United Kingdom - Portsmouth
Leamington House – Highly efficient heating system for improving thermal performance
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The tower block, Leamington House, where the demonstration project is implemented, was constructed in the 1970’s and is a 17 story high building located in the City Centre of Portsmouth. It has a twin building, Solihull House, which although now in the process of refurbishment (April 2004-2005) could provide a comparison in the monitoring programme.
The project demonstrates an energy efficient refurbishment in the city centre as part of a programme designed to ‘green’ the city environment. Portsmouth promotes an energy and environment policy commitment to the development of ‘green’ technologies such as combined heat and power and renewables. The project involves the solar low energy retrofit for 16 flats in the tower block together with a new combined heat and power station and district heating.
The existing heating system comprised of old obsolete gas boilers providing heat only to radiators with poor system and local control. Electric immersion heaters, which are expensive to operate, provided hot water. New boilers and a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant have been installed and supplies heating, electricity and hot water with reduced distribution losses and reduced pumping costs. The CHP engine can produce 185 kW of heat and 108 kW electricity. The surplus electricity is exported to the grid for which an income is received.
The heat system is supported by improved ventilation with heat recovery systems from extracted stale air and radiators fitted with individual thermostats and a solar heating system for hot water has been installed for 8 flats on the top floor of the block.
The CHP, boilers, pumps and ventilation fans are monitored and controlled by an Energy Management System (EMS), which ensures that internal comfort requirements are met for the least energy input.
The following elements of the construction should be highlighted:
- CHP unit providing base load heat and electricity
- Solar heating system to replace electric immersion heaters for hot water
- Building energy management system
- Ventilation and heat exchange
- Water saving measures
Monitoring Scheme:
| Building period: | Work started: May 2000 | |||
| Work finised: May 2001 | ||||
| Monitoring period: | December 2000 - December 2001 | |||
| Monitoring results: Block Consumption |
136 dwellings with a total floor area of 7,328 m2 | |||
| Parameter | Before | Predicted | Monitored | |
| Heat: (kWh/m2) |
533,2 | 155,4 | 284,5 | |
| Electricity: (kWh/m2) |
105,3 | 60,6 | 33,3 | |
| Water: (m3/m2) |
- | 3,25 | 1,63 | |
| Other Results/ archievements | The refurbishment of Solihull House is now underway, with the added efficiency of the new external cladding, pitched roof energy insulation measures, radiators / hot water cylinders within the flats we expect these figures to improve and we shall monitor the energy usage. | |||
Further information:
| Contact |
Portsmouth City Council Housing Services Mr. Meredydd Hughes Civil Offices, Guildhall Square Portsmouth PO1 2AX United Kingdom Phone: +44-2392834511 Fax: +44 –2392834523 e-mail: meredydd.hughes@portsmouthcc.gov.uk |
| Architects | Portsmouth City Council Engineering and Design Services Mr Mark Springett Civil Offices, Guildhall Square Portsmouth PO1 2AX United Kingdom Phone: +44-2392834701 Fax: +44 –2392834808 E-mail: mark.springett@portsmouthcc.gov.uk www.portsmouth.gov.uk |
| Mechanical & Electrical Engineer | PB Power Mr Dominic Bowers 4 Roger Street London WC1N 2JX United Kingdom Phone: +44-1712421980 www.pbpower.net |
| Contractor | Connaught Property Services Limited Connaught House Pineshill Rydon Lane Exeter Devon EX2 5TZ Phone: +44-1392444546 www.connaught.plc.uk |
