Commercial Heat Pumps for Businesses & Public Buildings
Commercial Air Source Heat Pump Installation
Hinckley Plumbing & Heating designs, installs and services commercial heat pumps for businesses, landlords, schools, care settings and public buildings across Hinckley, Leicester, Coventry, Nuneaton and the wider Midlands. We’re MCS certified, and our commercial team already looks after boilers, plant rooms and hot water systems for organisations that can’t afford heating downtime.
A commercial air source heat pump is rarely a single box on a wall. Most buildings need several units working together in a cascade, connected to the existing heating circuits through a low-loss header, with controls that can talk to a building management system. That’s the kind of work we do, from small offices and shops through to the 160kW system we installed at Myton Coventry Hospice.
If you’re replacing ageing gas or oil boilers, adding low carbon heat alongside existing plant, or planning a new heating system for a refurbishment, we’ll survey the building and tell you plainly what a heat pump can and can’t do for it.
We install commercial heat pumps across the region, including Leicester, Coventry, Nuneaton and Tamworth.
Heat Pumps for Business: How We Design Each System
Every commercial heat pump installation starts with the building’s heat loss and how it’s used. A school that empties at 4pm, a care home occupied around the clock and a warehouse with high ceilings all need very different systems, even if the floor area is similar.
On the survey and design we look at:
- Peak and annual heat demand, room by room or zone by zone
- How many outdoor units are needed and whether to run them as a cascade for resilience
- Where the units can go, including ground space, roofs, noise and access for maintenance
- How the heat pumps connect to existing pipework, emitters and plant
- Domestic hot water demand and how stored water will be kept at safe temperatures
- Electrical supply capacity and any upgrade needed
- Controls, weather compensation and links to a building management system
Heat pumps run most efficiently at lower flow temperatures, so we also check whether radiators, fan coils or other emitters can deliver enough heat. Where they can’t, we’ll set out the options rather than oversizing the heat pumps to compensate.
Commercial Heat Pump Project: Myton Coventry Hospice
At Myton Coventry Hospice we carried out a major mechanical upgrade to the building’s heating and hot water, working to a heating design consultant’s specification.
Our team removed outdated plant and installed a 160kW air source heat pump cascade made up of ten external units. The new system connects to the existing plant through a DN250 low-loss header, with upgraded primary pipework, a vacuum degasser and water treatment equipment to keep the system clean and stable for the long term.
We also fitted a full set of controls with weather compensation sensors and BMS-ready infrastructure, so the hospice can manage temperatures across the building throughout the year. The result is lower reliance on fossil fuels and consistent, reliable heating for a building that has to stay warm day and night. You can read more about the Myton Coventry Hospice project in our portfolio.
Commercial Heat Pump Servicing, Costs & Grants
Commercial heat pump servicing and maintenance
A commercial heat pump needs regular servicing to stay efficient and protect the manufacturer warranty. We clean and inspect the outdoor coils, check flow rates, system pressure and water quality, test controls and safety devices, and review performance against the design. Larger systems may also need periodic F-gas leak checks by law, depending on the refrigerant charge. We service systems we’ve installed and, where we can work on the make safely, systems fitted by others.
How much does a commercial heat pump cost?
It depends on the building. The main factors are the heat demand, how many outdoor units are needed, the work to connect into existing plant, any electrical supply upgrade, emitter changes and the controls specification. We give a fixed, itemised quote after a survey. Most commercial installations carry standard VAT, as the 0% rate on heat pumps applies to residential and charity buildings.
Can businesses get a heat pump grant?
Yes, for smaller systems. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers business premises in England and Wales and takes £7,500 off an air source heat pump that replaces fossil fuel heating, up to 45kWth for a single heat pump or 70kWth where more than one is installed together. Larger cascades fall outside the scheme. Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide covers the rules in detail.
Can a heat pump work alongside our existing boilers?
Often, yes. Many commercial sites keep their boilers as backup or for peak demand while heat pumps carry most of the load. This route isn’t eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, but it can cut fuel use without replacing all the plant at once. We also handle commercial boiler installation where boilers stay part of the system.
What about hot water and legionella?
Stored hot water in commercial buildings has to be kept hot enough to control legionella, which affects how a heat pump system is designed for hot water. We plan for this from the start, and our sterilisation and chlorination team can support water hygiene on site. For cooling and ventilation alongside heating, see our HVAC services.
Looking for a heat pump for your home instead? See our domestic air source heat pump installation.
