David Lloyd Clubs, Harrogate: A Clade Project From Start to Finish

David Lloyd Clubs is Europe’s leading premium health and wellness group. We recently worked to replace the gas boiler heating system at its Harrogate club with two of our Rowan R290 commercial air source heat pumps, cutting 254 tonnes of carbon a year from the site.

As well as supplying Clade heat pumps, we designed, installed, commissioned and continue to maintain the entire system, making this a Clade project from start to finish.

The system has also been fully financed through our funding partners, Plug Me In – eliminating the upfront capital investment and servicing costs for the club, in favour of a predictable monthly fee.

The challenge

David Lloyd Clubs, Harrogate is a large and busy site with demanding heat requirements.

Not only is it home to an indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam room, but it also boasts a state-of-the-art gym, indoor tennis courts, a crèche and a variety of studios for fitness classes – all of which have different heating needs to contend with.

The club is also in a residential area, making noise a primary concern.

David Lloyd Clubs wanted to cut 254 tonnes of carbon a year from the site (the equivalent of powering around 390 average UK homes for the same timeframe!) by decarbonising the heating system. This was part of its long-term plan to become carbon neutral across its portfolio.

To make matters even more challenging, the club hoped to achieve all this without any disruption to its members and without any impact on the heating and hot water provision.

At Clade, we’re always up for a challenge, so we were only too pleased to jump in and work with the club to find a solution!

The solution

Rowan heat pumps

To effectively decarbonise the club’s heating system, we installed two Clade Rowan air source heat pumps, each delivering 240kW at 60°C in +7°C ambient temperatures, or an impressive 160kW in -5°C ambient temperatures.

As well as being zero carbon, our Rowan heat pumps contain the natural refrigerant R290, which has an ultra-low global warming potential (GWP) of just 0.02 and an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0.

Controls

The club needed several heating circuits, each with different temperatures and temperature differentials. These all had to be allowed for in the controls.

The entire system is controlled through our Clade Master Controller, which communicates with the club’s existing BMS via BACnet.

Meanwhile, a three-port valve gives great control over the temperature differentials that the heat pumps see, to keep them at the best operating conditions at all times.

Continuous operation

In order to carry out the whole project with no site shut downs or interruptions, we had a permanent site manager coordinating with club staff daily.

We also staged the process so that the gas boilers remained operational right up until the new system was fully commissioned.

After assessing the club’s existing heating system, we found that we were able to keep most of it, including the air handling units, radiators and heat exchangers. By integrating these into the heat-pump-based system with minimal changes, we were able to reduce on-site disruption (and costs!) even further.

Noise

Due to the proximity of the heat pumps to local housing, we needed to minimise their noise levels to meet planning conditions.

This was readily achieved at the planning stage through the introduction of acoustic fencing and some adjustments to the controls to further reduce sound levels at night.

Financing

Replacing a gas-based commercial heating system with a low-carbon heat pump requires significant upfront investment.

At Clade, we recognise that this can be an impediment to organisations, even those genuinely committed to decarbonisation. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Plug Me In to provide a heat-as-a-service offering that can eliminate the upfront cost.

David Lloyd Clubs took full advantage of this offering, paying a single monthly fee to spread out the initial investment and servicing costs. In this way, it was able to move swiftly with its decarbonisation plans in Harrogate.

Key benefits

• Large annual carbon saving – decarbonising the club’s heating system cut 254 tonnes of carbon a year from the site.
• Minimal disruption – we were able to keep the gas boilers operational until the new system was fully commissioned.
• Zero upfront costs – our heat-as-a-service offering through our partner swapped the club’s upfront investment for predictable monthly fees.
• Eco-friendly refrigerant – R290 is a natural refrigerant with an ultra-low GWP and zero ODP.
• One team from start to finish – we’ve owned the project at every stage, from design to commissioning and aftercare, for a smooth customer experience.

“The Clade team were great to work with, they made the process as easy as it could be and did not interrupt our club operations. 

“We’re very pleased with the heat pumps so far, they have been reliable and consistently kept the club warm. We are continuing to work with Clade to optimise the performance over the coming winter period.”

– Lee Manley, Head of Sustainability, David Lloyd Clubs

Conclusion

This case study is a fantastic example of how we at Clade can fully own a project from start to finish.

From the design phase to installation, commissioning, maintenance, and even funding through our partner, we’ve been there every step of the way when it comes to decarbonising David Lloyd Clubs’ Harrogate site – allowing for seamless communication between team members and making the whole process smooth and hassle-free.

Download the PDF to learn more about this project, or get in touch to learn more about how our natural refrigerant heating and refrigeration systems can benefit your organisation.