Cromford Mills, built in 1771, is the world’s first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill and a designated World Heritage Site. At the time of enquiry, the site relied on electric storage heaters — costly and inefficient. The goal was to reduce energy costs while respecting the site's historical significance.
We designed and installed a low-carbon heating system using 2 × water source heat pumps, drawing energy from the River Derwent. The system includes 2 × Vaillant heat pumps, a 1000L buffer tank, and a 500L hot water cylinder.
The river flow is now split between an existing hydro turbine and the new heat pump system. The old electric heaters were decommissioned, and a full wet heating system with radiators was installed.
In the education rooms, new radiators provide even, efficient heat. In the cheese shop and store, space-saving fan-assisted wall heaters were used due to limited wall area.
Cromford Mills is now carbon negative, generating more renewable electricity than it consumes. Heating running costs have significantly dropped, helping the site cut expenses while preserving its historic integrity.
I would like to start with a big thanks to Matrix for their great support and professionalism during the installation of our water source heating system at Cromford Mills. Work in a historic listed building has its own unique challenges...
With support from Matrix, the project was a pleasure to be part of — only made so by their excellent and professional service from start to finish. Their flexibility and willingness to work around our tenants’ needs was exceptional. Their lead installer was a credit to the organisation.
All in all, thank you — and we hope to work with Matrix again.
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