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Tredomen Gateway is a multi-tenant office building owned by Caerphilly County Borough Council, with office spaces across three floors and communal facilities on the ground floor. The existing ambient loop heating and cooling system had suffered longstanding performance issues, with the majority of individual heat pump units failing to meet design flow rates due to fouling and poor water condition. Our work spanned initial investigation through to detailed design and client engineer support during construction, delivering a fully decarbonised heating and cooling solution with an estimated 376 tonnes of CO₂e saving over 20 years.
Appointed to investigate the causes of systemic underperformance in tbuildings heating and cooling systems, we identified design and O&M issues. The review progressed to develop a low-disruption remediation solution that would maximise the existing ground source borehole infrastructure. We were subsequently commissioned to deliver Stage 3 detailed design and act as Client Engineer through construction, delivering a fully operational decarbonised heating and cooling system.
Scope
In 2024, we were appointed by Caerphilly County Borough Council to undertake an initial investigation of the existing ambient loop heating and cooling system at Tredomen Gateway, including a review of the existing system, market review of heat pump chiller units, capacity assessment, water condition analysis, and options appraisal covering heating and cooling demand modelling, alternative system options, and outline tenant billing arrangements.
We developed a concept design and carbon and cost assessment for three remediation options - with a recommendations for the optimal solution. We were reappointed to undertake full RIBA Stage 3 detailed design - specifying, procuring, and overseeing installation and provided Client Engineer and project management support throughout construction and commissioning.
Services
Review of Existing Heating and Cooling System, Options Appraisal, Energy Modelling, Carbon & Cost Assessment, Concept Design, RIBA Stage 3 Detailed Design, Equipment Specification & Procurement, Client Engineer, Construction & Commissioning Support.
Solution
By retaining the existing borehole infrastructure, we minimised capital cost and disruption while delivering a fully decarbonised heating and cooling solution. Installing 60 reversible water-to-air heat pumps that took energy from an ambient loop through the building and connected to a closed loop borefield for inter-seasonal energy storage. Two external monobloc ASHPs were added to serve communal underfloor and radiator circuits, hot water and to balance any peak demands in the winter heating periods when the energy in the boreholes had depleted.