As award-winning M&E specialists, we specialise in refurbishing plant rooms and replacing ageing heating systems with heat pump technology, reducing reliance on gas and oil-fired boilers.

Commissioned by the London Borough of Southwark through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, we worked across 17 Church of England schools to remediate air source heat pump installations that had previously been completed incorrectly.

Heat pumps are a lower-emission alternative to fossil fuel heating. They extract energy from the air, ground or water around a building and convert it into heat for space heating and hot water.

Appointed as principal contractor on the project, we delivered more than the regular M&E scope. We made each site compliant and completed the enabling works required to support the safe, effective operation of the new systems.

Working during term time and in school holidays, our team excavated and disposed of existing pipework before installing new pipe runs and valves. This ensured the heat pumps could operate as designed and deliver a more efficient, lower-carbon solution.

We also installed a new Building Management System (BMS) panel, enabling remote monitoring and control of conditions across each school. This allowed temperature points to be adjusted without the need for on-site intervention. The system was configured so the heat pumps activated when temperatures fell below target levels, supplementing heat from existing boilers without increasing boiler demand.

According to the Carbon Trust, heat pumps in England can use 55 to 65% less carbon than an A-rated gas boiler, rising to 100% when powered by fully renewable electricity. The addition of the BMS helped stabilise day-to-day performance and supports improved energy efficiency over the long term.