Sherborne Abbey plays a prominent role in Dorset’s push for net zero emissions
14 March 2022
Sherborne Abbey, a historic Church of England church in the English county of Dorset, is embarking on an ambitious project to update its energy supply, while remaining true to the heritage of the 1,300-year-old building.
Early this summer, work will begin on Sherborne Abbey’s three-part update to their energy supply; an existing inefficient gas boiler will be replaced, the underfloor heating, out of use for 40 years, will be reactivated, and air source heat pumps will be installed to supplement the gas boilers.
The installation of this new system will save an estimated 12 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) a year.
Assessing the options for making Sherborne Abbey more sustainable, we determined that the modest increase in annual energy costs with air source heat pumps (ASHPs) would be outweighed by the significant reduction in carbon emissions. It would also be the starting point to help deliver a net zero Abbey in the future. Despite the challenges of working on such an old historic building, including requirements to reduce noise and limit impact on visual appearance, Sherborne Abbey offers a uniquely viable site for this project because an undamaged existing underfloor heating system has been rediscovered, which will work well with ASHPs.
"It has been invaluable when archaeological and heritage concerns dictate that you have to work with such a building and not against it.” - Stuart Wilson, Engineer and Partner at Max Fordham