Waste not want not

A 130-year old converted water tower in Cheshire is using waste heat from telecommunications equipment to supply its heating needs.

Specially adapted Honeywell controls were installed at Lymm Tower House by the contractor, Zalti Controls, for the individual control of 16 manifolds, each controlling an underfloor heating zone within the 5,500 square feet of living space.

Five mobile phone networks use the tower as a base station. Each has a chilled water-cooling system for its electronics. The combined waste energy these produce is channelled through a heat exchanger, which meets all the home’s heating needs. Remaining heat energy is dissipated by a chiller unit at ground level.

The tower’s owner, Russell Harris, hopes heat loss from the double-glazed extension and the tower itself will be minimal, and expects the ‘free’ recovered heat to be more than sufficient for all domestic needs. A boiler for backup heat has been installed, but Harris hopes it will never need to be used.