Significant Performance Improvement
Resident-Centric Solutions
Effective Stakeholder Collaboration
Background
The project includes a large-scale mixed-use project in London, comprising of private and social housing dwellings, including both apartments and townhouses. The development is currently heated by a 4MW central plant, with plans to increase capacity further. Residences are equipped with twin plate Heat Interface Units (HIUs), delivering hot water and space heating via radiators or underfloor heating, depending on the property type.
As one of London’s largest residential developers, the client is committed to ensuring high-quality heat network performance and resident satisfaction.
Challenge
System Design Issues:
Tight pipe sizing and high design radiator temperatures led to poor return temperatures, risking inadequate heating and hot water supply during peak winter periods.
Commissioning Variability:
With multiple developers contributing to the project, varying levels of expertise and standards resulted in inconsistent system performance and resident comfort.
Resident Comfort Concerns:
Initial testing revealed multiple issues, including:
- Slow hot water delivery.
- Scalding hot water temperatures.
- Temperature instability and excessive tap flow rates.
- Inadequate underfloor heating protection.
FairHeat Solution
FairHeat’s Quality Assurance team was engaged to conduct acceptance testing and identify commissioning and design-related issues. Their approach included:
Acceptance Testing:
The Quality Assurance team conducted a round of acceptance testing across the development to evaluate system performance. This process assessed key metrics such as hot water delivery times, return temperatures, tap flow rates, and temperature stability. Each issue was documented, categorised, and prioritised for resolution.
Commissioning Support:
FairHeat collaborated directly with the contractors and commissioning teams to resolve identified issues. By providing detailed feedback and clear technical guidance, they ensured that the teams could implement corrective measures effectively. This included:
- Adjusting HIU settings to optimise performance and reduce high return temperatures.
- Reconfiguring underfloor heating protection devices for better temperature control.
- Identifying and addressing causes of scalding water temperatures and tap instability.
Design Insights:
Beyond commissioning fixes, the Quality Assurance team identified several issues stemming from the original design. By differentiating these from commissioning errors, they provided the client with actionable recommendations to improve the system’s overall functionality. This clarity helped avoid misattribution of problems and established a more productive relationship between stakeholders.
Stakeholder Collaboration:
FairHeat acted as a bridge between the client, developers, and contractors, creating a collaborative environment. This fostered a shared commitment to achieving high standards of performance and ensuring long-term success for the heat network.
Results
FairHeat’s involvement in the project delivered substantial improvements in the performance and reliability of the heat network. Initially, acceptance testing revealed that only 38% of the tested parameters met the required standards, with many of the passes limited to standby functionality. However, after implementing FairHeat’s recommendations and collaborating closely with the commissioning team, this figure rose to 88%, reflecting a significant enhancement in system quality.
These improvements translated directly into better experiences for residents. Key improvements included faster hot water delivery, stable tap temperatures, and reduced scalding risks. By distinguishing between design flaws and commissioning issues, FairHeat enabled efficient resource allocation, minimising unnecessary redesigns and delays.
The project also demonstrated the value of clear communication and collaboration. By fostering clear communication between the client, developers, and contractors, FairHeat created a cooperative environment that supported the adoption of their recommendations. The success of this phase has established a strong foundation for future stages of the development, equipping the client with actionable insights to standardise best practices across other projects.
Acceptance testing pass rates improved from 38% to 88%, reflecting a substantial enhancement in system reliability and functionality.
Enhanced hot water delivery times and stable temperatures significantly improved resident comfort..
Clear communication among stakeholders facilitated for differentiating between design and commissioning issues which ensured efficient and actionable solutions.
Recommendations
- Engage Heat Network Specialists Early: Involve specialists during the design phase to review and optimise the system, minimising potential issues in commissioning and operation. Early collaboration ensures alignment with best practices and regulatory standards.
- Standardise Commissioning Processes: Establish consistent standards and protocols for commissioning across all phases of development, particularly in multi-developer projects. This helps ensure uniform performance and reduces variability in outcomes.
- Design for resident comfort: Focus on designing heat networks with resident comfort in mind, addressing factors like hot water delivery speed, temperature stability and energy efficiency. This reduces complaints and contributes to overall satisfaction.
- Monitor and Optimise System Performance: Conduct regular acceptance testing and system monitoring to identify and address performance gaps. Utilise data-driven insights to continuously improve the system’s efficiency and reliability.
- Encourage Stakeholder Collaboration: Foster clear and open communication among all stakeholders—developers, contractors, consultants and operators. A collaborative approach ensures smooth implementation of recommendations and shared ownership of outcomes.
- Plan for Scalability and Longevity: Design heat networks with futureproofing in mind, ensuring systems can scale or adapt to upgrades, such as transitioning from temporary to permanent energy centres, without significant disruption or redesign.
- Adopt a Lifecycle Approach: Consider the long-term operation and maintenance of the system during the design and construction phases. This reduces costs, improves performance, and ensures a high-quality experience for residents over the network’s lifespan.
