The tallest building in Reading is enjoying substantial energy savings thanks to the installation of Tyco Thermal Controls HWAT single pipe hot water temperature maintenance system.

Rising 128m above the Reading skyline, The Blade has a distinctive spire that dominates the upper part of the building, and stands on a site on the eastern edge of Reading’s commercial centre. This iconic building provides cutting edge headquarters accommodation and boasts over 10,000m² of office space over 14 floors.

In order to meet the requirements of the building regulations and seek opportunities to reduce energy for this flagship development, NG Bailey opted for Raychem's HWAT M self-regulating cable and the HWAT-ECO control system as an alternative to a conventional recirculation system for the domestic hot water.

Installed by Woking based, Jointing Technologies in every washroom area on each floor of the building, the Raychem hot water temperature maintenance system offers an intelligent way to supply hot water which does not require return pipes, valves or pumps.


The system works by attaching a self-regulating heating cable to the single hot water pipe which keeps the water at the desired temperature. Because the temperature of the cable adjusts at any point along the pipe depending on the local conditions of the pipe network, the individual pipe is heated everywhere and the temperature can be selected up to that of the storage tank temperature.

Generating energy savings of up to 50%, the intelligence of the system resides in the self-regulating cables and the Raychem HWAT-ECO control unit which limits the heat output of the cables according to the specific requirements of the building.

The HWAT-ECO combines the clock time functions with the monitoring of the boiler temperature in order to ensure that the system is used solely for temperature maintenance, thus avoiding superfluous heat production and minimising energy consumption. In addition, the ability to link the system to the Building Management System (BMS) of The Blade, contributed to the overall BREEAM rating of Very Good.

Jonathan Jones from Tyco Thermal Controls commented: "Under the strict requirements of the Building Regulations, new developments are required to reduce energy usage for heating and cooling which means that the energy needed for sanitary warm water production now takes up a bigger portion of the energy needs of a building.

"The installation of the HWAT self-regulating cable and the HWAT-ECO intelligent control system, means that the building can operate far more efficiently than with a conventional recirculation system and greater savings can be achieved than with traditional control equipment and timers."

(CD/GK)