Commercial heat pumps
fully-certified commercial air source heat pump installation for offices, schools, retail, care homes and industrial buildings across the North East. Full heat-loss survey, designed flow temperatures, BMS integration, PSDS grant support.
A commercial heat pump install is not a scaled-up residential job. The hydraulic design constraints, flow-temperature targets, BMS integration, and statutory inspection requirements all differ. Most commercial heat pump failures we're called in to assess come from contractors who specced a domestic-grade unit at commercial scale, or who treated the existing pipework as suitable for low-flow operation when it wasn't.
We design every commercial project around a full heat-loss survey, occupancy profile, hot water demand schedule, and existing emitter compatibility. The deliverable is a designed system that meets the building's actual demand at its actual loads — not a generic estimate.
COP 3-4
Typical commercial COP
Up to 100%
PSDS grant for eligible public sector
15-25 yrs
Equipment design life
5-10 yrs
Typical payback (oil/LPG swap)
Sectors we work with
Modern offices with intermittent occupancy patterns benefit from multi-zone heat pump systems with weather compensation and BMS integration. Combined with workplace EV charging and solar PV, the typical office building can hit net-zero operational emissions within a single retrofit project.
Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) grants cover up to 100% of capital cost for eligible academy trusts and LA-maintained schools. We work through the PSDS application alongside our heat-loss survey and detailed design. Schools typically benefit from cascade heat pump configurations sized for half-term shoulder-season demand.
Hotels, restaurants and retail units typically have steady year-round daytime demand (kitchens, laundry, climate control) that suits heat pumps well. Air-to-water heat pumps replacing gas boilers commonly pair with air-to-air units for kitchen and front-of-house cooling.
24/7 heat demand and statutory water-temperature requirements (Legionella) need careful design — typically a cascade air source system with thermal storage and electric immersion top-up for periodic high-temperature cycles. Strong fit for PSDS funding.
Process heat below 80°C is increasingly viable with high-temperature heat pumps. Useful for laundry, food production, and light manufacturing. Industrial heat pump retrofits often combine with waste-heat recovery for very high effective COP figures.
Communal-system flats and apartment blocks can use central air source heat pumps feeding multiple dwellings. Often the single largest decarbonisation lever available for property managers and housing associations.
Brand comparison
The three brands we install most often for commercial heat pump projects. Each suits a different commercial profile — site survey nails down the right choice for your building.
| Spec | Best for offices Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan QUHZ + EAHV | Best for high-temp retrofit Daikin Altherma 3 H HT + EWYT | Best for hybrid Vaillant aroTHERM plus + flexoTHERM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity range | 4-32 kW (residential) / 25-90 kW (EAHV commercial) | 6-16 kW (residential) / 30-120 kW (EWYT commercial) | 3.5-15 kW (residential aroTHERM plus) / 12-110 kW (flexoTHERM exclusive) |
| Cascade max | Up to 540 kW (6× EAHV90) | Up to 480 kW (4× EWYT120) | Up to 660 kW (6× flexoTHERM 110) |
| Flow temp max | 70°C | 75°C (Altherma 3 H HT), 65°C (EWYT) | 75°C |
| COP @ 7/35°C | 4.41 (Ecodan QUHZ-W40), 4.0 (EAHV) | 4.55 (Altherma 3 H HT 16 kW), 3.4 (EWYT 60) | 4.78 (aroTHERM plus 5 kW), 4.6 (flexoTHERM) |
| SCOP rating | A+++ (residential), A++ (EAHV) | A+++ | A+++ |
| Refrigerant | R32 (Ecodan), R454C (EAHV) | R32 | R290 (aroTHERM plus — natural propane), R410A (flexoTHERM) |
| Warranty | 7-year parts (5-year compressor) | 5-year parts + 7-year compressor (with annual service) | 7-year parts + labour (registered installs) |
| BMS protocol | M-Net (native), Modbus + BACnet (via gateway) | Modbus RTU native, BACnet/IP gateway, LonWorks gateway | eBUS native, Modbus + BACnet via VR70 / vrnetDIALOG |
| When to choose | Offices, schools and care homes needing modular cascade capacity with strong UK service network. EAHV runs in cascade up to 6 units for steady multi-zone demand. M-Net BMS integration is the cleanest of the three brands when you already have Mitsubishi VRV cooling on site. | Higher flow-temperature retrofit projects where existing radiator stock can't go below 65°C economically. Daikin's Altherma 3 H HT line is the strongest UK option for retrofitting older buildings (Victorian semis, conversion offices) without changing every emitter. Wider F-Gas service network for emergency repair. | Hybrid setups where you're keeping an existing Vaillant gas boiler as backup (the eBUS protocol lets boiler + heat pump cascade automatically on cold days). Also the only mainstream commercial option using R290 propane refrigerant — strongest future-proofing against F-Gas phase-down regulations. Lowest GWP of the three. |
Mitsubishi Electric
Ecodan QUHZ + EAHV
When to choose
Offices, schools and care homes needing modular cascade capacity with strong UK service network. EAHV runs in cascade up to 6 units for steady multi-zone demand. M-Net BMS integration is the cleanest of the three brands when you already have Mitsubishi VRV cooling on site.
