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We are excited to be working with Enviroenergy on the Nottingham District Heat Network, which is one of the largest and oldest district heating schemes in the country.

We’ll be carrying out a full network study, performing an in-depth survey of every aspect of the scheme, which includes the last remaining sections of the original steel mains which were installed into concrete ducts in the 1970’s.

Ashley Walsh, Managing Director – Heat Networks explains, “Nottingham was one of the pioneers of district heating in the UK and we have been contributing to their heat network for almost 30 years, so it’s exciting to be involved in a network-wide survey to gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of the network.

“With some of the pipework having been in the ground for 50 years, the Nottingham Heat Network has been a great advertisement for decentralised energy and we’re sure it has played a massive role in giving many other towns, cities and organisations the confidence to embrace district heating.”

The survey will be a significant undertaking which will look at approximately 50km of pre-insulated mains, the risers and laterals connecting approximately 4,600 properties and a full review of the plant and equipment installed across the network’s 47 plant rooms and substations.

The conclusion of this will see us produce a 50-year forecast for the future of the network, giving Enviroenergy the information, they need to ensure the long-term success of their network.Ashley Walsh concludes, “This is the type of long-term planning which has made Nottingham a true success story of the future.  By investing in this exercise, Enviroenergy will gain a deep understanding of the long-term maintenance and upgrade requirements which will carry the network past its centenary.”

Once the surveys are complete, we’ll make recommendations to Enviroenergy about areas of action such as internal and underground pipework replacement, planned maintenance and upgrades to the leak detection system to ensure the network can serve the residents and businesses of Nottingham for many years to come.

We are aware of the effects rising energy prices have had on the UK and have been working to find new and innovative ways to help our customers in these difficult times.

As heat tariffs were set to rise, we wanted to do everything in our powers to make that increase as small as possible and have taken the decision to absorb a percentage of the residents’ unit charge to deliver a reduction to our customers on the Yarn Street development.

By making refinements to the fuel input costs, and reducing profit, we have been able to lower costs to 30% less than the standard variable tariff for gas.

We understand that many people will still struggle to heat their homes and will continue to work with clients, customers, and partners to provide any assistance we can.

Vital Energi has secured a significant contract with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to decarbonise two sites – Friarage Hospital and The James Cook University Hospital.

The project, funded through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), will see the company design, build, operate and maintain air source heat pumps at both sites.

The work will deliver significant environmental benefits, with Vital Energi’s proposals set to reduce carbon emissions at the Friarage by over 41% and exceed the required carbon reduction targets by 5% at James Cook.

The contract encompasses the supply and installation of a 1MW heat pump system at the Friarage and a 3MW system at James Cook, alongside the conversion of existing boiler systems and associated infrastructure upgrades. Work has already commenced on both sites.

Vital Energi is committed to making a positive and lasting impact on the areas and communities in which it works. As part of this project, the company has committed to significant spending with local suppliers and is donating funds to the Trust. Vital will also engage the Trust about climate change under its Climate Education programme and staff will provide volunteer support on Trust initiatives.

The project represents a substantial capital investment, with the Friarage element valued at £7.8 million, and James Cook at £7.1 million. These schemes form part of a wider package of energy efficiency measures funded by the PSDS grant.

Beyond the core heat pump installations, the project includes additional energy conservation measures at both sites, such as a rooftop solar PV installation, hydraulic system optimisation, and building management system enhancements.

The contract win strengthens Vital Energi’s presence in the North East, complementing the company’s recently opened Newcastle office.

Vital Energi are celebrating further contract success after they are awarded the combined £7.3m Mechanical Infrastructure and Mechanical Fit Out package for Berkeley Homes’ West End Gate development.

Situated moments from the prestigious neighbourhoods of Marylebone and Little Venice, and just a one minute walk from the nearest tube (Edgware Road), West End Gate boasts a range of apartments situated around private landscaped gardens with a landmark 30-storey tower as its hub. Residents can enjoy first-class facilities, including a cinema room, private gym, swimming pool and spa.

