Sustainable end to a 'tall' tale

摘要

A lot has happened since the UK became the first major economy to enshrine Net Zero emissions into law - not least the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on construction. In 2021, as the nation looks to 'build back better', this is a good time to pay greater attention to decisions that can keep the carbon footprint of a build to a minimum -while also including long-term sustainability and cost-reduction for the end user. When constructing tall buildings carbon offset and sustainability challenges tend to grow exponentially and this is where specialist companies can offer the best advice to meet those challenges head on. One way of achieving targets on sustainability and carbon reduction in tall buildings is by pairing heat pumps with an acoustic underfloor heating system rather than using radiators. The consistent ambient temperature within a water-based underfloor heating solution, offers efficient performance at reduced flow temperatures compared to traditional wall radiators, resulting in reduced heating costs. The water heats to a lower temperature, which means that the efficiency of the heat source is improved, as heat is not wasted. Also, as the heating is zonal, it lends itself to precise time and temperature control for each room, and so makes the whole heating system more efficient. The low return temperature also supports the efficient design of community heating systems.