Mitsubishi Electric is using the Green Build Expo (9-10 May, Manchester Central) to highlight the low carbon potential that can be achieved by the construction sector utilising existing, off-the-shelf renewable technologies.

The company will use its stand (E34 – E35) to focus attention on the use of heat pumps for both commercial and domestic buildings and demonstrate how they can be used to improve the energy performance of the nation’s building stock – whether existing premises or new build.

“Having now installed heat pumps in an extensive range of building types and sizes, we are able to show how they can make a dramatic difference to both carbon emissions and running costs,” explains Martin Fahey, Sustainable Solutions Manager for the Hatfield-based company.

The company will be showing visitors to its stand live examples of new build and retro-fits in both domestic and commercial settings that have been improved with renewable, energy saving equipment.  The extensive list covers solid brick Victorian buildings, high-rise housing, schools and offices and includes the UK’s first example of new commercial air source heat pumps being used for community heating.

“There is technology available straight off the shelf that can transform the energy performance of the vast majority of our buildings and as an industry we have the expertise to install and support it,” adds Fahey.

Fahey is able to point to the company’s Hatfield headquarters as a clear demonstration of what can be achieved with available equipment and careful planning.  The 1980’s, three-storey, steel-frame, glass-fronted office block was initially assessed as a benchmark E-rated building and now, following a five-year journey involving the planned replacement of building services as they reached their end of useful life and selective replacement when appropriate, it has achieved a B-rating.

“Just like any other business, we had to build the case for new equipment and justify the capital outlay,” he adds.  “We have adopted an evolutionary approach to replacement and upgrade at Hatfield and this should serve as a pointer to anyone that savings in energy and emissions are within everyone’s grasp.”

The company believes that this approach is especially important when so many of the nation’s current building stock is likely to be in use for decades to come. 

“As a nation, we face a real challenge but we must not overlook technology that is available right now which can help buildings become more energy efficient for both the owners and the nation.”

Mitsubishi Electric has led the way with renewable technology and has developed the award-winning Ecodan® range of air source heat pump heating systems, which has now received a prestigious Quiet Mark from the Noise Abatement Society. The company also entered the UK Photovoltaic market three years ago, bringing its advanced solar panels to the market, and has pioneered the use of heat pump systems for commercial heating, to help buildings achieve renewable energy targets.

Mitsubishi Electric has installed an 8.5kW Ecodan air source heat pump into a virtual three storey Victorian terrace house to demonstrate how renewable technology can benefit the nation's older properties.

The installation is taking place on screen as the house is a specially animated version created for the Building Centre in a project which has received funding from Eco Advantage, a European Social Fund ITM.

The 'Number One Lower Carbon Drive' project aims to increase awareness of the UK's urgent need to retro-fit existing housing stock; ultimately reducing the carbon footprint of homes across the nation.

"This is building on an initiative originally set up in 2007 to help professionals and the public review the way we use energy in UK homes and their surroundings," explains John Kellett, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric's Domestic Heating Division.

A full scale model of a Victorian terrace was erected in Trafalgar Square, London showing how retro fitting measurements can save both energy and money. A smaller scale model has been kept on permanent exhibition at The Building Centre since 2009.

"Now, with the help of BAFTA-nominated animators, we are helping produce a broadcast ready HD animation, which will clearly show how Ecodan can provide all the heating and hot water needed," added Kellett.

Number One Low Carbon Drive is being launched on the Building Centre Stand at Ecobuild and will then be housed in a prominent exhibition at the Building Centre's Store Street home in London's West End.

Andrew Scoones, Director at The Building Centre said: "This is an exciting step for the Lower Carbon Drive project. The original idea, to show how retro-fitting measurements can lower carbon emissions in the home, has really captured people's imagination and developed into numerous forms, from a miniature dolls house to a full scale model on Trafalgar Square."

As the project develops, viewers will be able to visually cut through the home to see new products in operation, watch the measurable benefits flow throughout the building and compare the before and after effects of installing energy saving measures into the home.

