Responsible for all elements relating to the design, supply, installation and commissioning of a new energy centre including the above and below ground heat distribution network, Vital Energi’s solution incorporates CHP plant providing on-site generation and distribution of electricity for sales back to the grid, a wood chip fuelled biomass system to provide renewable energy to a level of 10% of the energy demand across the project) together with fuels storage and fuel handling system. The installation also includes gas boilers, thermal store and associated equipment, as well as all pipework distribution and hydraulic interface units, providing increased control over when and how much hot water can be used.

Vital Energi advised the development team in order to produce a design in which space requirement was minimised while complying with all necessary efficiency targets; from fitting the necessary plant within a purpose built underground energy centre to resolving plant movement and positioning restrictions.

Careful consideration was also taken to ensure that future maintenance could be performed with minimal level of nuisance to residents. The use of wood chip in itself proved a particular challenge as the development is situated half a mile from Victoria Station. During the design process Vital Energi needed to consider the amount of wood chip necessary to fuel the biomass boiler, taking into account necessary storage requirements and the need to use as little valuable space as possible.