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I believe there are two key reasons behind the rise of embodied carbon monitoring.  First is the genuine desire by companies to understand Scope 3 emissions to ensure they truly meet their net zero commitments and don’t fall prey to greenwashing.

The second reason is that carbon assessments and management plans are becoming competitive differentiators. Contractors with this capability are better placed to win business.

Standards like PAS 2080 now give genuine advantages in the tender process and some organisations, such as National Highways, have made it a requirement for tendering for their contracts.  Some funding schemes such as the Green Heat Network Fund also have Market Transformation Commitments which are the extra measures you’ll commit to if you gain funding.  More and more organisations are using Whole Life Carbon Assessment as one of the tools to meet these requirements.

Beyond strengthening bids, the real business value lies in improved decision-making. Designers can optimise systems early on, whilst commercial teams better understand the cost-to-carbon savings of materials. A benefit close to my heart is the ability to track materials throughout the project lifecycle, deepening our understanding of the true value of end-of-life treatment and creating the evidence base needed to establish a truly circular economy.

While embodied carbon monitoring might currently be a small element specified in tenders, its potential to enhance decision-making across design, procurement, construction, and lifecycle management means I expect it to become far more widespread in the near future.

With the NHS striving to achieve their ambitious net zero goals, the challenge is underway to transition hospitals away from a reliance on traditional fossil fuelled heating systems to renewable, energy efficient alternatives.

To meet their targets of reducing directly controlled carbon emissions by 80% by 2032 and achieving a net-zero NHS by 2040, the development of innovative decarbonisation projects is essential, as is ensuring that patient services are maintained throughout their implementation.

Project Development Engineer, Jon Williams, has 26 years of experience in delivering complex energy projects within the healthcare sector. He shares insight into how these projects can be delivered while ensuring energy resilience, why early engagement is essential, and how we go above and beyond to ensure minimal disruption to hospital and its patients.

Balancing decarbonisation with hospital operations

While the transition away from fossil fuels has its complexities, factor in other energy conservation measures such as building fabric improvements (draught proofing, roof insulation, pipework insulation), solar PV and the replacement of ventilation system fan motors etc., means the challenges in implementing these solutions without disrupting hospital services requires careful consideration, planning and collaboration.

Heating, cooling, hot water and electrical services can have a direct impact on patient care, so a considered solution is required to enable these services to remain uninterrupted at all times. This can be a challenge, especially when transitioning from legacy systems to renewable alternatives. Developing these projects requires a full understanding of the hospital’s current operations in order to design and establish a resilient solution. This not only includes the physical equipment, but the phasing of the programme to prevent downtime and minimise risk. This could include the provision of additional pumps, so that if one fails the other continues to deliver heat, or planning the change over from legacy steam services to new LTHW in the summer months where the dependence on heating is reduced.

While it may seem obvious that heating, hot water and electrical services cannot be interrupted, there are many other factors that also need to be addressed when we design and implement our energy solutions, and early engagement with the correct people is essential for success. Factors such as noise, access, traffic management are all considerations that need to be managed, with the mitigating factors being different depending on the environment, department or services being affected.

Understanding the hospital environment

When developing our energy projects, it is important for us to collect as much information as we can. This isn’t only limited to the technical aspects on how the Trust’s current heating and energy infrastructure is configured and controlled, but the wider operational nuances of a live hospital environment. These can range from clinical services, staff training, parking arrangements and even kitchen operations.

A recent example of this was the replacement of catering equipment within a main kitchen, providing hot and cold meals to patients, staff and visitors alike. It was found that some legacy equipment (dishwashers, pressure cookers etc.), still had a reliance on the steam services we were looking to remove as part of our decarbonisation project. Engagement with the catering department enabled us to replace the equipment with suitable electrical alternatives and arranged the works in these areas so that their meal preparations and service periods were uninterrupted.

