Heat Pumps for Schools & Universities
Clade designs, manufactures and installs commercial heat pump systems for schools, colleges and universities across the UK. Using natural refrigerants, CO2 and R290 propane, our heat pumps deliver reliable, low-carbon heating for educational buildings of every size, from primary schools to campuses. Each system is engineered around your building’s heating demand, existing infrastructure and operational requirements.
What Are Heat Pumps for Educational Buildings?
Heat pumps for educational buildings are low-carbon heating systems designed to meet the demands of schools, colleges and universities. They provide space heating – and in some cases hot water – across a range of building types, from individual classrooms to large, multi-building campuses.
In the education sector, they are typically specified as an alternative to traditional gas-based systems, helping institutions reduce operational emissions and align with sustainability targets. Modern heat pump systems are particularly well suited to public sector estates, where long-term energy efficiency, reliability and compliance with evolving environmental standards are key considerations.
Clade’s heat pumps use natural refrigerants, including CO2 and R290 propane, helping to minimise environmental impact and avoid F-gases. Each system is engineered around the site’s specific requirements, ensuring it can support everything from a single primary school to a complex university estate. This tailored approach makes them suitable for both new-build and refurbishment projects.
How Do Heat Pumps Work in Schools and Universities?
A heat pump works by extracting heat from the outside air and upgrading it to a higher temperature for use within the building. This process is driven by a refrigeration cycle, allowing the system to transfer heat rather than generate it through combustion. As a result, heat pumps can deliver consistent heating while using significantly less energy and producing lower carbon emissions than traditional gas systems.
Within schools and universities, the heat pump connects to the building’s heating network to distribute heat across classrooms, lecture halls and shared spaces. Clade’s commercial heat pump range is designed to support these demands at scale, with systems configured to suit different building types and operating requirements. For example, the Elm heat pump can deliver higher flow temperatures, making it suitable for projects where existing heating infrastructure needs to be retained, while other systems in the range are optimised for larger or more complex estates.
Benefits of Using Heat Pumps for Schools and Universities
Heat pumps offer educational buildings a practical route to low-carbon, cost-effective heating without compromising comfort. Designed to meet the demands of large, occupied public buildings, they deliver efficiency, flexibility and long-term reliability.
Benefits of Heat Pumps for Schools and Universities
- Lower carbon emissions: Significantly reduced operational emissions compared to gas boilers, helping schools and universities decarbonise their heating and meet net zero targets.
- Reduced energy costs: High-efficiency heat transfer delivers more usable heat per unit of electricity, lowering running costs across daily and seasonal usage.
- Low noise operation: Clade’s Birch ULN is independently certified to 33 dB(A) at 10 metres, making it the right choice for noise-sensitive environments such as classrooms, libraries and lecture theatres.
- Scalable from school to campus: Compact single-unit systems for smaller schools, up to modular cascades delivering 738 kW for large college and university estates.
- Funding available: There are a number of funding routes available to help schools, colleges and universities manage the cost of switching to heat pumps. Clade can help identify the right option for your project. Find out more about our heat pump funding options.
- Natural refrigerants: Clade heat pumps use CO2 or R290 propane, both with low global warming potential and zero ozone depletion potential. Unlike HFC refrigerants, they do not release PFAS chemicals into the environment.
- End-to-end delivery: Engineering expertise covering system design, manufacture, installation and ongoing maintenance, all from a single UK supplier.
Heat Pumps vs Conventional Heating Solutions
Most educational buildings in the UK still rely on gas boilers for heating. While gas boilers generate heat through combustion, Clade’s heat pumps move heat from the surrounding environment into the building’s heating circuit. This means they use significantly less energy to produce the same amount of warmth, resulting in lower running costs and a much smaller carbon footprint.
Gas boilers are also subject to tightening environmental regulations, with the UK government committed to phasing out fossil fuel heating in public sector buildings as part of its net zero strategy. Switching to a heat pump now means educational institutions can get ahead of that direction of travel, reduce exposure to gas price volatility and take advantage of available funding routes to help manage the capital cost.
Clade’s natural refrigerant heat pumps, using CO2 or R290 propane, go a step further than standard heat pumps by avoiding the high global warming potential of conventional HFC refrigerants altogether.
Where Can Heat Pumps Be Used in Educational Buildings?
Clade’s commercial heat pumps are designed for educational buildings of all types, including:
- Primary and secondary schools: The Birch ULN delivers up to 90 kW at 80°C flow temperature and is certified to 33 dB(A) at 10 metres, keeping noise to a minimum during the school day.
- Further education colleges: The Rowan 2 can cascade up to six modules under a single controller, delivering up to 738 kW across multiple buildings on the same site.
- Universities: Each Rowan 2 module can heat or cool independently, which works well for large campuses where different buildings have different demands at different times of year.
- Sixth form colleges and academies: The Elm heat pump delivers up to 80°C flow temperature and works as a direct boiler replacement without any changes to the building.
HEAT PUMP SERVICES FOR SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
Founded in 1985, Clade Engineering Systems has years of experience in everything heat pumps related from research and development, through design and installation, to aftercare and maintenance. Our Customers benefits from the peace of mind of knowing that Clade will be there to help every step of the way.
FAQs About Heat Pumps for Schools and Universities
It depends on the size of the building, the existing heating system and what heat sources are available on site. Clade looks at each site individually and recommends the right system for the job. For schools where noise is a concern, the Birch ULN is independently certified to 33 dB(A) at 10 metres, making it the quietest commercial heat pump on the market.
Yes. The Elm heat pump is designed as a direct boiler replacement. It delivers up to 80°C flow temperature, which means it works with existing radiator systems without any changes to the building.
Yes. There are several funding routes available to help schools, colleges and universities with the cost of switching to heat pumps. Clade can help identify what may apply to your project. Get in touch with us today to find out more.
Not with the right product. The Birch ULN is certified to 33 dB(A) at 10 metres, roughly the same volume as a library. It is designed specifically for environments where keeping noise to a minimum matters.
Yes. The Rowan 2 is a modular heat pump that can cascade up to six units under a single controller, delivering up to 738 kW of capacity. Each module can heat or cool independently, which works well for large campuses with different demands across multiple buildings.
Yes. Clade’s heat pumps are built for the UK climate. The Rowan 2 maintains high flow temperature performance down to -10°C ambient temperature, so heating is reliable throughout winter.
CONTACT US
Speak with our team of experts and discuss your requirements. Complete this quick form and we will be in touch or contact us using:
Bristol & Bath Science Park
Dirac Crescent, Emersons Green
Bristol, BS16 7FR