Arriva UK Requirements
Arriva UK Bus required a new heating solution for their open-plan Wakefield workshop, used for bus repair and servicing.
Previously, the workshop had been heated using gas-fired warm air heaters, but these units had reached end-of-life and were no longer operational. As part of a wider building refurbishment, Arriva aimed to transition to an electric heating system aligned with its environmental and decarbonisation objectives.
The site was equipped with a 3-phase electrical infrastructure, making an electric solution viable.
Although the workshop features a large shutter door, it is typically kept closed during the winter months, allowing warm air to be effectively contained. However, the building’s poor insulation and high roof meant stratification, warm air rising and becoming trapped at high level, was a key challenge.
The Site Survey
After assessing the operational layout, height constraints, and heat distribution challenges created by the buses themselves, Okel designed a bespoke heating system tailored to the workshop environment.
The final solution included:
- 2 × fully modulating 3-phase electric air heating systems, delivering responsive and energy-efficient heat.
- Ceiling-mounted destratification fan system to prevent warm air from accumulating at high levels and ensure heat is pushed back down into the working zone.
- Strategic heater positioning along the work aisles, carefully planned to avoid heat obstruction by the bus height and maximise comfort for workshop staff.
The combination of modulating electric heaters and destratification technology provided even heat distribution, reduced energy waste, and ensured the system operated effectively despite the workshop’s challenging thermal characteristics.
Arrivas's Results
The new heating system delivered several key benefits:
- Environmentally positive: Supporting Arriva’s sustainability goals by replacing gas-fired equipment with a clean, electric alternative.
- Improved heat distribution: Thanks to destratification fans designed to eliminate thermal layering in the high workshop roof space.
- Increased staff comfort: With warm air targeted effectively along working areas despite the presence of full-height buses.
- Efficient and reliable performance: Enabled by modern, fully modulating controls and 3-phase electric operation.
All works were completed within the agreed schedule and fully integrated into the wider refurbishment programme.
Arriva now has a future-proof, low-carbon heating solution that enhances working conditions and aligns with its long-term environmental commitments.
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