Collaboration and communication

Our early engagement provides us with the opportunity to build in mitigation measures as part of our solutions, so that site-wide services can continue to be provided with as little disruption as possible, enabling the Trusts that we work with to continue to deliver both clinical and non-clinical services in the most efficient and effective way possible, with minimal impact to patient care.

In the early days of our project programme, we have found it useful to undertake a ‘Prestart Workshop’ with key stakeholders, department leads and the Trust’s technical teams. By collaborating with relevant groups, we have found that we can obtain a good ‘buy-in’ from those in key positions, so they know the reasons we are there and what we, as collective, are trying to achieve. As the project moves into the construction phases it is important that communication in maintained and this is achieved in a number of ways, such as monthly client liaison meetings, and weekly look-ahead reports to highlight upcoming tasks, areas of work and any risks.

In addition, our construction teams continue to maintain relationships throughout the project term, meeting regularly with heads of department to establish the activities the Trust is undertaking so we can implement our works without impacting operations.

An example of this would be the development of our ‘Traffic Plan’. We understand that space within many hospital estates is at a premium, and additional personnel on site can impact on staff and patient parking, general access and potentially affect ‘blue light routes’. We work with our Trusts to reduce vehicle traffic as much as possible and recently supported one Trust in promoting their Park and Ride scheme, encouraging off-site parking and vehicle sharing in order to keep site traffic to a minimum. Our site teams also endeavour to arrange equipment and materials deliveries around the requirements of the Trust and the departments it will affect, while also maintaining our programme.

There are countless examples of considerations we look to implement to limit the disruption to patient care and hospital services, but with careful planning, collaboration, communication and the right technical expertise there are no challenges that we cannot overcome.

We’re delighted to announce that the Tower of Light has won the High Standard of Design Award at the Structural Steel Design Awards 2022.

In their 54^th year, the Structural Steel Design Awards celebrate the excellence of steel construction in the UK, particularly demonstrating its potential in terms of efficiency, cost effectiveness, aesthetics, sustainability, and innovation.

Owned by Manchester City Council and built by Vital Energi alongside Shawton Engineering, the focal point of the Civic Quarter Heat Network, which provides low-carbon heat and power to some of Manchester city centre’s most iconic buildings, is the 40m Tower of Light.

The sculptural landmark, which supports and encloses five flues, was designed by architects Tonkin Liu, and developed in collaboration with structural engineers at Arup.

The unique shell lace tower is built from 6 and 8mm thick flat steel sheets, which were tailored, laser-cut, then welded together to create a curved stiff strong surface. During the day, polished steel reflectors move in a wave-like motion in the wind to reflect sunlight into the tower’s chambers, and during the night, LED lights directed at the polished reflectors create moving light.

Vital Energi’s Ashley Malin, Managing Director (Solutions), said:

“The Tower of Light is a striking landmark in the city centre and the most visible manifestation of the Civic Quarter Heat Network, which is reducing carbon emissions and supporting the Manchester’s transition to zero carbon by 2038. We’re really pleased that intricately designed tower has been recognised by the judges and awarded the High Standard of Design Award.”

Read more about the project here.

Vital Energi has partnered with West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) to complete a major £1.3m energy efficiency upgrade at Hereford Ambulance Hub.

Funded through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), the project will introduce a range of green energy solutions to reduce carbon emissions and lower energy costs.

Key improvements that will be made as part of this upgrade include the removal of old oil-fired heating system which will be an energy efficient heat-pump based air conditioning system which will provide both low carbon heating and cooling to the ambulance hub.  The generation of heating and cooling will be optimised by way of smart control system which will ensure optimum comfort conditions are maintained at maximum generation efficiencies.

Windows and doors will be replaced to improve energy performance of the buildings, along with roofing upgrades in order to facilitate the installation of rooftop 106.58kW solar PV system which will allow for independent on-site electricity generation. A 50kW / 128kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will also be installed to store the energy generated by the solar panels for use at night.

WMAS Head of Fleet and Facilities Management, Tony Page, said:

“As a Trust, we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions. This important project is bringing much needed modernisation to our Hereford Ambulance Hub, and it will benefit our crews and support staff operating based on the site.