Daikin
Altherma 3 H HT + EWYT
When to choose
Higher flow-temperature retrofit projects where existing radiator stock can't go below 65°C economically. Daikin's Altherma 3 H HT line is the strongest UK option for retrofitting older buildings (Victorian semis, conversion offices) without changing every emitter. Wider F-Gas service network for emergency repair.
Vaillant
aroTHERM plus + flexoTHERM
When to choose
Hybrid setups where you're keeping an existing Vaillant gas boiler as backup (the eBUS protocol lets boiler + heat pump cascade automatically on cold days). Also the only mainstream commercial option using R290 propane refrigerant — strongest future-proofing against F-Gas phase-down regulations. Lowest GWP of the three.
Commercial heat pump projects
Education
Sunderland, SR3
Headline result
67% gas reduction
Estimated £42,000/yr energy bill saving
Replaced 3× ageing 200 kW gas boilers with a cascade air source heat pump system across the main teaching block. Phased over the summer holiday to avoid term-time disruption. Carbon savings count towards trust-wide 2030 net-zero plan.
System
4× Mitsubishi EAHV90 cascade (360 kW total) + 80 kWp roof solar PV + BMS integration. PSDS Phase 3b funded 75% of capital.
Healthcare
Gateshead, NE10
Headline result
£18,000/yr saved
50 tonnes CO₂ removed annually
Surgery building previously on oil heating after a 2018 mains-gas connection refusal. Heat pump retrofit chosen as a hybrid with backup electric immersion. Achieved without changing any of the existing radiator stock — Altherma 3 H HT runs at 65°C flow.
System
2× Daikin Altherma 3 H HT 16 kW residential-scale (high temp) for 8-room surgery + DHW cylinder. Hybrid pairing with existing gas boiler for peak winter days. BACnet feed to NHS facilities BMS.
Hospitality
Stanley, DH9
Headline result
50% lower utility bill
6-year payback
24-bedroom hotel with restaurant. Vaillant chosen for hybrid compatibility with existing kitchen-zone Vaillant gas boiler. R290 refrigerant gives strongest future-proofing against F-Gas phase-down. Total install spread over 8 weeks around two annual maintenance shutdowns.
System
6× Vaillant aroTHERM plus 12 kW (72 kW total, R290 propane) for 24 rooms + restaurant DHW. Hybrid with existing Vaillant boiler via eBUS cascade. 30 kWp roof solar PV + 30 kWh battery for evening peak shaving.
Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funds heat decarbonisation for the public sector — schools, NHS estates, universities, councils, social housing. Phase 4 of the scheme (active through to 2028) prioritises heat pump installations and can fund up to 100% of equipment and installation cost for qualifying bodies.
We work with public-sector clients to scope a heat decarbonisation plan, run the heat-loss survey, produce the application-grade design package, and deliver the install. Applications run on annual rounds — we'd recommend starting scoping 9-12 months ahead of your target install year.
