Royal Mills Apartments
Gas Fired Boilers
Royal Mills Atrium
Royal Mills Apartments
Contract Value: £625,000.00
Timescale:
Apr 05 - Nov 05
Client:
Barratt Electrical M&E
Finance Provided By: ING Real Estate
As part of the £85 million redevelopment project, Vital Energi has designed and installation a new heating network that will distribute heat and hot water to the Mills’ 185 apartments.
"Our vision for Royal Mills has been about creating a thriving and sustainable community in a mixed development, of appeal to residents, visitors and businesses"
Ian Pearce, chief executive of ING Real Estate
Royal Mills is located in Ancoats, on the eastern edge of Manchester City Centre and this project is part of a wide-scale urban regeneration programme focused on the revival of the eastern quarter of Manchester City Centre. The development involves sensitively restoring and revitalising four of Manchester’s most important spinning mills from an era when Ancoats was the epicentre of the global cotton industry. In fact there are historic connections with the Mills’ and Vital Energi. Over a century ago, Vital’s head office in Bolton was once a bleach works. Thread was processed and dyed on the premises and was then transported to the Mills in Manchester for spinning. The Mills retains the industrial heritage and architectural features as the original façades of the buildings are being preserved, but alsocombines leading edge design, engineering and construction techniques both inside and out creating high-tech, high spec inner city living.
Once complete, the site will feature another 100 apartments, 80,000 sq. ft. of commercial space, as well as a restaurant, bars and cafes. At the heart of the development is a magnificent 20 sq. m. glazed atrium built in the original central courtyard. Working for locally based contractor Barratt Mechanical & Electrical, Vital Energi has played a key role in the sustainable regeneration of Manchester’s Royal Mills project.
As part of the £85 million redevelopment project, Vital Energi has designed and installation a new heating network that will distribute heat and hot water to the Mills’ 185 apartments. This system comprises Logstors brand leading pre-insulated pipe system to reduce heat loss during distribution. The network’s above the ground piping utilises a Mapress system, which uses compression to connect pipes, as opposed to soldering or threading. This reduces installation times and costs, while increasing safety during construction as there is no fire risk from soldering.
The CH network utilises heat from one CHP Engine and two boilers housed in an energy centre designed by Vital Energi. The CHP unit supplies hot water to commercial offices and apartments whilst at the same time provides ‘background’ power for the landlords area and business centre. Sustainability and preservation were key factors in the redevelopment of the Royal Mills. The CH network helps Royal Mills realise these objectives through the reduction of excessive energy loss, often incurred through inefficient heat distribution. In the longterm, this will help improve the project’s environmental compliance, while increasing the Mills’ appeal to residents, businesses and visitors.
To maximise energy efficiency, all residential apartments are fitted with ‘Vital Aqua Varm’ hydraulic interface units, which take the heat from the energy centre through a heat exchanger. The control components serving the hot water and central heating systems gives increased control over when and how much hot water can be used. The addition of the ‘Vital Aqua Varm’ units reduces excessive energy consumption, while providing a reliable, immediate and replenishable supply of heat and hot water.
Conclusion
Following completion of the scheme which also included commissioning of all equipment installed, Vital Energi have been appointed by the managing agents for the development to undertake operation and maintenance of all the equipment installed.
