We were appointed by the largest print company in the Midlands to provide heat recovery installation at its production facility.

The project centred on reducing the cost of heating their factory, while also complying with the relevant legislation for buildings.

The buildings were poorly insulated and supplied with gas-fired heating, scoring very low on the EPC grade, making for sub-optimal conditions

The work, designed to improve energy efficiency, also strengthened our own commitment to sustainability by using repurposed equipment from one of our previous heat recovery installations.

Challenge

The work took place in a busy production facility and within a live environment, meaning it was vital to minimise any disruption to the operations.

The process of heat recovery involves capturing the heat that would otherwise be lost and redirecting it to support energy requirements in other processes.

On this project, we installed existing heat exchangers and control panels taken from a now closed site that we had worked on previously with another project. The management system therefore needed to be modified to suit the new sites layout and heating requirements.

This created practical and technical challenges. Existing drawings and layouts had to be interpreted and adapted by our design team, with the system modified so it could serve the new site effectively. The installation also required roof-level works, including modifications to the original exhaust stack, the addition of a new stack and the installation of dampers to control and modulate the recovered heat.

Because of this safety was another important consideration with the roof works requiring compliant access arrangements, including scaffold, edge protection and an access platform, as well as a walkway to reach the working areas safely.

Solution

The adapted and newly installed system captures the hot gases from the printing press ovens and redirects them through the heat exchanger. The recovered heat is then transferred into water and distributed through the pipework to fan heaters positioned across the facility, allowing warm air to be circulated and heat the factory. This solution makes better and more sustainable use of the energy already being generated on site.

For it to be effective across the facility, we modified their current site configurations, including adapting the ductwork, installing a new exhaust route, incorporating dampers and modifying the control systems. Additional pumps, fans, pipework and control equipment were also integrated to support the new installation.

The heat recovery arrangement was divided across two large areas of the site. One section was set up to serve three buildings, while the other was configured to heat a further four buildings.

We also undertook the client’s electrical works, showcasing our ability to manage both the mechanical and electrical sides to any project in-house. It is part of the coordinated turnkey M&E solution we provide, bringing together multiple disciplines to adapt, install and connect systems, including on heat recovery projects of any scale. This approach reduces the risk of systems not being joined up, saving the client time and money, while providing the clarity of one joined-up team responsible for delivery.

Results

Our work has provided the client with a heat recovery system which makes productive use of heat that would otherwise be lost from the printing process.

By capturing this waste heat and redistributing it around the facility as opposed to a reliance on gas-fired boilers, it has resulted in a solution that allows optimum conditions, while supporting energy efficiency, improve the EPC grade, be compliant with building legislation and create cost savings that we expect to see pay back in approximately 18 moths.

This project also demonstrates our own sustainability credentials, recycling and repurposing existing equipment that was no longer required elsewhere to be used in a new industrial setting.

Conclusion

This project highlights our ability to combine sustainability, technical adaptation and turnkey M&E delivery in a live industrial environment.

With responsibility for the mechanical, electrical, controls, ductwork, pipework and access elements, we provided a coordinated solution designed seamlessly around the realities of a busy working factory.

If you want to explore how we can improve your energy efficiency, reduce your reliance on fossil fuels and reduce your costs, get in touch.