Two of our Building Service Engineering apprentices, Ciaran Connelly and Sam Ashford recently visited the Queens Quay heat network project in Glasgow with Jim Hall, Proposals Manager, and Alastair Morison, Senior Estimator, where they built on their knowledge of water source heat pump schemes and were able to fully appreciate the scale of the project.
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“We took the apprentices to Queens Quay so they could get an understanding of a similar project they were assisting in the pricing of. The technologies are very similar, so we wanted them to understand the magnitude of the scheme compared to what they were seeing on drawings,” Jim explained.
Ciaran, who is in the second year of his apprenticeship, said, “I spent about two weeks working on the Queens Quay heat network last December, so I had decent knowledge about it beforehand, but I didn’t end up seeing much of the energy centre, so I knew I had plenty more to learn.
"It was refreshing to see it again (just not in the coldest parts of the Scottish winter!) This site visit gave me time to discover parts of the energy centre which I hadn’t seen before and with Jim Hall, Alastair Morison and Ian Carr (Contracts Manager) by my side teaching us about the different components and how they all work together, I now have a better understanding of how a water source heat pump works…learning from the biggest in the UK!”
Sam, who only started his Vital journey with us in September this year said, “I’m pleased to have had the opportunity to visit Queen’s Quay in Glasgow! Being able to see the UK’s largest water source heat pump in action, learning about how it provides heat to local homes and businesses, and hearing about the benefits of the energy centre was fantastic!
"Thanks to Jim Hall for organising the trip and thanks to Ian Carr for showing us around and explaining how the site works. This is the first time I had been to a completed site and was amazed by the whole project; from the equipment it housed to the architecture of the building itself, and the positive presence it has on the Quay, both visually and environmentally.”
