Client: Priority Sites
Contractor: EarthEnergy
Type of works: supply of Dimplex ground source heat pumps.

A business park on the south Cornish coast with a high level of energy efficient features to provide cost savings for occupiers, has included Dimplex ground source heat pumps in its specification – and quickly achieved its renewable energy targets.

The Falmouth Business Park, a development from Priority Sites – a joint venture between Royal Bank of Scotland and English Partnerships – consists of 10 one and two-storey units giving 24,000 sq ft of self contained offices. Robert Churchill, Priority Sites Senior Project Manager, says: “Installing the Dimplex ground source heat pumps was a really cost effective way for us to achieve the renewable energy targets set as part of the planning consent for the site.

“We are introducing features that are more usually associated with larger scale commercial developments but which will be important in helping to lower the carbon footprint of these premises in Falmouth. Out of the 10 units, six obtain heating from the heat pumps giving us 43% renewable energy usage at a stroke.”

The development has a number of environmentally friendly initiatives, as well as the Dimplex ground source heat pumps, such as rainwater harvesting for flushing the toilets. The units have achieved a very high EPC rating, a B grade with scores that exceed the benchmark for buildings of this type.

EarthEnergy, the Dimplex heat pump installer partner recently named Dimplex Installer of the Year, provided the specification for the heat pump installation and carried out the work which included drilling fifteen 80m deep boreholes for the ground source heat collection.

Brian Kennelly, at EarthEnergy, says: “When it comes to a commercial development such as Falmouth Business Park, many developers are keen to invest in microgeneration solutions such as heat pumps, with their low energy costs, in the knowledge they can attract premium rents from tenants. And with energy efficient heating and cooling from a single heat pump system it also means capital investment is optimised.”

Heat pumps produce a significant saving in CO₂ over fossil fuel systems which help towards Building Regulations compliance and heat pumps meet the increasing local authority requirement to incorporate renewable energy in the energy profile of new builds (the Merton Rule). The Falmouth Business Park development has achieved a very good rating from BREEAM (Building Research Establishment environmental assessment method), the most widely used environmental assessment method of buildings.