Innovation Exchange challenge: Maintaining the Thermal Comfort within a Manufacturing Unit

Background

Lush is renowned for innovative beauty products, emphasising fresh organic ingredients, cruelty free practices and minimal packaging. This challenge focuses on Lush’s manufacturing unit in Poole where their perfumes and “Essential Components” (bespoke fragrances) for their product range are produced.

To comply with ATEX directives and ensure safety from explosive atmospheres, the facility’s air extraction system replaces the air volume (1,500m³) 45 times per hour (26m3 per second). This process contributes to significant heat loss, making it difficult to maintain the preferred indoor temperature of 20°C during winter, despite the use of 120kW electric resistance heaters.

The building, constructed in 2004, has insulation that meets the era’s U-Value standards. The warehouse features six sets of double windows at ground floor level, skylights and two large speed-shutter doors (5m x 5m) that remain frequently open during operations. Lush also utilises speed shutter doors at this site, though extraction rates encourage draughts through these.

Without a Building Management System (BMS), the air extraction system runs at full capacity when the facility is active, further compounding heat loss.

Local energy grid constraints limit additional electrical demand, making alternative solutions necessary. While Lush has explored renewable options like rooftop solar PV and wind energy, limited ground-level storage space and the presence of outdoor hazardous materials pose challenges to implementation.

Requirements for a solution

Lush invites solutions which can address the challenge of maintaining the thermal comfort within their perfume production unit in Poole, UK.  The proposed solution should balance thermal generation with the air extraction required to meet ATEX directives which control explosive atmospheres to ensure a constant temperature of 20C is maintained for the staff working in the building.

The solution should include heat generation from a sustainable and low carbon source which can cope with a heat loss of approximately 720kw and would be safe to use in an explosive environment. Ideally the solution should not increase the current electrical demand of the manufacturing unit (40kW/200kW maximum capacity) due to the constrained network.

The site is connected to the gas network, although it is not used for heating the unit. Lush would prefer not to explore gas options due to ATEX requirements and decarbonisation commitments.

Local energy grid constraints limit additional electrical demand, making alternative solutions necessary. While Lush has explored renewable options like rooftop solar PV and wind energy, limited ground-level storage space and the presence of outdoor hazardous materials pose challenges to implementation.

There are 30 employees who work in the production space, which operates 16 hours a day.

There is currently no BMS system in place for this building. Lush is open to a BMS or similar system for proposed solutions but would not entertain a full building BMS.

Solutions should be TRL 6+, deployable for field tests within 1 year of competition / commercially deployable within 2 years.Additional information on Atex Zone ratings within the production space can be provided upon request along with specifications of relevant existing equipment.

The solution must / should:

• Fit within an external footprint of 20m2 or be able to operate in an explosive environment.
• Be able to cope with a heat loss of 720kw to maintain an average 20C.
• Be a sustainable and low carbon heat source.
• Not use equipment supplied by Lush ethical blacklisted suppliers- List provided upon request
• Not exceed the current energy demand for the building (40kW/200kW maximum capacity).
• Be within ATEX requirements for the building.
• Be easy for Lush to maintain.

Ideally the capital costs would be no more than £200K.

Who can apply?

Entrants to this competition must be established businesses, academic institutions, start-ups, SMEs, or individual entrepreneurs, who are UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base.

Rewards and market opportunity

Successful applicants will be given an opportunity to pitch to Lush. Selected solutions will be trialled by Lush with potential for further adoption if trials are successful. The solution has potential to be deployed across 12 sites in the UK.

The benefits package for a successful applicant may also include:

• Support from Innovate UK Business Connect
• Support in the development of a prototype or pilot
• Technical support
• Invitation to attend or present at Innovate UK Business Connect events
• A potential business collaboration
• Investor introductions (if investment is required)
• Support if any Innovate or similar competitions are relevant.