Eco heating now springs into action
A pioneering, eco-friendly heating system using hot springs has been switched on at Bath Abbey.
Part of the abbey’s £19.3m footprint project, the new underfloor heating system has been laid and a new plant room fitted.
The abbey has been restored to its former glory after the floor was saved from collapse because of decomposing bodies beneath it.
Contractors from Emery, Wheelers and isoenergy worked hard in cramped conditions in the Roman drain to install the system.
Renewable energy firm isoenergy installed the system in the Roman drain beneath York Street. The work involved installing ten custom-built Energyblade heat exchangers that will collect heat from the thermal spring water that flows through the drain from the Roman Baths and into the river.
Every day around 1.1 million litres of hot water flow through the drain which is a constant 40C all year round.
Energy will be extracted from this water to heat the abbey as well as the adjacent row of Georgian cottages (Kingston Buildings) that house the abbey offices, Song School and volunteer facilities.
Edward Levien, isoenergy commercial director, said: “We’re very proud of our work on this heat pump project, understood to be the first of its kind, which will source its energy from Bath’s world-famous hot springs.
“Working in the Roman drain’s humid and confined environment brought a new set of challenges for our engineers. We had to do the work in short 20-minute sections as that is as long as a person can safely and effectively work down there.
“What’s more, we could only get all the equipment down into the drain through a manhole inspection cover on York Street, and it all then had to be lowered the 7m to the floor of the ‘great drain.’
“However, these are all minor inconveniences when we consider this remarkable achievement. We’re very proud of our team and how hard they’ve worked to deliver this system that’ll enable the abbey to be heated with sustainable, lowcarbon energy for generations.”
Canon Guy Bridgewater, abbey Rector, said: “We’re very grateful to everyone involved in making this eco-friendly dream a reality. So many people have played a vital role, not least Bath and North East Somerset Council who by granting us the lease of rights to these waters have enabled us to achieve a sustainable solution for heating our beautiful historic church.
“Previously the abbey heating system, which dates back to the Victorian era, was energy inefficient and expensive to maintain; but now instead we’re able to harness this natural resource.
“One of the abbey’s guiding purposes is to help treasure, sustain and renew God’s creation; and I rejoice that by working together with the many funding, design and engineering partners involved in our Footprint project, we can wonderfully reduce our carbon footprint and become more responsible stewards of the planet’s resources.”