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A new heat pump system, LED lighting upgrades and insulation measures will be introduced at Walsall Manor Hospital as part of a £12.5 million “green” investment.

Vital Energi has partnered with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust to deliver an innovative decarbonisation project that will reduce the Trust’s carbon footprint by 1,200 tonnes each year.

Thanks to funding from Phase 3B of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), Vital Energi will implement a range of energy solutions across the hospital site, from heat pumps to LED lighting upgrades.

The scheme is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix.

As well as reflecting the Trust’s dedication to environmental sustainability and enhancing the hospital’s energy efficiency, this project will support the NHS in achieving its goal of net zero by 2040.

Serving a population of around 270,000 across Walsall and surrounding areas, Walsall Manor will benefit from low-carbon heating, which will be supplied via a 1MW heat pump system.

Heat pumps take low-grade heat from the ground, water or air and boost it to higher temperatures to make it useable for heating.

Almost 4,000 light fittings will also be upgraded to LED, which will significantly reduce energy consumption. Pipework insulation will be upgraded to improve energy efficiency across the site, and replacement windows will ensure heat loss from the buildings is reduced.

The team from Vital Energi will also build a new plant room in a courtyard to house Air Handling Units (AHUs) for newly refurbished respiratory theatres.

Steve Black, Account Director at Vital Energi, said: “This project represents a major step towards making Walsall Manor Hospital a more sustainable and energy-efficient facility, and we are proud to support the Trust in its mission to create a greener healthcare environment.

“Once complete, the project will support the Trust in its sustainability efforts, and contribute to the NHS’ overall net zero goal.”

Director of public sector decarbonisation at Salix, Ian Rodger, said: “We’re pleased to work with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust to help meet its net zero targets.

“Walsall Manor Hospital is a busy site and this work is part of enabling it to reduce its carbon footprint. This will not only create  a site that is more energy efficient but a hospital that is more comfortable for patients, the teams and visitors.”

Completion is scheduled for October 2025.

Vital Energi’s range of vTherm Heat Interface Units (HIU’s) have distinguished themselves as the most efficient HIU’s currently on the UK market when tested independently against the 2018 BESA Test regime, making them ideal for 4^th generation district heating projects that use heat pumps.

Ian Spencer, Associate Design Director for Vital Energi explains, “Heat pumps operate at lower temperatures than traditional heating systems.  For heat pumps the lower the temperature the higher the efficiency.  Some HIU’s can perform poorly when connected to a heat pump as they are not designed to operate at lower temperatures, which results in higher flow rates and narrower temperature differentials.  This brings down the overall efficiency of a scheme, generates higher carbon emissions and costs residents more money.  Whilst losses may be relatively small on an individual HIU basis, across an entire development these issues can cost thousands of pounds in inefficiencies each year.”

“Our vTherm range of HIU’s was developed with the next generation of district heat networks in mind and the inclusion of heat pump technologies. We believe that the upcoming BESA HIU tests with lower temperatures will clearly demonstrate that the vTherm HIU range is the right choice for 4^th generation district heating and renewable energy sourced projects.”

The vTherm range of HIU’s also recorded the lowest VWART (Volume Weighted Average Return Temperature) results when independently tested against the BESA criteria at 60 degrees.  This, alongside its low heat losses, showed our HIU’s to be the most efficient on the UK market.

We are currently installing our vTherm units on the Queens Quay Project in Scotland, which is the first large-scale water source heat pump project in the UK.

Vital Energi have been awarded a place on the new North East Procurement Organisation framework which will be used to deliver retrofit, and decarbonisation works.

The framework has a value of £300 million and will be used to deliver residential and non-residential projects and will include schemes funded by:

• BEIS
• Sustainable Warmth Competition
• Homes England
• Local Authority Delivery Scheme
• Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund
• Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme
• UK Infrastructure Bank
• SALIX

Gemma Dyson, Proposals Manager for Vital Energi explains, “This framework promises to deliver some truly exciting energy projects which will help public sector organisations in the north east meet their net zero targets. We are delighted to be one of the 20 companies to earn a place on the framework.

“We are on 6 separate lots which will allow us to continue delivering a range of exciting renewable energy technologies such as air and ground source heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage.  These are technologies which we have been successfully installing for years and have seen how they  transform the way we generate and consume heat and electricity. We look forward to competing for projects as they come through the framework and helping a range of organisations on their net zero journey.”

The framework will allow Vital Energi to deliver retrofit and decarbonisation works and services, acting as a “one stop shop” and delivering the complete package of products and services to interested buying organisations.

