Yes!! The retrofit Decarb. of an “aged” Building is a special 21^st Century “Rite of Passage” to be celebrated as “FREE at last from EMISSIONS” after countless decades of bondage to fossil fuels. For our Team engaged in the Analytical Design Concept it is an “Honour of Stewardship” to participate in such a building’s sustainable rebirth.

Ideally, a cleverly engineered design can “harmonise” a balance of “passive” PV & ST panels within a restricted roof area + higher façade elevation. This integration for solar contribution for 3-4 summer months can amplify every Heat Pump’s “active” COP average across the total four Seasons (for a maxed-out SCOP) beyond just a COP.

This professional Analysis, for a thermally “optimized,” holistic System will endure for high performance well into the 22^nd Century (the formulae of thermal physics are unchangeable). Only at 18-25years intervals should a more advanced “plug & play” replacement Heat Pump be needed. If the Analyst Design Team also supervise the System Commissioning & Balancing upon installation, then the shut-down-savings generated from the previous operating fossil fuel costs (across the durability of the H.P.) will be several multiples of the H.P.’s original cost. The Analyst Design Team carries this burden of extra diligence for proven performance to all Clients of Elite & Historic properties.

Our long, half century, of expertise for Retrofit Design Analysis with this Heat Pump technology gives certainty to the Client. It is well proven for every type of “Retrofit” H.P. Application: (incl. for High & Low Temp Heating/Chilling; or Hi-Temp Sanitary Water; & Hi-Lift Lead Chillers) in every climate location: from the Korean winter @-40Celcius to 90+Floor high-rise/high-value Commercial Buildings in USA, Australia & Mid-East Gulf @+45Celcius(as attached 1978 Case Study (Click here to download): ASHRAE’s Hawaii Chapter 2009 magazine by Allan S. Lloyd P.E., ASHRAE Fellow (HECO-Hawaiian Electric Company) + subsequent Conference & Workshop in Brisbane, Australia.

BUT, each & every Retrofit Decarb. of an “aged” building begins as a Site-Specific Design Vision created from multiple diligent site inspections until a Predesign Concept Analysis can mix & harmonise various renewable energies for a “bespoke” optimised high performance holistic Ren.Energy System that will endure all four Seasons, for decades.

Never, as yet, have any “As Built” drawings been available for our prospective projects. Every metric for each of the building systems have had to be “discovered  & diagnosed” on-site, and often needing the installation of sub-meters  to verify each daily Load Profile versus the Building’s fluctuation in occupational activity & Seasonal Load Demand.

As always, our Retrofit Design Analysis is subservient to the imperatives of the financial mandates of I.R.R. or Net Present Value. It must deliver a design that is so verified that it gives private market Finance total certainty of a motivated return within the timeline. At the same time, this substantial asset as a retrofit upgrade, can be delivered as a “Neutral Cashflow” to the owner/operator of the “aged” building……..plus long-term ownership of  a selected “bespoke” future-proofing durability.

So, our overall focus of Analysis in “Getting Started” is to “work-back” from a final maxed-out Ren.energy design “Vision” outcome from the limitations of the existing building & the gps-location. We make no preference bias for the thermal or electrical devices (Solar PV; Solar Thermal; ASHP or WWHP and/or other) that may integrate as an “optimised combination”. Our sole target is for a self-sustaining highest Ren.energy “combined” solar contribution that can give a trusted proven-yield (“OFF” grid-power) across a full year of four seasons.

1^st STAGE:

Our Predesign Concept Analysis (PCA) is the most critical to the outcome. It is the “Baseline Survey of Facts” (completed after a prior, fee based, Agreement with the Client) that sets-out a well-defined Scope for the first draft possibilities.

