REHAU - Experts & Thought Leaders

RAUVIPEX, REHAU UK’s pre-insulated district heating pipework solution, has won in the ‘Commercial HVAC Product of the Year – Components and Peripherals’ category at the 2025 Heating & Ventilating News Awards. RAUVIPEX stood out to the judges for its technical excellence and contribution to improved efficiency and sustainability for heat networks. The judging panel also noted how RAUVIPEX’s design demonstrates strong innovation, reliability and had addressed feedback from designers, installers and operators. REHAU’s proven PE-Xa carrier pipe RAUVIPEX provides a market-pioneering combination of low thermal conductivity and high bending flexibility, manufactured with REHAU’s proven PE-Xa carrier pipe, combined with PU foam insulation and an SN8-rated outer jacket. This robust construction ensures long-term durability and addresses a long-standing trade-off in HVAC piping between minimizing heat loss without compromising ease-of-installation.   The solution incorporates a new longitudinal water barrier – a fully welded layer that maintains insulation integrity even if the outer jacket is damaged. The barrier achieves longitudinal watertightness in accordance with the AGFW Heat Works group’s FW 420-1 Class A classification, even when tested at double the specified test pressure – a first for a PU foam district heating pipe range. DIN EN 15632 requirements RAUVIPEX is also compatible with REHAU’s EVERLOCTM compression sleeve jointing system and CLIP-FLEX shroud, enabling rapid, secure, and flexible connections without the requirement for hot works. Affirming its sustainability credentials, the solution is produced in a factory powered by 100% renewable electricity. RAUVIPEX also meets DIN EN 15632 requirements for modern low-temperature networks, operating at 65 °C with a service life of up to 100 years to ensure low-carbon performance over the long-term. Achievement for REHAU “Winning this award is a fantastic achievement for REHAU and a testament to our team’s hard work and commitment to innovation,” said Steve Richmond, Sales & Marketing Director, REHAU Building Solutions UK, adding “RAUVIPEX was designed to deliver outstanding performance in challenging environments, and this recognition reinforces its value to the heat networks industry." He continues, “Our focus has always been on creating solutions that push the standards by combining technical excellence and ease-of-use. RAUVIPEX offers the industry a complete solution for reliable heat networks that are fit for the future and address the sectors most pressing challenges, and we are thankful the effort and dedication of the research and development team has been recognized by our industry peers.”

