When it comes to commercial heating projects, you’re in safe hands. The Ideal Heating Commercial specification team are here to guide you through your heating project at every stage, making specification simple and stress-free.
With a dedicated team offering nationwide specification assistance, they will work with you to find the perfect fit for your project.
Together, with an extensive range of commercial heating solutions, product availability, and trusted technical expertise – whether it be for a traditional plantroom or hybrid – they can provide you with design and plant selection advice specific to your project.
Richard Brown our Head of Specification answers some industry relevant questions about the commercial heating markets and how they will help us on the journey to net zero.
What is the specification managers role and how has it changed with the push towards net zero?
Ideal Heating Commercial specification managers have invaluable knowledge covering the full range of commercial heating solutions and are able to apply knowledge to assist engineers with finding the best heating solution for their project, wherever it may be in the UK.
Looking back over the years, when heating a building was provided by more traditional appliances there was a lot of experience and knowledge of that type of system. However, with the push towards net zero, reflected in the changes to Building Regulations Part L which require improved energy efficiency and lower temperature heating systems, this has all changed.
We know that to achieve net zero a combination of low carbon heating technologies will be needed, yet knowledge and experience of these is limited. New technology brings new challenges, so early collaboration between the specification manager and design engineer is now imperative. Collaboration is key; it's the only way we’re going to achieve net zero. Ultimately though, our role remains to help engineers through the design process.
How have Ideal Heating Commercial adapted to the market changes?
As is the case with design engineers, it is important for us as a leading manufacturer to rise to the challenges in the market and play our part in the net zero journey.
Significant investment in low carbon commercial heating technology has been made at Ideal Heating, resulting in a full suite of energy efficient appliances. These comprise commercial heat pumps - including the latest ECOMOD 290HT and ECOMOD CO2 & CO2Q natural refrigerant models with ultra-low GWP - and the POD Heat Interface Units (HIU) for district heating systems.
A combination of low carbon heating technologies will be needed to achieve net zero, so we have ensured our commercial products are compatible and can work efficiently in a hybrid system set up. A hybrid system essentially has heat pumps as the primary heating system, with gas boilers as the ‘top up’ at times when there is high demand or external temperatures are particularly low. Our Evomax 2 and Imax Xtra 2 commercial boilers are ideal for a hybrid system as a higher modulation ratio can be achieved, so gas usage is far more efficient. This hybrid approach is receiving a lot of interest from customers as it helps them cost-effectively bridge the gap between reliance on fossil fuel burning boilers and low carbon heat pumps. The focus must be ensuring hybrid systems offer the best possible carbon saving whilst at the same time enabling older buildings to join the net zero journey.
With heating technology changing what does the future plantroom look like?
The big difference is where we are now positioning plant as we potentially move from inside the plant room to outside. This can bring a new set of challenges, such as where to locate heat pump units where they can perform most effectively yet remain discreet and be easily accessible for maintenance at the same time. Being installed externally also means noise has become a consideration too, which wasn’t such an issue when all plant was inside.
Having said this, whilst we are transitioning away from gas to electricity, gas boilers will remain for many years to come - including as a back-up in a hybrid system - so the plantroom of the immediate future is likely to look very familiar.
Technology and system design is rapidly evolving; where do you see the manufacturer fitting into the design process?
The Ideal Heating Commercial specification managers are finding themselves heavily involved with projects far earlier than we ever used to, which is important. Heat pumps are a very different technology to traditional appliances. These systems can be complex, and the design time consuming; there’s no one size fits all solution.
With many years of heating system design experience, we can bring a wealth of knowledge to the design process. The sharing of knowledge has never been more important than now, and it is great to see engineers collaborating with us early as this can ensure the smooth running of a project. I believe the industry, as a whole, can benefit from the sharing of design knowledge and experiences. The more we share, the faster we can move forward.
What commercial product training is available from Ideal Heating Commercial?
We have a long history of offering educational CPDs covering the latest industry developments, as well as providing commercial product training delivered by our Expert Academy training team.
We’ve made significant investments in our Centres of Excellence training facilities, and we have expanded the type and breadth of our commercial courses.
In 2024, we were delighted to receive the BESA award for Training Provider of the Year, placing a spotlight on the increased need for training and skills within the industry.
Our range of CIBSE-approved CPDs focus on subjects such as refrigerants, heat pumps and heat networks all designed to provide customers with the knowledge they need to successfully specify and design commercial heating systems. In 2024, the specification team delivered over 1900 CPDs at customer premises, key industry events, and through BESA’s online platform, a major achievement that we are all very proud of.
Commercial product training courses are available at our state-of-the-art training centres in Hessle, Leeds, and Dalgety Bay, plus the recently opened Luton. All these premises have been completely refurbished and have Ideal Heating commercial products on display, so attendees can get hands-on training.
Our nationwide facilities are all approved BPEC, BESA and City and Guilds assessment centres so you can be assured we maintain high standards of quality and consistency.
Find out about more about the Ideal Heating commercial specification team.
Whether you’re designing for a new build or retrofit, the specification managers at Ideal Heating not only have the best engineering solution to meet your needs, but they also have the technical knowledge to help at each stage of the design. With a dedicated team offering nationwide specification assistance, we will work with you to find the perfect fit for your project. Speak with our specification managers today: [email protected]