Our work began with a comprehensive survey of the cathedral and its surrounding properties to understand how gas and electricity are currently used across the estate. This process allowed quantification of the heating demand for each building, enabling the development of outline proposals for how heat could be best resupplied through the deployment of replacement low-carbon heat sources. The study's outcomes helped identify opportunities to implement a long-term decarbonisation plan by quantifying which projects are most likely to have the greatest impact on overall emissions.

As an extension of our initial appointment, JGC produced an ‘Easy Wins’ appraisal of their existing buildings to help identify fabric and MEP improvements that could be implemented simply and cost-effectively in the short term. The age and historical significance of most of the properties present significant challenges; however, such opportunities for short-term improvement have enabled the Cathedral to begin implementing immediate, impactful changes at an early stage of its decarbonisation roadmap.

JGC is currently investigating opportunities to decarbonise the cathedral itself, including re-examining a century-old heating system to determine how it could be best adapted to work alongside low-carbon heat sources. We are also exploring possible locations and configurations for new heating systems to improve comfort in the cathedral whilst minimising the potential impact on the architecture, archaeology and heritage of such a significant building.

Alongside this, JGC has completed a series of detailed surveys and proposals for the remainder of the cathedral’s estate to develop more targeted implementation plans for each location. A key driver behind this work is to ensure that a robust re-provision strategy is in place to enable the Cathedral to plan for these works ahead of time, so that there is an agreed strategy already in place in the event that the currently installed boiler system were to fail and require immediate replacement.