Efficient heating is essential for commercial buildings, directly impacting energy bills, occupant comfort, and environmental performance. As a building manager or facilities manager, understanding which heating system is right for your property can feel complex, especially with the introduction of heat pump technology.
In this guide, we explore the most common heating systems for commercial buildings — commercial boiler systems and heat pumps, and commercial heating systems — and introduce Ideal Heating Commercial’s solutions that support smarter building management.
1. Commercial Boiler Systems
Commercial boilers are known for their high output, ease of control and consistent heating performance. Whether for offices, schools, hotels or healthcare facilities, a modern condensing boiler system delivers reliable space heating with high energy efficiency.
At Ideal Heating Commercial, our two most popular boiler ranges are:
- Evomax 2: The UK’s number one wall-hung commercial boiler with outputs from 30kW to 150kW. It’s highly efficient and is now available with a market-leading 10-year warranty (T&Cs apply).
- Imax Xtra 2: A floor-standing boiler system with outputs up to 280kW, that is small enough to fit through standard doorways.
Require higher outputs? Both boiler ranges can be cascaded to achieve outputs up to 900kW using six Evomax 2 boilers in commercial cascade, and up to 1120kW using four Imax Xtra 2 boilers in cascade. As well as higher outputs, a cascade system offers greater energy efficiency.
2. Heat Pumps for Commercial Buildings
Heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular in commercial heating due to their energy efficiency and lower carbon emissions. They work by extracting ambient heat from the air outdoors and transferring it into your building, making them an excellent solution for decarbonising heating systems.
Our ECOMOD commercial heat pumps provide a powerful, low-carbon option and are especially effective in hybrid systems, where a heat pump works alongside a commercial boiler for maximum flexibility and performance throughout the year. They are available with synthetic and natural refrigerants, with the latter (ECOMOD 290HT and ECOMOD CO2 & CO2Q ranges) having an even lower environmental impact thanks to their ultra-low global warming potential and high efficiency.
Discover more about commercial heat pumps here.
How to Choose the Best Heating System for Your Commercial Building
Whether, as a building manager , you have responsibility for specifying a particular heating system, or would just like to be in a position to contribute to the decision making process, it is important to have an understanding of the different types of commercial heating systems readily available to you, along with the key aspects that will need to be considered when evaluating what heating system is best suited to your property and the needs of its users. Consider the following:
- Size and layout of your building
- Peak heating and hot water loads; are there times of day / night when greater heating or hot water are required, such as early evening in hotels when guests are bathing?
- Energy efficiency goals and decarbonisation plans
- Existing heating infrastructure; this includes radiators and their size as, if you are looking to transition to a heat pump, larger radiators are generally required.
- Ease of maintenance and future scalability; what is access like to the plant room or to a future external heat pump? Are there plans to extend the building or increase its occupant numbers or usage?
Ideal Heating Commercial has a team of nationwide experts who can help you plan and select the optimal solution. From commercial gas boilers to low-carbon heat pumps, our systems are built to deliver performance and reliability across all building types.
Need guidance on the best heating solution for your building? Contact our team for tailored support.