Temporary Hot Water Solution for The Shard

Challenges

• The height and design of The Shard necessitated the use of multiple lifts to transport equipment to the 29th floor.
• The system needed to effectively supply over 40 floors with uninterrupted hot water.
• Limited space eliminated the option of installing an external boiler.
• The lack of a gas supply required the implementation of an electric solution.

Strategy and Implementation

Pre-Installation Planning (Week 1)

• Risk Assessment & Compliance – Submitted detailed Risk Assessment and Method Statements (RAMS) for client approval.
• Power Supply Confirmation – Engineers verified that sufficient power could be sourced from the server room on the 29th floor.
• Equipment Selection – Nine modular 36kW electric boilers were chosen for their compact footprint, flue-free operation and low noise levels, making them an ideal solution within the building’s constraints.
• Scheduling & Coordination – Planned five days for electrical works and two days for mechanical installation, incorporating overnight system shutdowns to minimise operational disruption.

Installation and Commissioning (Week 2)

• Electrical Installation – Laid a 25m run of 185mm 4-Core SWA cable, installed a 9-way panel board and connected 9 x 10mm 5-core cables to the electric boilers.
• BMS Integration & System Sequencing – Integrated boilers with the existing BMS for sequential operation, configuring them for multi-stage controllable heat output.
• Mechanical Works

• • Integrated a 350kW plate heat exchanger to ensure system separation, with a secondary-side pump providing necessary circulation for optimal performance.
  • Collaborated overnight with the FM team to install and operationalise the new system, ensuring the solution was ready for 5am.
• Client Handover & Monitoring – Conducted a final system walkthrough and monitored performance.