Our HQ–Analysts begin with on-line checking of the “aged” building’s Historical context within the GPS location & neighbouring buildings to establish basic facts:

Meteorological Data: 25year NOAA, NASA, ASHRAE, solar radiation; rainfall; ambient; wind;

Site Location: property boundaries; covenants; access routes (for remote locations) local building codes; site restrictions & code regulations for solar PV/ST & H.P. installations;

Water Supply: TDS water quality; aged piping conditions & ground water level;

Electrical Power: stability of grid supply & electrical cabling & supply restrictions;

Land Geo. Status: contour map; google aerial photos & site mapping; flood & erosion risks; soil type & capacity for stored thermal energy (PCM)  tanks above or below ground;

Ren.Energy Incentives: available assisted finance by grants or subsidies for retrofits;

 

At the outset, this PCA (the Baseline Survey), can be approximated by transferring some responsibility to the Client to obtain the below short-list of data for our later verification. A comprehensive Baseline Energy Audit can be included in a later iteration upon a Client’s full & final commitment to the Decarb. retrofit project.

Our Short-list of 4-Key Points requested from the Client:     (Trust but Verify)

• Existing boiler: Installation date; Make & model tag; 36month fossil fuel (CV) & consumption + maintenance records; property heating settings & program protocols; current listed NAV of boiler + ancillary HVAC plant & MEP layout;
• Utility records: 36month electric & water consumption with same period occupancy records; MCB & electrical panel fuse capacity for additional Ren.energy loads; wiring connection conditions;
• Thermal envelope: Existing EPCs & insulation condition throughout; Blower test records for airtightness; Fenestration glazing;
• Indoor Air Quality: Filtration levels & protocols; RH% & Temp. comfort set-points; ACH per ventilation zone; dBA levels & compatibility with H.P. system integration;

2^nd STAGE:

Our ON-SITE Analysts begin verification of “FACTS” by photos, & hand-sketching of dimensions as per:

ON-SITE Exterior Check List:

• Building Orientation: Unobstructed & shadow-free sections of the roof & façade elevations;
• Roof & High Elevations: Structural integrity; age, condition for solar panel installation in all weather & prevailing wind; pitch, orientation & dimensions for AI software options twixt ST & PV to optimize a four seasons solar contribution to H.P. electrotechnology;
• Ground Conditions: Load bearing; drainage; dimensions for above/below ground ancillary plant;
• Fforde-Chamber Location: Spacing; optimum footprint; headroom & orientation;
• Nearby Annex/Basement: Floor-space dimensions; access security

ON-SITE Interior Check List:

• Verification of 4-Key Points: Inspection; discussion; photos & validation of all data;
• Design Options 2^ndary Loops: Integration of downstream data for bespoke client Apps.;
• Bespoke Value-Adding: IAQ ventilation filtration; eradication of mould/bacteria RH/CO2/TVOC/PM2.5/NOX;
• Future-Proofing: eradication of aerosol allergies & virus (infants & elderly) IEQ medical disinfection;

 

The “fact-checking” on downstream secondary loops flow/return wet central heating (rad./emitters), & air-con. Chilling (FCU/AHU) with all piping, fittings & insulation (and decoupled sanitary HW circuits) requires intensive technical knowledge (on LT 40C Heating  & HVAC Chilling). The diagnosis measurements are compiled as documented verification on the above short-list + full photo records & precise measurements. We complete this part of our survey ON-SITE by one of our certified Team Analysts using “evidence-based instrumentation” with careful diligence of data-recording;

It is a cruel reality of Heat Pump engineering, that no matter how excellent is the Retrofit Design Analysis on all the above factors, if the responsible Principal Design Analyst is not on-duty to Supervise the complete System installation, and on-duty for Commissioning & Balancing, then the final Holistic System installation will probably perform with an electrical consumption much higher & more costly than designed (and therefore much lower COP & lower financial savings). The catalogued COP specified in the H.P. manufacturer’s literature has minor relevance (being conducted under “mythical” laboratory conditions)….only the “actual” site conditions of  the System design; installation & method of operation will define true performance of electrical consumption. This is the subject of our next Tech.Tip #4 (it is the M.E.P. layout & hydraulic-break Buffer tanks that will more greatly impact electrical consumption).

 

N.B.   All Designs are engineered in compliance to ASHRAE/CIBSE Standards + Local

Building Regs. & Codes.

[Tech. Thoughts was transcribed by Team Leader David Wilton. The content is protected by Copyright and is not legal to be reused. If you wish to co-operate with our Heat Pump Academy and would like to copy and reuse some parts of our content please use our contact form to make a request.]