Over the past decade, the UK Government has viewed District and Communal Heating as one of the key pathways towards decarbonisation, but due to a general lack of regulation this has created a legacy of ill performing sites. Having recognised this issue, funding is now available to assess sites that are under performing via the Heat Networks Optimisation Opportunity (HNOO) and Heat Networks Efficiency Scheme (HNES) .

With a great deal of knowledge and experience in this sector, d3associates has been selected by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), to undertake some of these studies. Typically this includes carrying out a desktop analysis, detailed site surveys, and the production of a baseline performance case for each site. This will feed into a business case that will support targeted future investment and should ensure that District and Communal Heating remains one of the core growth pathways to decarbonising our housing stock.

As part of the drive towards carbon neutrality, it is essential that today’s district energy schemes align with sustainable ambitions by meeting current regulations, while also considering the changing landscape required for tomorrow. Here at d3associates we can support you with your conceptual plans and planning applications to ensure compliance as well as providing recommendations to ensure sustainable energy sources are aligned with the proposed building design, fabric and operation.

To meet the UK’s progressive carbon budget targets and become less reliant on fossil fuels, it is crucial that a more holistic approach is adopted, with regards to energy provision for new build and retrofit schemes. Energy Masterplanning of your local economy can support these ambitions and will ensure full advantage is taken of energy waste streams that might exist; whether they take the form of non-recyclable waste, energy lost from the manufacturing and process industry, or even tapping into local geological energy sources. Once in place, this will provide the foundations of a future-proofed, connected energy eco-system, for existing, planned, and future developments.

The UK has a broad variety of building stock and each has their own unique characteristics in terms of operation and energy efficiency. d3associates has a great deal of expert knowledge across this spectrum and typically provide Condition Surveys as a baseline assessment. Coupled with an Energy Audit, this assists with creating a better understanding of existing energy sources, building mode of use and ultimately informs an Option Study that can be used to provide both techno and economic assessments to move a building towards a Net Zero target.

With District and Communal Energy schemes forming one of the key pathways to decarbonising our buildings, the UK Government has provided a route map, in the guise of the Green Heat Network Fund, that provides a staged approach to potentially convert an idea into a commercialised project. That said, the process is also designed to filter out non-viable schemes at an early stage, so it is essential that robust feasibility studies and conceptual designs are prepared to support planning applications. The vast amount of experience d3associates has amassed on both large and small schemes means we are able to support you at all stages of this process, building a strong case for your scheme and significantly increasing the prospect of success.

We strongly believe that with the benefit of focusing on the early stages of a project, undertaking initial feasibility studies and delivering planning compliant concept designs, this places our team in the best position to then support project realisation and delivery. d3associates Engineers possess many years of experience with network specification and design. Using the latest tools, they’re able to take conceptual designs and work closely with you and related stakeholders to develop a truly holistic detailed specification and design. Their experience means they can also confidently navigate the obstacles that will undoubtedly be encountered along the way, providing the support needed for a smoother project delivery.

As a greater number of projects reach the delivery phase, more are being designed with long term ambitions and developed in a staged approach. There are also schemes where the backbone of the infrastructure is being implemented, with future connectivity not fully determined. We have the capability to model an entire network design hydraulically and carry out an analysis of the design stresses. We can validate the design, via agreed operational assumptions, or determine where design changes and greater resilience may be required. This provides an assurance, to network connected customers, that those obligations for heat supply will be met and sufficient capacity built in for future phases.

District energy systems are one of the key pathways for the UK Government to decarbonise heat and their effective delivery is critical. The d3a team have a broad base of capability that can support your scheme delivery; from assisting with the specification and tender phase, project management and contract administration, through to ensuring compliance with CP1 or metering and billing and ultimately validation of commissioning activities to ensure effective handover.

Here at d3associates, we fully understand the importance of adopting a positive Health and Safety culture and embedding a zero harm approach. The role of Principal Designer is critical in ensuring these aims are met and we have the skills and experience to provide this capability in full accordance with the CDM 2015 Regulations.

Having an Architectural team within our business brings a unique offering to district heating schemes. In addition to the primary and secondary network design capability we are able to offer, our architectural expertise allows us to provide turn key service provision under one roof and adopt a fabric first approach to energy centre design.