Mitsubishi Electric is joined by Celotex and Selectaglaze as the first to showcase their products in this visionary project. "That was part of what appealed to us with this project," explains Kellett. "Renewable technologies such as Ecodan offer tremendous potential to reduce carbon but they work best in properties that have been thermally improved."

When architect Andy Critchlow bought a derelict Victorian water tower in an auction for £100,000 without looking inside, he couldn’t have foreseen the challenges he would face along the way. He did however have the vision to see the possibilities for a stylish, 5-bedroomed, four-storey family home for him and girlfriend Ana Ferguson, with a top-floor sun room which would offer stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

The conversion and refurbishment of the historic building in Congleton, was featured on Channel 4’s Restoration Man in January. Over an 18-month period, viewers followed the restoration of the former water tower, which had lain dormant for a decade.

Andy, who is a Director at Manchester-based AEW Architects, used the project to demonstrate how a solid-brick, Victorian building could be restored and refurbished to become an elegant, energy-efficient, modern home.

“There are thousands of solid brick buildings in the UK and as a nation, we have to find ways of improving their energy efficiency to help lower people’s fuel bills and tackle the country’s carbon emissions,” he says.  “I wanted to demonstrate how this can readily be achieved and how even  historic buildings can be adapted to suit modern living.”

Built in 1881, the 15 metre high water tower is Grade II listed and was fully functioning until 2001 when it was decommissioned. 

One of the first things Andy did during the conversion was make sure the energy efficiency of the structure was maximised by adding in layers of insulation within a new inner stud wall.

Given the huge capacity for thermal mass in the existing masonry (600-700mm solid brickwork walls) and the unusual shape, Andy designed the project to use underfloor heating. 

The energy to run this and also supply the building’s hot water supply is provided by two Ecodan® air source heat pumps from Mitsubishi Electric. A 14kW and a 5kW Ecodan are discretely sited on the rooftop and connect to the water cylinder in a special plant room on the top floor.

“I always planned to use an air source heat pump and it is easy to see why Ecodan has become the market leader,” says Andy.  “We moved in during November and the building has been warm and comfortable throughout the winter.

“Although heat pump systems work in a slightly different way to traditional heating, it is very easy to control and because it gets about two-thirds of its heat energy from the outdoor air, it is incredibly efficient.”

One of the main challenges with refurbishing old properties is that modern regulations require buildings to be much more air tight and this can lead to problems with condensation and mould.  Andy solved this issue by using a DC Lossnay heat recovery ventilation unit, also from Mitsubishi Electric, which mechanically extracts stale indoor air and replaces it with fresh, outdoor air that has been pre-heated.

“When we looked at turning this remarkable piece of heritage into our dream home, I knew we would need some form of heat recovery ventilation to keep the building free of condensation,” explains Andy.  “I liked the fact that the Lossnay will offer free cooling when we get to the summer.”

Fresh air is piped to each room in the house and where the Lossnay scores over others is that it recovers about 75 per cent of the heat from the outgoing air so that the incoming air needs less energy to bring it up to the room temperature. At only 35dB, the whisper-quiet Lossnay also has a unique paper core which transfers both latent and sensible heat making the house feel much more comfortable.

Completing the whole house solution from Mitsubishi Electric are 20 PV-TD185MF5 Photovoltaic (PV) solar power generating panels, which Andy has installed on the South East facing roof of the new triple-garage block he constructed below the tower. 

The garage has its own distribution board which is ducted back to the main tower and the 3.64 KWp system is estimated to yield more than 3,000kW hours of electricity a year, generating an income from the Government’s Feed in Tariff.

“The pitch and size of the south facing garage roof made it ideal for a PV array,” explains Andy.  “We wanted the property to be as self-sufficient as possible and have been delighted with the returns from the PV even over the winter.

“We worked closely with the installers World Heat Limited and Mitsubishi Electric during the refurbishment and getting all three systems from one manufacturer has helped ensure that they work well together,” adds Andy. “The performance of the whole system is now being closely monitored as this is one of the first Victorian buildings to combine all three in this way.”

