Why quality must come before cost

Heat Networks have the potential to play a vital role in delivering the UK’s low-carbon future, offering sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions for communities and businesses alike. But for the sector to truly succeed, quality must come first. Too often, we’re seeing networks fail well before their time – not because the technology doesn’t work, but because of poor design, installation or supervision.

At PPSL District Heating, we’ve been called upon this year to survey and remediate more networks under five or six years old than at any other point in our 13-year history.

The pattern is clear: unless poor-quality installations become a thing of the past, Heat Networks risk falling short of their promise.

For Heat Networks to truly deliver on their promise, providing sustainable, low-carbon heat, ensuring return on investment, and earning long-term market confidence, poor quality installations must become a thing of the past.

While most industry projects are delivered to high standards by competent contractors, numerous network owners are still falling victim to substandard designs and installations.

Some of the key recurring issues we see include:

Companies misrepresenting expertise: with slick marketing and polished tenders, large and small companies are masking a lack of real knowledge and hands-on experience to secure contract they are not capable of delivering
Design flaws: particularly around expansion and contraction and material selection, leading to premature failures
Inexperienced welders: especially those unfamiliar with the requirements of thin-wall steel used in district heating
Lack of qualified supervision: project managers and supervisors without the necessary design and field experience to identify poor quality practices
Inadequate Non-Destructive Testing: lack of testing on inexperienced contractors or not testing to project classifications standards
Substandard jointing work: poorly executed fusion and shrink High Density Polyethylene joints that compromise system integrity
Deliberately misleading practices: such as alarm wires being looped near panels to falsely simulate active monitoring
Improper backfill: causing damage to pipe casings or failure at expansion points
Unreported installation damage: that leads to early and often catastrophic failure
Poor commissioning practices: networks commissioning not aligned with BSRIA BG29 or other relevant standards
Use of materials not specified for below ground: components that were never designed for such applications.

And the list, unfortunately, continues.

At PPSL, we believe the future of Heat Networks depends on doing things right the first time. Every poor-quality installation undermines confidence in the sector and puts unnecessary risk on owners, operators and end users.

With more than 170 successful projects delivered over 13 years, our team has the proven expertise to design, install and remediate networks that stand the test of time.

If you want a Heat Network built for performance, longevity and peace of mind, partner with PPSL District Heating. Get in touch with our team today and let’s build a network you can trust for decades to come.