Vital Energi are delighted to continue their fruitful relationship with Berkeley Homes after winning two separate Mechanical packages for West End Gate; one for blocks B and D, which comprise 108 apartments over 10 storeys, and the other for blocks E and F which contains 108 apartments set over 18 floors. The ground floors of each of the four blocks consist of retail space and entrance lobbies.

The work will see Vital provide the mechanical infrastructure and apartment fit out for the four residential blocks, which includes low temperature hot water and boosted cold water services to each apartment, Heat Interface Units (HIUs) and chilled water for each property along with ventilation systems. Vital will also carry out live safety elements of the project in smoke extract and sprinkler systems, as well as all the internal plumbing.

Chris Hayden, Project Director for Berkeley Homes, commented:

“It is great to be working with Vital Energi at West End Gate. They have really added value through their knowledge and expertise of mechanical systems, providing a fantastic service from early design stages through to installation and commissioning.”

West End Gate blocks B and D are due for completion in July 2021, followed by blocks E and F in April 2022.

Vital Energi are delighted to announce that they have been awarded a 5-year contract to deliver Operation and Maintenance (O&M) and Metering & Billing (M&B) services to over 3,000 residents connected to district and communal heat networks in and around the London area on behalf of Notting Hill Genesis, one of the UK’s largest housing associations.

Katy Lister, Client Relationship Director for Vital Energi explains, “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to partner with Notting Hill Genesis and play a crucial role in ensuring the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of their heat networks, and we are committed to providing an exceptional service to enhance the communities we serve.”

“We are now working to upgrade some of the heat networks to ensure reliable heat and hot water is delivered to residents, the energy centres perform optimally, and the in-home heating systems are all performing as expected. Thank you to Notting Hill Genesis for entrusting us with this important responsibility. We are excited about the opportunity to make a positive impact and build a long-lasting partnership.”

Vital Energi has partnered with Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust on a £15.1m project to reduce the carbon emissions at Northampton General Hospital by 3,445 tonnes a year through the installation of the latest energy solutions.

To accelerate the Trust’s transition to net zero by their target of 2040, Vital Energi has replaced the old steam infrastructure with a modern low-temperature-hot-water (LTHW) system across the whole of the hospital estate.  A 600kW heat pump provides heat into the new LTHW system which in turn provides low carbon heat to all buildings.

The project includes a 500kW solar PV array and upgrades to the BMS systems to improve the thermal efficiency of the secondary heating and hot water systems across the hospital estate, as well as optimising the performance of the new heat pump system.

Vital View has also been installed, which is a BMS performance monitoring system to help deliver continuous improvement and drive energy efficiency, carbon reduction and help enhance future projects through gaining a detailed understanding of building operations and usage characteristics.

These solutions will have a significant impact on the overall energy performance and carbon emissions of the hospital.

The project received grant funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), which is administered by Salix Finance on behalf of the Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Salix Relationship Manager, Hira Raashid, added: “As an enabler for these grant allocations, and as a liaison point for stakeholders, we are delighted to see the completed energy improvement outcomes at Northampton General Hospital after several years of work.”

The project has been delivered through the Carbon and Energy Fund Framework (CEF), which has been specifically created to fund complex energy infrastructure upgrades for public sector organisations.

Vital Energi have been awarded a contract by the City of London Corporation to guarantee energy savings of over £480,000 a year and carbon savings of over 1,000 tonnes a year, helping the governing body of the Square Mile to take major strides towards the ambitious target of net zero carbon emissions by 2027 for its corporate estate.

The project will be delivered through the Greater London Authority’s Retrofit Accelerator framework designed to help make London’s non-domestic public buildings and assets more energy efficient, and the works will be funded via the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

Vital Energi will deliver multi-technology solutions through Energy Conservation Measures, which will improve energy performance within five of the City’s most iconic buildings, including the Barbican Centre, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the City Corporation’s Guildhall headquarters.

