Rethinking heat on the Thames

The Bankside Yards project along the River Thames employs a pioneering energy system that does not use fossil fuels and reduces the amount of energy needed to heat, cool and provide hot water. — ©2024 The New York Times Company

TOURISTS strolling along the River Thames will soon benefit from more than just scenic views.

The Bankside Yards project, set to open in a few years, will connect landmarks like Tate Modern and the Royal Festival Hall with new public spaces. The £2.5bil development, spanning 2.2ha, will include shops, offices and 600 apartments.

“It’s going to be a missing link in this cultural sector along the river, turning a huge, impenetrable urban block into part of that cultural sequence of spaces,” said Daniel Moore, an architect with PLP Architecture, who oversees the project.

Beyond its convenience for pedestrians, Bankside Yards holds a deeper significance for environmental innovation.

It houses a pioneering energy system designed to decarbonise urban heating and cooling, a key element in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.

The complex uses a fifth-generation combined heating and cooling network. This innovative system collects unwanted heat from one place – such as a restaurant’s refrigerator or office equipment – and transfers it to where it’s needed, like heating water for an apartment.

The process is supported by electric-powered heat pumps on rooftops and within buildings that regulate the water temperature.

“One apartment might be rejecting heat because they’ve got air conditioning on, but someone else is taking a shower and needs hot water,” Moore said.

According to Marco Wirtz, an expert in fifth-generation systems, the interconnected nature of different building types within the project greatly enhances its efficiency.

“Bankside Yards is one of the largest and most innovative implementations of this technology globally,” he said.

This system not only reduces energy consumption but also operates without fossil fuels, offering a potential solution to reducing heating emissions in cities.

Dr Jan Rosenow, European programme director at the Regulatory Assistance Project, highlights the importance of such innovations.

“We have the technology to cut emissions, but we’re not moving fast enough. It’s not a technology issue anymore – it’s social, political and cultural,” he said.

Nicholas Gray, the sales director for developer Native Land, believes attitudes are shifting as cleaner buildings become more attractive to buyers and tenants.

The first building in the complex, a 19-storey office tower named Arbor, was completed in 2023 and is already 75% occupied by tenants, including the environmental consultancy, Carbon Trust.

Fifth-generation systems are the latest evolution of district heating, a concept first developed in the United States in the 1870s. Early versions used central furnaces to distribute steam at up to 200°C, but successive generations have lowered water temperatures to minimise energy loss.

The fifth generation – often called an “ambient loop” – keeps water closer to the outdoor temperature. At Bankside Yards, the water remains below 25°C.

“Those high temperatures in older systems caused a lot of energy loss,” said Giovanni Festa, a project director at Sweco, a Swedish engineering firm that designed the energy system at Bankside Yards. “With lower temperatures, the efficiency is much higher.”

The UK government estimates that around 20% of buildings could be heated by district systems.

However, experts like Festa say progress has been slow.

“We need more awareness and planning reform to encourage the use of these systems,” he said.

Costs are another factor. Installing a fifth-generation system may cost slightly more than traditional gas-based systems, but the investment pays off through energy savings. Plus, the system’s zero-carbon emissions mean it won’t need retrofitting as carbon standards tighten.

While the UK lags behind in deploying heat pumps – 60,000 units were sold in 2023, compared to 720,000 in France – there is growing momentum.

“This system belongs at the centre of every city,” said Thomas Nowak, a former official at the European Heat Pump Association. “But we need more knowledge and support from both policymakers and the public.”

As Bankside Yards prepares to open, it serves as a model for future developments. By rethinking how cities heat and cool their buildings, projects like this could be the key to a more sustainable future. — ©2024 The New York Times Company