Flexenergy supplied 200 metres of pre-insulated pipe to carry heating and boosted cold water between Orkney hospital’s newly built energy centre and the main building.  The hospital is the first Net Zero hospital commissioned in Scotland.

Air to water heat pumps

The hospital is an all-electric building with Solar panels reducing grid reliance. All the hot water and heating is generated with air to water heat pumps with the Flexenergy pipe system carrying the water to keep the patients, staff and visitors comfortable. The hospital puts people first and positively contributes to the environment, local community, and economy.  Now complete, island residents no longer need to travel outside of Orkney for routine care.

The Net-Zero ambitions of NHS Scotland incorporate solar and heat pump technolog.  This could be a model for domestic dwellings as the push towards decarbonisation gathers speed.  Flexenergy has witnessed a 700% increase in heat pump pipework enquiries with a mix of commercial and now domestic dwellings in the past year.   Many contractors and M&E consultants reach out to Flexenergy for guidance on pipe selection and jointing techniques. This change is boosted by the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) grants for domestic heat pump projects in England and Wales.

The Orkney hospital is a blueprint for the future of public buildings in Scotland, with the Scottish Government committed to all public buildings using renewable heat by 2038.

Key to achieving Net-Zero

Renewable energy generation is key to achieving Net-Zero. Developers will build new housing stock across the UK to incorporate a mix of heat pump, solar and battery technologies.  Pre-insulated pipework will play a significant role in this initiative ensuring the water reaches its destination at the optimum temperature. Efficiency and performance is key in heat pump installations with the choice of pipework a contributory factor.

Flexenergy is on hand to advise installers and specifiers on pipeline choice for heat pumps. Get in Touch