Energy Conservation Measures will include pipe distribution repairs, ventilation distribution repairs, pipe insulation, Air Handling Unit EC fan retrofit, LED lighting, and metering, to reduce energy use, unnecessary heat loss and help improve comfort conditions for building users.

As well as upgrading and optimising Building Management Systems (BMS), Vital Energi will also install Vital View, which is a BMS performance monitoring system. This will help deliver continuous improvement and drive energy efficiency, carbon reduction and help enhance future projects through gaining a detailed understanding of building operations and usage characteristics.

City of London Corporation Finance Committee Chairman Jamie Ingham Clark said:

“This partnership with Vital Energi will enable us to take practical, positive, sustainable steps to make our buildings more energy efficient, delivering the twin benefits of reducing carbon emissions and saving money.

“The project will play a significant role in enabling us to achieve the ambitious targets set out in our Climate Action Strategy, which commits us to achieving net zero carbon status in our buildings by 2027 and across our investments and supply chain by 2040.”

Vital Energi are delighted to have been appointed to Network Rail’s new decarbonisation framework. Network Rail are undertaking a decarbonisation programme which will make a strong contribution to meeting its carbon reduction target of being net zero by 2050 (2045 in Scotland) as part of the Government’s Road to Zero Strategy.

Vital have been appointed to the ‘Upgrades to Heating and Cooling Systems’ category of the framework which will see energy improvements delivered across Network Rail’s built assets in all UK regions.  Network Rail have already completed 150 energy audits which have identified opportunities to reduce carbon and energy usage.

These potential projects can include energy conservation measures, such as insulation and improvements to pumps, sensors and building energy management systems as well as upgrading current heating systems to air and ground source heating pumps.

Vital Energi has been appointed to the “Upgrade Heating & Cooling System” section of the framework which will last for 5+ years.

The UK is set for another major heat network after a new Bedfordshire-based project received £16.9 million in funding from the Government’s Heat Networks Investment Project.

Vital Energi will deliver the new project which will take waste heat from the Rookery South Energy Recovery Facility and distribute this to nearby homes and commercial buildings.

The Rookery South Energy Recovery Facility is located in a former brick clay extraction pit near Stewartby and will provide a sustainable alternative to landfill as well as contributing to a more resilient, greener grid.  Vital Energi will be constructing the infrastructure which includes heat recovery equipment plus a resilience energy centre which will take heat from the Energy Recovery Facility and convert it into useable low temperature hot water.  This hot water is then distributed through a below-ground, thermally efficient district heating network.

The heat network will be future proofed for easy expansion to serve  a number of local planned developments and could eventually be capable of delivering circa 30MW of heat to up to 12,000 homes and commercial buildings.

Defibrillators save lives. Every year in the UK, over 30,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, yet quick CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chance of survival. As highlighted by the British Heart Foundation, community access to these devices remains unequal, but deploying them in public spaces, like mobile library vans, means help can reach those who need it most.

In addition to the purchase of defibrillators, local donations of over £300 will fund essential staff training and maintenance to keep these defibrillators ready for emergencies.

Lisa Martin, Social Value & Customer Care Manager, Vital Energi explains, “We’re extremely proud to support this initiative, which aligns with our commitment to improving community wellbeing.  Providing defibrillators for mobile library vans supports NHS community anchor strategy and ensures lifesaving equipment is available where it’s needed most, and we’re pleased to play a part in making that happen.”

We’ve been working with NHS Borders to revolutionise the energy infrastructure at Borders General Hospital and delivered a range of improvements such as improvements to the lighting, HVAC, valves, building management systems, and insulation of pipework across the hospital and satellite sites.  Additionally, we installed a 680 kWp solar array, helping generate clean, renewable energy and making the health board more self-sufficient in the long term

Catriona McAllister, Chief Executive of Live Borders said, “The installation of defibrillators in our mobile library vans is a powerful step forward in making lifesaving equipment accessible to the communities we serve. These vans travel to some of the most rural and remote parts of the Borders, and having emergency response capability on board could truly mean the difference between life and death.”