Non-domestic BUS
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme isn't only for homes. Certain non-domestic premises (typically small business properties below a 45kW heat demand) qualify for the same £7,500 air source heat pump grant. The rules are narrower than residential but the route is the same — fully-certified installer applies, grant deducted from quote.
Useful for small offices, small retail units, single-building businesses, and farm buildings where the heat load is in the residential-equivalent band. Not relevant for medium or large commercial — those go through PSDS or direct capital purchase.
Detailed audit of building fabric, occupancy profile, hot water demand, existing distribution system, BMS context.
Full system design with flow-temperature target, emitter compatibility, plant room sizing, and PSDS/BUS scoping where applicable.
Delivery scheduled around your operational needs. Larger projects phased to avoid downtime. BMS integration tested before commissioning.
MCS certification, Building Control sign-off, annual service contract, BMS performance monitoring.
Public-sector funding
Public-sector bodies — schools, MATs, NHS trusts, councils, universities — have access to three distinct funding routes that combine to cover both feasibility studies and capital installation. We work with all three.
PSDS — Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme
Up to 100% capitalSalix-administered. Funds heat pump installs + accompanying solar PV + fabric upgrades. Current Phase 4 window: 2025-2028. Typical school project £150-500k; NHS trust £1-10m. Full PSDS guide →
LCSF — Low Carbon Skills Fund
Salix · feasibilityFunds the upfront feasibility / heat-loss survey / decarbonisation pathway work that precedes a PSDS capital application. Up to 100% of consultancy cost for qualifying public-sector bodies. We routinely partner on LCSF feasibility before the main PSDS bid goes in.
IETF — Industrial Energy Transformation Fund
Industrial · up to £30mDESNZ-administered. For private-sector industrial heat decarbonisation projects (manufacturing, food & drink, chemicals). Studies up to £7m at 40% intervention rate; deployment up to £30m. Particularly relevant for Tees Valley and Wearside manufacturing belt. Full IETF guide →
Non-domestic BUS (heat pumps under 45 kW)
£7,500-£9,000For smaller commercial properties — care homes, GP surgeries, small offices — the standard residential BUS grant extends to non-domestic installs below 45 kW capacity. Useful for sub-PSDS scale projects. The £9,000 enhanced band applies to oil/LPG-heated non-domestic properties from summer 2026.
Procurement compliance
Public-sector procurement rules now require carbon reporting from suppliers. Procurement Policy Note 06/21 (Sept 2021) made Carbon Reduction Plans (CRPs) mandatory for in-scope bidders on UK central government contracts above £5m per year. The NHS extended this to its own £5m+ contracts via its Net Zero Procurement framework in 2023.
For NHS trusts specifically, the NHS Carbon Footprint Plus target is 2045 net zero — heat decarbonisation contributes directly. Trusts using PSDS for heat pump retrofit can demonstrate Scope 1 reduction against their site-level baseline, which counts towards the trust's annual Green Plan reporting.
What this means for tenders we participate in
Our accreditations
NICEIC Approved
D124458
Electrical contractor
Gas Safe Register
947841
Gas appliances
Heat Geek Trained
Heat pump design specialists
TrustMark
Government endorsed
Quality scheme
SafeContractor
Approved
H&S accredited
ISO 9001
2015
Quality management
ISO 14001
2015
Environmental management
ISO 45001
2018
OH&S management
PAS 2030
:2019
Retrofit standard
NAPIT
Member
Electrical inspection
F-Gas Certified
Air conditioning refrigerant
NICEIC Approved
D124458
Electrical contractor
Gas Safe Register
947841
Gas appliances
Heat Geek Trained
Heat pump design specialists
TrustMark
Government endorsed
Quality scheme
SafeContractor
Approved
H&S accredited
ISO 9001
2015
Quality management
ISO 14001
2015
Environmental management
ISO 45001
2018
OH&S management
PAS 2030
:2019
Retrofit standard
NAPIT
Member
Electrical inspection
F-Gas Certified
Air conditioning refrigerant
Every accreditation listed is independently verified. We carry the registration numbers — ask for any on request.
Free survey including heat loss audit and BMS scoping. Detailed design and PSDS scoping within 2-3 weeks. Fixed-price quote for execution.
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