Cheshire South College & West is a higher education establishment located in Crewe. During 2022 the College leadership team decided to investigate ways of decarbonising the heating and hot water provision, supplied at that time by natural gas boilers, taking advantage of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) which they hoped would make a significant financial contribution to this process. This strategic shift away from fossil fuel boiler systems to ecologically friendly, energy efficient air source heat pumps highlighted the college’s decision to try to reduce its carbon footprint and emissions whilst showcasing a large-scale decarbonisation within a public sector building.
After a successful PSDS application process there followed a detailed design and heat pump installation phase, involving the selection of setting up of around 1.5MW of Air Source Heat Pump power. The Air Source Heat Pump system selected was the high efficiency Strebel S-ASX-VP100 model (each with 100kW thermal power) with eleven indoor units installed in a ground level car parking area, and another four outdoor units directly above on the roof. These units were piped to large Thermal Stores, also supplied by Strebel, with a combined hydraulic volume of 20,000 litres to achieve the best possible running efficiency and to ensure continued efficient heating is delivered when units are in the defrost cycle.
Alongside the managing contractor, AA Projects, based in Sale, there was a strong collaborative effort between the detailed Stage 4 consulting specialists, KGA Consulting from Birkenhead, and Liverpool based installation contractors Senate Group. At all phases of the project Strebel supplied site and office support with both practical and drawing office support.
As a result of the project it is calculated that savings of approximately 720 tonnes of carbon are saved each year, meaning that over 11,000 tonnes of carbon will be saved over the 15-year life span of the heat pumps.
In addition to this significant environmental carbon saving advantages, the project design also took care to ensure the staff, student and College’s neighbours were not unduly disturbed through careful management of the ASHP sound emissions. The provision of Acoustic Enclosures to mitigate the operational noise pollution (ASHPs make fan and compressor noise) demonstrated that the college’s pursuit of sustainability did not come at the expense of its neighbours’ comfort.
This project stands as a testament to Cheshire South & West College’s dedication to sustainability and innovation. It sets a commendable precedent for other educational institutions, signalling a shift towards more responsible and forward-thinking facility management. Moreover, the project’s funding by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme illustrates the relationship between government initiatives and local action. By securing partial funding through this scheme, the College has not only capitalised on available resources but also contributed to the broader goals of reducing greenhouse gas and carbon emissions across the campus and local area.
“We selected Strebel ASHP’s as they were competitively priced and met the performance requirements of our decarbonisation scheme. The delivery dates were met, and we had excellent technical support during the selection stage at pre-construction. Once the project was underway, we found the same level of technical support was available from Strebel throughout the installation, including site visits on request to discuss and agree setting-out within our purpose-built plantroom. The commissioning phase was suitably resourced, and the engineers were extremely helpful, always on time and very knowledgeable which facilitated a smooth handover for us on this project”.
– Ian Sullivan, Head of Mechanical & Electrical Operations
Senate Group, Liverpool
“Strebel offered the right solution for this project, with air source heat pumps that provide outstanding performance at low temperatures, and excellent efficiencies throughout the year. They provided first class technical support pre installation, and onsite when the systems were being installed.”
– Phillip Simpson, Director
KGA Consulting, Birkenhead
