Stephen Perse Cambridge, Dame Bradbury’s School
Heating system replacement for an independent school
Client: Stephen Perse Cambridge
Status: Completed
OVERVIEW
Dame Bradbury’s School is part of the Stephen Perse Cambridge family, as an independent junior school and nursery in Saffron Walden, Essex. As part of a previous energy masterplan project with the Stephen Perse Cambridge, JGC had identified opportunities to implement multiple decarbonisation projects at the site, including the replacement of the main oil boilers with modern condensing gas boilers for improved efficiency, re-supply of a smaller existing gas boiler system with an air-source heat pump system, and replacement of an inefficient centralised hot water system with localised electric water heaters.
The existing centralised oil boiler system in the main building plant room was replaced with a modern condensing gas boiler equivalent. The improved efficiency of the gas boiler system has significantly reduced the school’s scope 1 carbon emissions and annual energy costs. At the same time as the boiler replacement works, the school’s catering equipment was converted from natural gas to a fully electric kitchen, freeing up capacity on the gas meter to supply the new heating system.
The gas boiler system serving the Vellacott building, constructed in the 1990s, was nearing the end of its life and due for replacement. A heat pump capable of running at high temperatures was installed to re-serve the building, allowing existing pipework and radiators to be retained internally. Weather compensation was introduced to improve system efficiency.
Our previous work for the organisation had identified efficiency losses from the existing centralised hot water system as a substantial source of unnecessary energy wastage at the site. Electric water heaters were installed to supply hot water to outlets in WCs and classrooms, taking these areas off the centralised system. To re-supply kitchen areas, a dedicated hot water storage system, consisting of a primary air source heat pump cylinder and a backup electric immersion coil cylinder, was installed. The school also undertook plumbing alterations to kitchen outlets to reduce daily hot water consumption.