Alongside installing two 200 kW air source heat pumps to allow for zero carbon on-site energy generation, Vital Energi is upgrading the building fabric of the three-storey Ward Block Building. Constructed in the 1970s, it has poor thermal insulation, and experiences significant heat loss through both the building fabric and glazing units, resulting in higher energy consumption.
The building fabric upgrades have recently been implemented on the west elevation, which has the greatest single external surface of the estate, totalling 2,520 m2. Vital Energi says the work will reduce heat loss, resulting in lower heating bills and carbon emissions, and significantly improve the building’s external aesthetics. Patients and staff will benefit from increased natural light and improved ventilation.
The Vital Energi team is working alongside hospital staff to ensure that clinical services are maintained during the fabric works, and that optimal internal temperatures and air quality conditions are maintained. Work is already well under way, and should be complete by the autumn.
Vital Energi’s account director, Steve Black, explained: “This is our second project for the Trust. The upgrades to the ward block’s external façade and windows are almost complete. The building’s energy efficiency has increased significantly, and the upgrades have also had a strong visual impact.” Jane Money, the Trust’s head of Sustainability, added: “The new insulation and windows to the block will improve comfort for patients, staff, and other users, while saving 575 tonnes of carbon annually.”
The project received grant funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, administered by Salix Finance on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), to replace old gas (oil and coal)-powered heating and hot water systems with low- carbon systems, while reducing the heat requirement through energy efficiency measures.
DESNZ, York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Vital Energi, are delivering the scheme through the Carbon and Energy Fund Framework.
In 2016, Vital Energi designed and retrofitted York Hospital’s existing energy centre, installing a range of energy conservation measures, and guaranteeing the Trust savings of over £12 m in energy costs and over 45,000 tonnes of carbon over the course of the 15-year contract.