Equipment manufacturer, Vaillant, has been awarded a new partnership agreement to provide its aroTHERM plus air-source heat pumps to Aldi stores across the United Kingdom (UK). Since 2016, UK-based Vaillant has supported Aldi with heating solutions at seven of its regional distribution centers. Following their successful rollout, Vaillant’s aroTHERM plus heat pumps are now being installed at all new Aldi stores across the UK, as part of the exclusive five-year contract.

Depending on the size of the site, each store will see between two to five aroTHERM plus 12 kW units installed, and to further ensure system efficiency, Vaillant’s sensoCOMFORT heating controls have also been specified. Following installation, each of the aroTHERM plus heat pumps will be commissioned and serviced by Vaillant under the contract’s 10-year service agreement, to ensure the operational efficiency of each unit is maximized.

As part of the contract, Vaillant’s aroTHERM plus heat pump has also been installed at Aldi’s new eco-concept store in Leamington Spa (between Birmingham and London in the UK), where the unit provides both heating and cooling. The store, which opened in September 2022, was designed to significantly reduce carbon consumption, with sustainable building materials and design changes that are estimated to reduce life-cycle emissions by up to two-thirds.

“As a forward-thinking supermarket, we are continually looking at ways we can improve efficiencies while also reducing our impact on the planet,” said George Brown, national property director for Aldi UK.

“Aldi UK has been carbon neutral since 2019, which has seen us transition to natural refrigerants,” said Brown. “Recently, we invested in adding chiller doors to our new and refurbished stores, which will reduce each store’s energy consumption by approximately 20%. However, this meant we needed a sustainable heat source in our new sites to replace the existing heat-generating fridge packs. As a sustainable low-carbon option, the decision to specify Vaillant’s aroTHERM plus was made due to the natural refrigerant in the units.”

Launched in 2020, the aroTHERM plus uses R-290, which has a GWP of just 3. By using this HFC-free refrigerant, the aroTHERM plus achieves a 60% reduction in refrigerant charge, resulting in a carbon footprint of just 0.83kg - equating to a lifetime impact equivalent to a 15 km car journey.

In addition, the aroTHERM plus can achieve hot water flow temperatures of up to 75°C, meaning the water is stored in the cylinder at a usable temperature without the need for a backup heater.

“The move towards a net zero future continues to gather pace, and decarbonizing heat within the commercial setting will play a significant part in achieving this ambition,” said Steve Cipriano, commercial director for Vaillant.

“As a leading sustainable business, we have been working alongside Aldi since 2016, when our aroTHERM heat pump was installed at its headquarters in Warwickshire,” said Cipriano. “As Aldi continues its sustainability journey, we’re delighted to be working with them on the next phase of this project, which will see all new stores fitted with our new generation of heat pumps, the aroTHERM plus.”