Case studies
How do you bring the past into the present? Upgrading the heating system
The 2012–13 replacement of Old Parliament House’s obsolete heating system substantially improved energy efficiency. By carefully preserving heritage values, the project also enhanced the story of the building itself.
Original 1920s plans identified the current boiler room, in the South Wing, as housing boilers, chimney access and coal storage. Ever since, this area has supplied heating to the building through evolving technology and changing fuel use, from coal and oil through to electricity and natural gas. The wing also houses dining and recreation facilities which were an important part of the social life of the building. Accordingly, museum conditions were maintained throughout the upgrade project to minimise impact on the heritage values of all these spaces. Removal and replacement works were managed to ensure this, and the entire project was conducted in accordance with the agency’s Heritage Management Plan and The Burra Charter conservation principles.
Minimising the impact on heritage values, while meeting current installation requirements, presented challenges. The original 1927 chimneys were utilised in the new system, and their external appearance was retained through an innovative solution of installing three new stainless steel flues within the existing brick chimneys. As much extant fabric and redundant plant equipment as possible was left in place in the boiler room. Where retention was not possible extensive documentation, such as photographs and drawings, captured a record of the original building configuration and equipment.
A number of heating options were reviewed, with a combination of condensing and conventional boiler systems chosen as the most cost-effective in meeting energy targets and capital budgetary requirements. The system is designed to heat the building primarily with the condensing boiler and to boost the heating when required with the two conventional boilers. The project successfully reduced the building’s operating costs and improved its energy efficiency, helping the agency to achieve the Australian Government Energy Efficiency in Government Operations target of a of 5 per cent per year reduction in energy consumption. In the system’s first three months of operation (April to June 2013) the agency used 1,088 gigajoules less energy than in the same period in 2012— a 25.6 per cent reduction in gas consumption.
As well as saving energy, the project’s retention of evidence of previous technology has contributed to Old Parliament House’s outstanding heritage values and the museum’s ability to tell a coherent story of the use of the building and the evolution of parliament.
Modernising while retaining heritage: original infrastructure on left, and new plant (with earlier fittings retained) on right. Photo: Tanner Collection