District Heating System and Building Management System review and optimisation

JRP identified many opportunities to improve efficiency and beneficially extend the system.

Summary

Lancaster University is in the top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2024 and consistently placed in the top 15 in major UK league tables. They also rank highly in international league tables such as the QS World Rankings, have over 16,000 students and plan to be carbon net-zero by 2035.

JRP was appointed to carry out a health check of Lancaster University’s Building Management System (BMS) which highlighted that their District Heating System (DHS), aged over fifty years, was not operating efficiently.  In addition, the university required feasibility studies into the extension of the DHS and the separation of generation and distribution.

Results

Numerous opportunities were identified for improving the efficiency of the DHS involving improved insulation and changes to: BMS control, variable speed drives, pumping, valves and the geometry of hydraulic systems.  

DHS heat generation and distribution separation was recommended at a budget cost under £300,000 with an annual cost-saving in excess of £200,000.  The Infolab 21 Building DHS extension was recommended at a budget cost under £140,000 with an annual cost-saving of £28,000.  It was also concluded that the system could be beneficially extended to other buildings on the campus to improve the utilisation of the plant and infrastructure.

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