“All of this is helping us work towards the NHS England targets for carbon emission reduction something we are focussed on and we are very pleased to see this work undergoing.”

Vital Energi has been busy decarbonising six of Plymouth City Council’s key buildings through the installation of advanced renewable energy technologies, and we’re delighted to have been awarded a second phase 2 contract worth £1.1m, where we’ll reduce the carbon footprint of a further four buildings.

For phase 2, we’ll be delivering low carbon heat through the installation of a combination of air source and water source heat pumps across the following sites:

• Pounds House, which was formerly a privately owned manor located on the edge of the city’s Central Park. The area where the ASHP and WSHP are to be installed was extended as part of former war defences with significant steel riveted reinforcement and heavily reinforced bomb blast proof walls.
• Prince Rock Highways Agency administration centre.
• Frederick Street Centre, which is a community centre serving as a local education hub with a large ground floor open hall, various classrooms, and offices on two floors.
• Poole Farm, which has a rich history as one of Plymouth’s last working farms with a focus on community involvement through health and wellbeing, education and conservation.

Operations Manager, Robin Thorne, who is overseeing the project, said:

“We’re really pleased to have been awarded a second contract with Plymouth City Council, supporting them on their transition to a low carbon future through the decarbonisation of 10 of their public sector buildings.”

Read more about phase 1 of the project here.

A crane has lifted heat pumps into position on the roof of the Treatment Centre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) in the next phase of a £16.2m decarbonisation project.

Rooftop solar panel works have also started with the framework put in place and the first delivery of panels due at the end of the month.

A water source heat pump and an air source heat pump were recently delivered to the hospital site and crane lifted into position.

The final two air source heat pumps will be delivered next month.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which runs the RSH, has partnered with Vital Energi to do the work.

Funding was secured through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the project is being delivered through the Carbon and Energy Fund (CEF) Framework, which has been specifically created to fund complex energy infrastructure upgrades for public sector organisations.

By replacing the old steam boilers and associated gas-fired equipment with a 1.6MW air and water source heat pump system, buildings across the site will receive low carbon heating, hot water and chilled water. It will mean the hospital estate will be fully de-steamed.

The solar panels will also be installed along with the upgrade and optimisation of the building energy management systems, upgrades of roof and pipework insultation and the replacement of air handling unit fans units with low-energy fan systems, which will all add up to reduce the site’s energy consumption and improve the patient and staff experience.

When the work is complete, the investment could save the Trust an estimated £1 million a year in energy costs and will support the Trust’s Estates Decarbonisation Strategies, Green Plan and national NHS ambitions of reaching net zero by 2040.

Vital Energi are helping Brighton and Hove City Council tackle climate change and work towards their target of net zero by 2030 after undertaking audits across a number of their buildings to identify energy and carbon savings opportunities.

We have completed energy audits across 19 public sector buildings, including schools, nurseries, libraries and care homes, and identified a number of ways to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and save money.

Measures include glazing upgrades, LED lighting replacements, BEMS optimisation, and heating and ventilation improvements, along with the installation of solar PV on the roofs, and heat pump technology.

If all of the identified measures are implemented, the council could reduce emissions associated with the combustion of gas by 95%, and the total annual CO₂ reduction would be 72%.

We’re extremely proud of our apprentices, who achieved some amazing things during 2023, and Meg Bradley, an Apprentice Engineer in our Heat Pump Solutions department has been the latest to distinguish herself by winning a national award.

Meg was named winner of the Project Engineer category at the ACR & Heat Pumps ‘Trainee of The Year’ award in a ceremony at Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground.

Liam Grice, Senior Engineer (Heat Pump Solutions) for Vital Energi explains, “Meg has made the most of every opportunity we’ve presented her with and is constantly looking for new ways to bring value to her role.  We are thrilled that she was named as an award winner and we are all excited to see what she achieves in her career going forwards.”