Unlocking Efficiency, Comfort, and Long-Term Savings
With the UK now accelerating its well overdue transition away from fossil fuels, heat pumps are taking centre stage in the effort to decarbonise commercial and public buildings. While the technology behind heat pumps is well established, their success in real world applications hinges on more than just the kit itself.
At CO2PEC, we’ve witnessed at first-hand how fabric improvements—such as insulation, glazing, and airtightness of a building, to name a few—can make or break the performance of a commercial heat pump system, the importance of fabric improvements should not be overlooked.
🧱 What Are Fabric Improvements?
Simply put, fabric improvements involve upgrades to the physical envelope of the building shell, such as:
- Wall, roof, and floor insulation
- Upgraded glazing
- Air-tightness measures
- Thermal bridging elimination
- Shading and ventilation enhancements
Choosing & opting for these upgrades can significantly reduce the amount of heat lost in winter (and gained in summer), meaning your heating and cooling systems don’t have to work as hard & are more efficient.
💡 Why Fabric Matters for Heat Pumps
If your building is losing heat through poorly insulated walls or leaky windows, the heat pump will work itself harder, run for longer, and crucially will consume more energy—undermining its carbon and cost savings you are looking to achieve.
Without fabric improvements, you’re asking a high-efficiency system to perform in a low-efficiency building.
🔍 The Price of Neglecting Fabric
At CO2PEC, we have assessed & audited many schools & commercial buildings where our clients wanted to install heat pumps without addressing fabric issues. The results speak for itself & why this should not be overlooked …
- Oversized systems that cost more to buy and install
- Higher running costs, due to greater energy demand
- Discomfort: buildings still feel draughty or cold despite upgraded heating
- Missed funding: schemes such as PSDS prioritise projects that include demand reduction. There is understandably a huge focus on the wasting element which comes from overlooking fabric improvements.
🛠️ CO2PEC’s Approach: Integrated Retrofit Solutions
We don’t just install heat pumps. At CO2PEC, we take a whole-building approach, top to bottom, that includes:
- Thermal performance surveys
- Building fabric assessments (U-values, air permeability)
- Insulation upgrades as part of project scope
- Optimised system sizing based on improved building efficiency
By taking a holistic view on this, we aim to design heating systems that are correctly sized, future-proofed, and which deliver optimal long term comfort and most importantly high performance.
📈 Real-World Benefits
By incorporating fabric improvements into heat pump projects, our clients have seen:
- Up to 40% reduction in heating demand
- Smaller, cheaper heat pump systems
- Greater eligibility for funding like PSDS
- Enhanced occupant comfort and building value
🏢 Ideal for Schools, Offices & Leisure Centres
Whether you’re retrofitting an old school building or decarbonising a busy leisure centre, investing in your building fabric is one of the smartest ways to ensure your heat pump performs at its best—today and for decades to come.
Ready to Retrofit Right?
CO2PEC provides design, installation and retrofit services that combine natural refrigerant heat pumps with targeted fabric upgrades. We’ll help you:
- Reduce carbon and costs
- Maximise efficiency
- Deliver PSDS funded projects
👉 Get started today by contacting us to discuss your building.