As a Director at AEW Architects, Andy advises clients on energy matters, acting as Eco home assessors, dealing with the Code for Sustainable Homes, BREAME, SAP and providing advice for a number of bespoke large domestic projects.

In the case of Congleton Water Tower, Andy has taken an historic, local landmark and produced a stunning £400,000, 21st Century eco-home, using the most advanced heating, ventilation and power generating equipment currently available.

30 homes are looking forward to a cosier new year following the replacement of their electric storage heaters with air source heat pumps.

Chevin Housing Association operates across Yorkshire, Humberside and the North Midlands managing over 8,000 homes and is a member of the Together Housing Group.  Having trialled the Ecodan® heat pumps in three of its properties, the social housing landlord has chosen to use a £175,000 grant, awarded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, to fit more of these pumps to its homes.

The move forms part of a drive to help alleviate fuel poverty amongst Chevin's tenants whilst providing them with a comfortable, low cost, but efficient heating system which requires very little maintenance.

Each of the units has an intelligent operating system that uses a series of sensors both inside and outside the home.  These sensors constantly talk to each other and adjust the output from the heat pump to maintain a constant temperature inside the home.

"Our tenants find the electric storage heaters expensive to run and inconvenient to use," said Sam Sykes, Head of Asset Strategy at Chevin.  "The new air source heat pumps are much more economical and offer a constant, even, temperature throughout the house.

"Gone are the days of arriving home to a cold house or flat and having to heat it from scratch.  The new system keeps the temperature at a constant level and allows each tenant to decide on their preferred setting through a thermostat."

Tenant, Lyndsay Rothery, one of the first to trial the new Ecodans said:  "The new heating system is fantastic.  The electric storage heaters were inefficient and very costly to run so I used to go to bed around 6pm when the weather turned cold, as it was the only way I could keep warm.

"Not any longer though, the new system gives me complete control and I can set the heating to a level that is comfortable for me and every room stays at the same constant temperature.

"I have a few health issues and the new heating system has helped with some of my symptoms.  Being able to keep warm all the time is wonderful and as the Ecodan is so much more economical to run than the old heaters, I don't even have to worry about the bills anymore."

Mitsubishi Electric's Ecodan units harvest renewable low grade energy from the surrounding air and upgrade it into useful heat, which is then used to supply the property with all of its hot water and heating requirements.  The renewable technology is both fuel efficient and low carbon, helping to meet Government targets of substantially reducing the UK's carbon emissions by 2050.

"We think that Lyndsay's experience totally justifies our decision to trial this form of heating and are delighted to be able to fit more heat pumps to our homes," explained Mr Sykes.  "Our belief is that air source heat pumps are a much better solution for our tenants.  They provide warmer homes at a lower cost than the current storage heaters and we hope that other Housing Associations will be encouraged to follow in our footsteps." 

 Mitsubishi Electric’s range of Ecodan air source heat pumps has just received the official backing of the Noise Abatement Society which has awarded a new ‘Quiet Mark’ of approval to the domestic heating product.

The Quiet Mark is a new badge of approval awarded by the Noise Abatement Society to manufacturers of the quietest products currently available and is validated by the Association of Noise Consultants.  Products awarded a Quiet Mark will feature in the on-line directory, launching in January 2011 at www.quietmark.com, to offer a one-stop-shop for consumers.

“More households are discovering the benefits of using air source heat pumps for their home’s heating, but not all systems are the same and not all of them are as quiet as Ecodan,” explains Max Halliwell, Business Development Manager for Mitsubishi Electric’s range of domestic heating products. 

Air source heat pumps are now covered by Permitted Development under new guidance which came into effect at the start of December 2011. However, in order for the installation to be allowed under these planning regulations, it must comply with the MCS020 Planning Standard and this includes strict guidelines on the noise levels that must be achieved.

Ecodan will reliably provide a home’s heating and hot water, all year round and is suitable for a wide range of existing and new-built properties.