The framework will run for 4 and a half years and cover projects across the north east of England.

We’re delighted to welcome Chris Beckwith as our new Construction Director for London and the South. With 30 years in the industry, Chris brings a wealth of construction expertise and is highly skilled in delivering complex projects in a logistically challenging environment.

Tell us a bit about your construction experience and how long you’ve worked within this industry.
I’ve worked in construction for 30 years, starting out as a trainee and progressing to Site Manager, running a number of projects in Central London. I moved into Contracts Management before becoming Construction Director. I’ve worked largely for tier one contractors throughout my career and have completed a large volume of complex and prestigious schemes for clients such as the Royal Household, De-Vere Hotels, Imperial College, and The Dorchester Collection.

Where would you say your strengths lie?
For most of my career I’ve worked on complex structural refurbishment projects commonly requiring façade retentions, core alterations and a high level of temporary works. These schemes provide a new challenge each day and enhance your approach to risk and the need to look well ahead in every aspect of the process.

What project are you working on at the moment, and how is your expertise having an impact?
I’m currently working on Energetik’s Meridian Water Heat Network (MWHN), which is a new Energy Centre and below-ground district heating network designed to supply very-low carbon heat and hot water to over 50,000 homes by capturing up to 60MW of unused energy generated at the NLWA’s Energy Recovery Facility. The site is located on a busy Eco-Park and is bound by three other construction projects and a live watercourse. The building accommodates most of the footprint of the site with towers up to 30m high which will require construction and cladding. There are continuous changes within the Eco-Park paired with moving targets of the projects around us, and my expertise has enabled us to successfully unravel a logistically challenged project within this ever-changing external environment.

Why is this project different to other projects Vital have been working on?
Within the London region, Vital’s focus has been on the exemplary design, installation, commissioning, and operation of energy centre fit out projects. The MWHN project serves to demonstrate the London team’s broadened ability to provide the full turnkey approach to energy centre builds.

How does Vital compare to companies you’ve worked for previously?
Vital listen to their clients and their staff, and do genuinely make improvements where possible. The internal teams thrive on collaboration, and the level of skill and experience within the business is some of the best I’ve seen. Vital strive to provide their clients the best service possible and work closely with them towards achieving net zero, and I’m really excited to play a part in the UK’s journey to decarbonisation.

Welcome to the Vital team, Chris.

We are delighted to welcome the residents of 163 new Westminster-based homes to the Vital Energi suite of metering and billing services after signing the contract for the Fisherton Street Development.

The Fisherton Street Development is a combination of two blocks of apartments and townhouses and makes up part of the wider Church Street development. Residents will be receiving heating and hot water from an ultra-low air source heat pump with Vital Energi operating and managing the prepayment solution installed on the site. Cooling is also available to some residents, which sees Vital taking meter readings to calculate and issue accurate quarterly bills. Vital’s O&M team also deliver a comprehensive suite of operation and maintenance services.

Berkeley and Peabody are transforming 17 acres of unused land in South East London into the exciting new Lombard Square development in Plumstead, and have awarded Vital Energi the £13m design and build contract.

Berkeley and Peabody are working together to regenerate the unused land, which is located adjacent to Plumstead Station and was once home to Arsenal Football Club, shaping it into a dynamic and well-designed new neighbourhood. The development will comprise 1,750 apartments along with retail, commercial and community spaces. Additionally, there will be a strong focus on sustainability and enhancing the provision of high-quality green space in the area with a new 1.8-acre four seasons park for everyone to enjoy.

Vital Energi are taking the project from the initial RIBA stage 4, through to RIBA stage 5 for the design and build across all eight blocks.

Vital Energi will design and build the Energy Centre that serves the whole development and are supporting Berkeley in reaching their sustainability goals through the installation of ground source heat pumps, which will extract water from aquifers below the surface via 140m deep boreholes. All risers and laterals will be installed within each block, and Vital Energi will complete design and build of the buried district heating network.

vTherm˚e Heating Interface Units (HIUs) will also be installed within each home, along with the Glass App metering and billing platform. This will provide real time heating control and scheduling for residents, allow engineers to diagnose issues remotely via an app, and when combined, both vTherm˚e and Glass will help to optimise the heat network.

The design has commenced and construction will begin in August.

We’re thrilled that one of our clients, Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) has been shortlisted for the Alan Clark Award for Local/Community Energy and Vital Energi have been named as a finalist in the Contractor of the Year Category.