We’ve opened our first ever net zero building!

We recently unveiled our first ever net zero building, heated by one of our own air source heat pumps.

Our new £2m, 3,700 sq ft office building is now home to our logistics and administrative teams in Hull.

It is the first of our buildings to be net zero for carbon emissions, thanks, in part, to 92KW of clean electricity generated by rooftop solar panels.

The single-storey office building is equipped with one of our own commercial Ecomod air source heat pumps, providing reliable, low carbon heating in all seasons.

The new facility underlines our long-term commitment to Hull, and our status as one of the city’s major employers.

We’re part way through a £60m investment programme at our Hull site, including new manufacturing, distribution and research and development facilities to support heat pumps and other renewable technologies.

Our Engineering Director Helen Villamuera said: “The opening of our new office building is the latest significant milestone in our 100-year-plus history in Hull.

“As the first net zero building opened at National Avenue, it reflects our commitment to sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint across all of our operations.

“The transition to net zero is a journey every business must embark on. At Ideal Heating, we’re very proud to be at the forefront of our industry’s transition to renewable technologies like heat pumps, as well as our focus on sustainability in all our operations.”

Our 18kW Ecomod heat pump is accompanied by 10 Nanto water heaters from Atlantic, a sister brand within our parent company Groupe Atlantic’s product portfolio.

Nanto water heaters are designed to be compact and modern, fitting into small spaces and providing a small quantity of water locally to where it is needed.

The new office building features an open-plan working space, a kitchen area and private meeting rooms.

It also provides our employees with an outdoor seating area and a welfare space to relax and unwind in.

Work on the building began in September 2023, when we appointed Hull-based Johnson Construction as the contractor to build the facility.

The building has now officially opened, with a special ceremony and ribbon-cutting attended by colleagues who will now work from the offices.

Andrew Johnson, Managing Director of Johnson Construction, said: “We’re really proud to be handing over this building, which we hope will make a real difference to the team at Ideal Heating.

“As one of our company’s flagship buildings for the year, it’s a showcase of the truly sustainable and environmentally-friendly projects we have the capability and expertise to deliver.

“Ideal Heating has been a pleasure to work with. It’s a real sign of how far we’ve come as a Hull business to be working with one of the biggest companies in the city, helping them decarbonise their site and transition to net zero.”

We currently employ around 800 people at our National Avenue site in Hull.

Other significant investments being made on site include a £19m research and development facility to support low carbon technologies.

The UK Technology Centre will provide a testbed facility for product development and advancements in the heating solutions to decarbonise UK homes and business premises.

Construction on the facility is progressing on track, and is expected to be operational in early 2025.

Work has also been completed on a heat pump production facility and expanded distribution centre, totalling £20m of investment.