Seddon to improve Manchester college’s environmental performance

Bolton-headquartered Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing (MEP) specialists, Seddon Engineering Services, have been appointed to retrofit the college building in Hulme following a successful competitive tender.

Loreto College, a Roman Catholic sixth form college in Hulme, Manchester, brought Seddon on board to help improve the environmental performance of its iconic Ball Building, home to its science labs, as well as the History, Economics and Theology, Philosophy & Ethics departments.

The project, which will cost close to £1m (£961,730), will improve the building’s sustainability, and efficiency through the replacement of all existing gas sources with state-of-the-art air source heat pumps.

The project will see the implementation of a new innovative cutting-edge Building Management System that will optimize the operational efficiency of the entire facility.

Karl Barraclough, Head of Commercial Energy Services at Seddon Engineering Services, said: “Working on a building as recognizable and culturally important as Loreto College’s Ball Building, is both a huge responsibility and opportunity. We will demonstrate how new technologies can work at scale, but also how seamless the transition can be within buildings of scale.

“Many schools, colleges and educational facilities will be reckoning with how to move into a Net Zero future and the installation of modern new technologies will be a crucial part of achieving those goals.”

Seddon will install significant electrical upgrades to the local substation in order to fortify the buildings power infrastructure and meet the demands of modern amenities and future developments.

Attending to the electrical grid will be essential for the seamless integration of the air source heat pumps and sophisticated Building Management System, ensuring a cohesive and robust energy management system.

Tracy Livesey, Vice Principal at Loreto College, said: “The upgrade to our college’s heating systems is a crucial next step for our long-held sustainability and technological ambitions. Seddon has proven to be a great collaborative partner, helping us to understand what was possible and how we could install new heat pumps with minimal disruption to learning.

“We hope that this project will set the bar for energy efficient and environmentally conscious educational buildings.”

Seddon Engineering Services is part of the Seddon family of companies and operates throughout the Northwest and the Midlands.