Ireland’s most northerly four-star hotel, the Ballyliffin Lodge and Spa (Ballyliffin Lodge) is nestled on Donegal’s Inishowen Peninsula, offering panoramic views over Malin Head. Its spectacular setting highlights the hotel's dedication to preserving the area's natural beauty, as further evidenced by its use of green technologies to heat, water and power its 40 rooms, spa, gym and restaurant. Steps taken to achieve this aim include installing a large 288kW solar array to the rear of the hotel and commissioning a natural spring well to reduce water usage and mains consumption. Yet one of Ballyliffin Lodge’s most ambitious projects involved upgrading its heating system to include a 500kW, biomass boiler, burning woodchips to supply its heating and hot water needs. Reducing Carbon, Reducing Costs Supported by a €450,000 investment and grants from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s Support Scheme for Renewable Heat, this project is crucial to the hotel's goals of adopting greener practices and reducing operating costs. With Ireland’s carbon tax set to rise annually from €56 per ton of CO2 at present, to €100 per ton by 2030, installing a boiler that would save up to 250 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually made clear commercial sense for the hotel. “We’re in an area of stunning natural beauty and protecting and maintaining that is very important,” says Ron Kerrigan, Hotel General Manager for Ballyliffin Lodge and Spa. “It’s very cost-effective to carry out these sorts of initiatives, and the installation of this boiler would improve the hotel’s efficiency throughout." “People not in the know would think ‘oh, you’re cutting down trees, you’re cutting down forests, how does that work?’ But it’s a renewable source of heat and energy, and the trees go through an eight-year life cycle, so as quick as we’re cutting them, we’re also planting them, preserving and maintaining the local area’s greenery.” Making Molehills Out of Mountains To carry out this project, Ballyliffin Lodge engaged the services of CHP Mechanical Services Ltd, a County Down-based renewable energy and commercial heating installer specializing in Biomass boiler installations, including off-site prefabricated plant rooms. The need to preserve the peninsula’s pristine environment meant this expertise was a priority, as the existing building proposed to house the boiler was situated a kilometer away from the hotel – in this case, on the side of a nearby mountain. Faced with this challenge, the team at CHP Mechanical Services Ltd specified a Herz Firematic 499kw Biomass Boiler with a 50m³ adjoining space within the building from which woodchips are transferred via a spring agitator and screw conveyor. Final requirement for the pipework  In order to efficiently transfer heat from the plant room to Ballyliffin Lodge’s buildings without disrupting the local landscape, CHP Mechanical Services Ltd needed suitable underground pre-insulated pipework that could offer excellent thermal performance. The distance from the hotel presented other logistical concerns. With no roads going up the side of the mountain to the biomass boiler plant room, and very few in the local area at all, the specified pipework needed to be lightweight and flexible. As the hotel’s operations could not be interrupted, a final requirement for the pipework was speed of installation to ensure there wasn’t any downtime. Enduring Supply Chain Relationships “The nature of Ballyliffin Lodge’s business and location presented clear challenges for this particular project,” says John Smyth, Managing Director of CHP Mechanical Services Ltd. “After all, if you can’t transfer its heat effectively through its pipes, it doesn’t matter how effective and sustainable your boiler is." “We’ve been installing this kind of system for over 13 years, so we know the importance of only working with proven, reliable manufacturers for all components. This includes pipework, which is extremely important on projects of this kind. We've had a long and solid relationship with REHAU, using its PE-Xa pipe, RAUTHERMEX, to connect offsite plantrooms to buildings. The team is very familiar with this pipe system and have always been impressed with its reliability, thermal performance and how easy it is to install." REHAU’s RAUTHERMEX bonded pipe system consists of a polyurethane foam insulation core and a corrugated outer jacket that keeps operational heat losses particularly low. Its fine-pored PU foam, developed using specialist process technology, offers high thermal insulation, making it ideal for linking Ballyliffin Lodge’s buildings to the boiler plantroom a kilometer away Making a Connection Alongside its thermal performance benefits, RAUTHERMEX’s unique connection technology, EVERLOC, offered a level of ease of installation and reliability for CHP Mechanical Services Ltd. It uses a compression sleeve to create a permanently leak-tight connection between the pipe and the fitting, with no O-rings or other sealants, producing an independently certified cavity-free joint. As the pipe itself is the sealant, the installation is immediately ready for pressure and a simple visual inspection is sufficient to know if the connection is complete. For projects such as Ballyliffin Lodge where swift installation over long distances of pipework is key, this ability to quickly and comprehensively fit and inspect a flexible pipe system is invaluable. Having worked with REHAU systems for around 13 years CHP Mechanical Services Ltd are very familiar with the complete REHAU system. Flexibility of the pipe systems “Being able to quickly procure, transport and fit pipework is imperative for this sort of project,” says John. “The hotel was keen to avoid downtime, so the fact REHAU was able to provide the swift support and high-quality products we’ve come to expect was highly appreciated." “To solve issues around the lack of roads, we actually constructed a bespoke de-coiling machine to lay down the one kilometer of RAUTHERMEX required. It proved highly successful, largely due to the flexibility of the pipe systems, and it is certainly something we will consider using again.” Empowering Businesses to Go Green With these complex logistics in mind, Mark Thompson, Area Sales Manager for REHAU Building Solutions Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland, was also on hand to ensure the project’s smooth running. With the boiler now installed and running, the success of Ballyliffin Lodge’s uniquely complex works has resulted in further enquiries from other hotels in Ireland. Moreover, testament to the success of both this installation and that of the other green upgrades implemented is the fact that Ballyliffin Lodge was shortlisted as a finalist for the 2024 edition of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s Energy Awards. Transitioning to greener heating systems “The rising carbon tax is definitely focusing minds for businesses such as hotels,” he explains. “As the works at Ballyliffin Lodge show, transitioning to greener heating systems is a sensible commercial decision." “The CHP Mechanical Services Ltd team have clearly demonstrated what an excellent installation looks like in this field. Using our pioneering RAUTHERMEX components, their expertise clearly demonstrates what’s possible even in remote areas such as the Inishowen Peninsula. We advise similarly situated businesses to explore environmentally sympathetic boilers and offsite plantrooms, especially in national markets accelerating their decarbonization efforts.”

REHAU is set to host a free in-person workshop centered around the future of district heating on 27 November 2025, at The Building Center in London, UK. The Next Level Heat Networks workshop offers a free opportunity to gain innovative insights into low-carbon heat networks, panel discussions, and a chance to network with industry experts.  Implementation of low-carbon solutions The implementation of low-carbon solutions will be pivotal in achieving net zero, which is why REHAU remains committed to not only innovation, but also creating opportunities – like their upcoming workshop - for industry stakeholders to stay up to date with advancements in low-carbon technologies and share their knowledge.  Multiple keynote speakers from the industry are set to lead discussions at the event, including representatives from Fairheat, AECOM and GTC – to name a few. Cutting-edge low-carbon technologies Steve Richmond, Sales & Marketing Director at REHAU Building Solutions, said: “In a period when the UK is evaluating how to achieve net zero targets, it’s imperative that opportunities exist to learn more about cutting-edge low-carbon technologies. Bringing together experts to discuss district heating and learn from one another is crucial to helping to promote low-carbon solutions, and we hope this workshop will play a part in this.” The day will include a brief introduction followed by two sessions of presentations, each with three keynote speakers. After each session, a Q&A panel discussion will be held, allowing the audience an opportunity to engage with the topics discussed in depth. Topics covered The topics covered will include: Updates on the heat network market, delivered by a representative from DESNZ Updates on the Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme, by Tom Burton, Principal Engineer at Fairheat The data center heat reuse opportunities, by Asad Kwaja, Associate Director at AECOM Innovation in polymer pipework and DH design software, by Alexandra Leedham, Technical Team Pioneer at REHAU A discussion of retrofitting a large heat network into a heritage estate, by Adam Bainbridge, Director at Teesdale Renewables A contractor’s perspective on installing new build low-density heat networks, by Alastair Vivian, Chartered Manager at GTC Innovations and maximize the opportunities for district heating Following the presentations and discussions, there will be a light lunch, offering a networking opportunity to workshop attendees. Steve Richmond, Sales & Marketing Director at REHAU Building Solutions, concluded: “We hope the workshop can bring together industry professionals to discuss innovations and maximize the opportunities for district heating. The day offers learning opportunities and aims to assist the UK in its quest to achieve net zero by utilizing lower-carbon technologies.”