Issue 42 summer 24 web - Flipbook - Page 25
The next part of the process is deciding which system or
systems you want to electrify. Lighting is the easiest to
improve the efficiency of and with modern LEDs that
closely mimic the light output and colour of older, less efficient, light sources there is no issue with re-employing
heritage light fittings if they still exist. It also saves on the
embodied carbon of those luminaires as well as retaining
the services history of the building.
the design of any proposed installation, whether on the
building or within its setting, will need to be properly
assessed and the impact on the building’s significance
evaluated before permission is applied for. New advice on
all aspects of a solar array installation on a heritage building can be found on the Historic England website https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/buildingservices-engineering/installing-photovoltaics/
Heating is the next obvious choice to electrify but is not
as relatively straight forward as changing lamp types.
To ensure that right solution is chosen for a building it is
recommended that the building’s heat loses and required
peak heating load are calculated by an accredited professional engineer. These calculations along with the way the
building is used and maintained will assist in ensuring that
new plant is correctly sized, which is very important for a
heat pump installation, if that is the alternative technology being considered. HM Government has provided a
website where you can check to see if heat pump technology is the best solution for your building. This can be
found on https://www.gov.uk/check-heat-pump .
Another aspect of electrification is what to consider if you
wish to install an off-street electric vehicle (EV) charger
within the curtilage of or on an historic building. If the
charging point is to be fixed to a heritage building, then
listed building consent is likely to be required. The charger
should be installed in a discreet location wherever possible
with due care for other associated electrical services. If
groundwork and excavation is required to install a charging point, then any potential archaeological impact should
be considered and if necessary, expert advice sought
before work starts.
As with any electrical installation an appropriate maintenance and repair regime should be in place as just with
other more familiar heating and supply systems, they are
not ‘fit and forget’. Regular servicing and inspections and
knowing when to call in a professional are vital. Again,
as with all other aspects of installations the repair, maintenance, testing and inspections should only be carried
out by appropriately qualified and registered companies
and engineers.
It is vital that the design and installation of any system
that forms part of an electrification scheme is carried out
by suitably qualified and experienced professional and/or
a member of appropriate trade body. It is not recommended that an installation should solely rely upon the
information and guidance given by equipment suppliers.
There are also organisations that can assist with general
help and guidance such as the Heat Pump Association
https://heatpumps.org.uk and the British Photovoltaic Association https://www.buildingcentre.co.uk/product_finder/company/british-voltaic-association-bpva .
Before any work is carried out it is necessary to establish
the present capacity of the electrical supply into the building. Any electrification of heating systems, along with
things like electric vehicle charging and changing appliances over to their electrical equivalent, will impact the
size of supply needed. Also, depending upon the type of
equipment installed it may be necessary to have a three
phase 400-volt supply installed instead of the normal single phase, 230-volt supply that most domestic buildings
and churches have. Information on this can be obtained
from your local Distribution Network Operator (DNO)
or alternatively your electricity supplier.
Where heat pumps and other technologies such as solar
PV, wind and battery storage are being installed at a
location with an existing electrical connection you must
inform the appropriate DNO. The Energy Networks
Association have produced a useful flow diagram on the
connection process for both heat pumps and electric
vehicle charge points and can be found here
https://www.energynetworks.org/industry-hub/resource-library/low-carbon-technologies-combined-installation-processflow-chart.pdf .
Obviously installing a solar panel array can assist with
offsetting the additional electrical requirements however
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