EVO 270+ fan coil units specified for heating and cooling at 22 Bishopsgate development
The City of London’s 22 Bishopsgate replaces the tower known as ‘The Pinnacle’ that proposed to be the second tallest European building after The Shard. Construction on The Pinnacle started in 2008 but was abandoned due to the economic downturn in 2012. The unfinished core of the building was subject to numerous redesigns and the final version became known by its address, 22 Bishopsgate, or TwentyTwo.
Designed by PLP Architecture, the twenty-three-side faceted glass that forms the exterior of the building covers one of Europe’s largest office buildings. The 121,000 sqm space, arranged over 62 floors, forms a vertical village, a new workplace concept that offers occupiers everything from a food market, gym, meeting spaces and innovation hub, alongside modern, high quality and flexible office spaces that can be adapted to match an occupier’s growth ambitions. EVO270+ fan coils units (FCUs) were specified to allow this flexibility of the building for futureproofing.
The design of the building and its services infrastructure reflects a key shift in the way we work and live. The creative use of daylight design and 3m high ceilings are 20% taller than standard, enabling increased daylight access into the building. The ample fresh, ambient air that circulates throughout the building also promotes a healthy, stimulating and comfortable environment for occupants. A high level of connected systems and services presents a flexible and efficient setup and offers more control over energy use in the building.
Sustainability was at the heart of the development, with a focus on both embodied and operational carbon emissions. The integration of the large volume of services and aim to deliver BREAAM excellent rating and occupier comfort, without affecting the building’s rentable space was an engineering challenge.
WSP London, known globally for inventive and sustainable engineering solutions, specified the EVO 270+ FCUs to deliver energy-efficient heating and cooling throughout the building. The system is also integrated with an intelligent software platform, enabling the connection of services within the building.
TClarke, the M&E contractor on 22 Bishopsgate, delivered the whole range of building services including multiple transformers and switchboards, 600 distribution boards, 3,000 Ability by Dimplex fan coil units, 12,500 grilles and 163,000m of pipework. They also provided a full range of digital and building management system (BMS) solutions setting new standards of integration for what became the UK’s largest M&E project.
High performing EVO 270+ fan coil complements the energy lifecycle strategy of 22 Bishopsgate
According to the United Nations Environment Program, 28% of global carbon emissions are from a building’s operation and 11% from a building’s embodied carbon (1). These figures support the need to change the way we construct buildings in an effort to achieve the UK’s net-zero carbon ambitions by 2050. From the outset, the aim at 22 Bishopsgate was to reduce both forms of carbon emission.
The 3,000-fan coil unit (FCU) HVAC specification for the development made 22 Bishopsgate the largest fan coil project in London. The size, speed and efficiency of installation were central to the project’s success. Ability FCUs were selected initially for their adaptability in accommodating the use of electronic pressure independent valves (ePIV) which was an integral part of the design. These valves were key. They allowed remote flow rate setting and adjustment, as well as commissioning of all units across a wireless network from a handheld device, such as a phone or tablet. The fan coil units are also relatively simple to install, affording significant additional timesaving at a time-critical stage of the project.
One of the key considerations for manufacturers was the implications of the ePIV size increase when compared to the standard valves. But Evo’s casing, with some adaptations, allowed enough space to incorporate the unique valve. The compact size of the units made them much easier to transport, keeping vehicle movement to and on-site to a minimum.
Ability altered the design of the FCUs standard extended drip tray to accommodate for water ingress from the valve. Also, any condensation which naturally builds up with the use of chilled water systems. This in turn eliminated the need for extensive lagging of pipes, saving on materials, labour and providing better protection for the energy-efficient close cavity facades. The custom design of the units’ electronically commutated (EC) motors, optimised coils and filter options delivered higher performance, increasing the operational efficiency.
The remote access to the valves, facilitated the integration of the FCUs with the smart building management system (BMS) designed by WSP. The BMS uses a Microsoft platform called Azure Digital Twins, which is the building form of their IoT platform. It allows for remote access and scheduling of the building’s systems, such as the HVAC systems, to achieve optimal user comfort and overall energy efficiency. The smart system can provide energy reporting snapshots for various systems. It also includes a data system that examines the way the building operates and suggests changes that would make the energy use more efficient. In case of a fault, diagnostics can be performed remotely, and in some cases, the equipment can be monitored to predict faults and ensure uninterrupted operation.
The BREEAM ‘excellent’ rated building is the largest UK project by number of floors to be registered for WELL certification
The WELL certification scheme looks at seven areas in the building: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. BREEAM ratings also include evaluation of energy, water use, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management processes. To achieve WELL accreditation and BREEAM excellent status, the building and the BMS were innovatively designed with a focus on the benefits to the environment and the occupants.
The intelligent use of space, light and air within the building is vital. The FCUs played an important part in achieving this balance of energy efficiency and user comfort. The closed glass facades allow for increased natural daylight and include user-controlled smart blinds to manage the light transmission and control solar gains in summer and losses in winter. The FCUs work well within this efficient arrangement, providing the optimal amount of additional heating or cooling and fresh air to create a healthy environment at the lowest possible energy cost. All fan coil units underwent extensive Factory Approval Testing (FAT) to provide the thermal and acoustic performance specified for the project. Whilst the EVO 270+ range is renowned for exceptionally low operational noise; the acoustic performance was rigorously tested for application in the space with high ceilings and witness tested. Ability by Dimplex provide full witness testing, a valuable tool for the customer to evaluate the acoustic performance of the fan-coil unit when installed in the live environment.
The connectivity of all systems, including the FCUs, within the building, gives the occupiers the ability to oversee their comfort and energy usage by remotely accessing rooms. Various energy reports also help to arm occupiers with information that allows them to make more sustainable choices in the future.
The high performance of the fan coil units has resulted in the footprint for duty point being significantly reduced. This has the added benefit of providing the occupiers with extra office space. Despite 22 Bishopsgate being 10m shorter than the ‘The Pinnacle’ design, the office space has increased from 88,000 sqm120,000 sqm to 120,000sqm and an additional 4,000 sqm has been created for viewing galleries and a restaurant. This has been achieved by employing an innovative design and specifying the latest technology, which has maximised the income-generating space.
Net-zero carbon strategies in the UK are changing the way we utilise energy in buildings. The health benefits of reconnecting people with nature require our offices and living spaces to provide a healthier environment. We are also increasingly seeing urban heat islands, the effect of long-term heat pollution in metropolitan areas, that require comfort cooling in buildings. The application of smart, energy-efficient cooling technologies in our increasingly thermally efficient buildings is on the upward trajectory, and this is likely to accelerate with increasingly tighter building regulations. The installation of the EVO 270+ fan coils at 22 Bishopsgate proves that designing for net-zero carbon is possible today.
Ability by Dimplex offers a range of fan coil solutions to suit projects of varying sizes in both residential and commercial sectors. Please contact our team of industry specialists who would be happy to help.
(1) https://worldgbc.org/advancing-net-zero/embodied-carbon/