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This project involved a three-storey library building which was constructed in 1971 and extended in 1990.
Clifford Whitworth Library
Project outline
This project involved the Clifford Whitworth Library, a three-storey library building which was constructed in 1971 and extended in 1990. Three centralised non condensing gas fired boilers were installed each rated at 489 kW and these generated low temperature hot water for the various heating emitters and ventilation services within the building.
Five years of empirical gas data for the building demonstrated that only 3% of this period did the gas load exceed 300 kW but a maximum demand of 855 kW during a 15-minute gas interval. It was therefore concluded that the building could operate with a minimum of two gas boilers and a one lead heat pump. The empirical gas data from 2019 indicated that an air source heat pump with a capacity of160 kWth would meet approximately 96% of the building’s annual heating load. (N.B. The empirical gas data was reviewed by Clearlead Consulting Ltd.)
Project outcomes
During the detailed design phase, conducted by Kelly & Knight, four 50 kWth heat pumps were selected with a combined capacity of 200 kWth. The surplus heating capacity was included to allow for system redundancy and the slight reduction in heat pump performance during adverse weather conditions.
In conjunction with the new heat pumps, new combined energy and flow metering valves were integrated to the primary and secondary heating circuits to monitor the energy consumption and dynamically adjust the low temperature hot water heating flow rates to match system demand thereby maximising energy efficiency.
Previous energy improvements to the building included LED lighting upgrades and the installation of a highly insulated roof . Kelly & Knight Consulting Engineers designed the new internal lighting scheme in 2017 and assisted with the roof insulation project in 2021. The roof area is approximately 1790 m2 and was reinsulated to provide an average U value of 0.15 w/m2 K. The thermal properties of the 1990 extension walls were improved as part of the 2023 decarbonisation project.
In addition to the heat pump installations, approximately 120MWh/year of photovoltaic panels were installed on the newly insulated library roof as part of the decarbonisation project. This included integration with the building’s existing electrical infrastructure.
Project Summary
–– Services ––
Design & Drawings
–– Sector ––
Higher Education
The 2017 Library Project Won the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Project of the Year Award. Read more about this award winning project and see photos of the refurbishment click here.
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