Showersave, part of The Keystone Group, has collaborated with TClarke and Hillingdon Council to install its Multivert Waste Water Heat Recovery (WWHR) technology at the Platinum Jubilee Leisure Centre, helping to reduce the energy required to produce hot water.
The Platinum Jubilee Leisure Centre is Hillingdon Council’s newest leisure facility. Operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), it offers state-of-the-art facilities including a 25-metre swimming pool, training pool, splash zone and gym.
As one of the most energy-intensive types of public buildings, leisure centres face significant energy demands, particularly when it comes to heating water. Maintaining standard indoor pool temperatures requires a continuous thermal load, while hot water used in changing room showers creates a significant additional demand.
With this in mind, the new leisure centre was designed as a modern, energy-efficient building with the ambition of becoming carbon negative over its lifetime.
As part of the centre’s commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, Showersave’s Multivert system was installed to reduce the energy required to heat water for the centre’s 20 showers.
Designed specifically for high-demand commercial applications, the Multivert system incorporates four QB1-12 WWHR units. It recovers heat from wastewater generated by the showers and uses it to preheat incoming cold mains water before it reaches the calorifier tanks.
By reusing heat that would otherwise be lost down the drain, the system provides a passive way to reduce the centre’s hot water energy load.
The Multivert system is designed to simplify installation, requiring no specialist access equipment, height-related health and safety procedures or specialist training. Once installed, it provides continuous energy savings without affecting the building’s aesthetics or the user experience.
Offering up to a 35-40 per cent reduction in the energy required to heat shower water, the system can also help to reduce CO2 emissions by recovering waste heat that would otherwise be lost.
Multivert can integrate with all low-carbon technology, including PV systems, and once installed, is extremely low maintenance, offering long-term reliable performance suitable for public-sector facilities.
Ross McIntosh, Project Engineer at TClarke, said: “Showersave’s Multivert proved to be the most robust and fit-for-purpose solution for the project. It was straightforward to install and provides an effective, simple method of improving energy efficiency by recovering heat from shower wastewater and reusing it to preheat incoming cold water.”
Cameron Loggenberg, Technical Manager at Showersave, added: “This project demonstrates how Waste Water Heat Recovery can help high-demand commercial buildings reduce the energy required to produce hot water by recovering heat that would otherwise simply be lost down the drain.
“Reducing hot water energy demand can also have wider implications when heating and hot-water systems are being designed. Depending on the project, incorporating WWHR before equipment is specified may enable the capacity required from a heat pump or hot-water system to be reduced, potentially lowering associated capital and running costs.
“Showersave systems are especially effective in buildings with high and consistent levels of shower use. Increased shower activity creates greater opportunities for heat recovery, maximising both energy efficiency and the associated financial savings.”
As a specialist in Waste Water Heat Recovery, Showersave provides systems for residential and commercial applications, including high-demand environments such as leisure centres, hotels, student accommodation, healthcare and care facilities.
For more information on Showersave’s Waste Water Heat Recovery solutions, call 028 9334 4488, email sales@showersave.com or visit www.showersave.com.
Showersave is an Industrial Associate of CIPHE, to see the full list of associates check out the CIPHE industrial associates directory