Organisations and individuals managing buildings face ever-increasing heating challenges. The challenges are significant whether you own or look after a grade 1 listed historic building or simply a building with solid walls. How do you heat buildings to ensure that occupants are comfortable and the building fabric is maintained in the context of UK net zero targets, UK energy strategy, and increasing energy costs?

The electrification of heat is key to reducing reliance on fossil fuels in buildings. Air source heat pump technology is mature and can be deployed relatively quickly with lower capital costs than other heat pump technologies. As the mass deployment of air source heat pumps gathers speed, can we learn lessons from properties that already use air source heat pumps?

Andrew McQuatt (Engineering Standards Project Leader, Max Fordham LLP) will share lessons from ten case study projects gathered during the winter of 2021/2022. The projects ranged from private residences, offices, churches, and shops, from the centre of London to the Lake District.

Installation quality, system design, opinions of running cost, perceived thermal comfort, noise, cold air plumes, and visual appearance were assessed from non-intrusive visual inspections and interviews with the building users.

There will also be any opportunity to ask Andrew questions and to join in a group discussion; allowing you to share learning, progress, challenges and questions with other members across the network who are on the same journey.

Andrew joined Max Fordham LLP in 2007 and became a Partner in 2011. He has a wide range of experience across various sectors, from museums, housing, galleries and visitor centres to offices and sports centres. Andrew has developed a broad technical knowledge of natural ventilation solutions, daylight strategies, and robust mechanical and electrical system design, incorporating heat pumps, biomass boilers, solar thermal, wind turbines and photovoltaics. In 2019, Andrew was made Engineering Standards Projects Leader. In this role, he leads the whole engineering team in sharing knowledge across the practice to develop and improve the quality and consistency of our work. Andrew leads the practice’s drive to increase heat pump knowledge and experience. Having installed an air source heat pump at his own home, he practices what he preaches and has gained valuable personal experience, which he can apply to the buildings and clients he works with.

Andrew also spoke at our 'Future of Heating in Historic Buildings' conference in June '22, and this session will be more detailed and with a broader scope, than the conference session, while being relevant to a wide range of organisation types and sizes.

The Viability of Air Source Heat Pumps