystyrene from any packaging and ensuring that all raw materials meet Vaillant Group’s stringent green guidelines. Lorries have been re-routed to reduce their impact on local residents and roads, and collaborations with suppliers and partners make good use of trailer capacities and reduce the number of ‘empty miles’ travelled.
While not directly related to the refurbishment, these measures are integral in illustrating Vaillant’s intentions to make its Belper site as energy efficient as practically possible.
