Retrofit Design, Build, Operate & Guarantee (DBOG)

Make heat network improvement investable, measurable and accountable.

Many existing communal and district heat networks lose a large share of the energy they consume before heat ever reaches residents. Poor controls, hydraulic problems, high return temperatures and uninsulated pipework drive up energy bills, carbon emissions and maintenance costs.

Heatiliti's Retrofit DBOG (Design, Build, Operate & Guarantee) service tackles this as one accountable package. We design and deliver the upgrades your network needs, then operate it under a thermal efficiency guarantee, so the improvement is measured, maintained and backed by a contractual commitment rather than left to chance.

Designed for existing heat networks

Retrofit DBOG is aimed at existing sites with poor thermal efficiency, typically where:

Energy input is high compared with the heat actually delivered or sold
Controls are outdated, proprietary or not set up to suit how the network runs
Return temperatures are high and the network is poorly balanced
Distribution pipework, valves and plant-room equipment are uninsulated or poorly insulated
Residents experience unreliable heating or hot water, or high and unpredictable charges
Repairs are reactive and done piecemeal, with no clear route to lasting improvements

What’s included

Design

We survey the network, review operating and consumption data and establish a transparent efficiency baseline. We then develop a prioritised, costed improvement plan targeting the measures that will deliver the greatest efficiency gain.

Build

We deliver the agreed upgrades as an accountable design-and-build package. Depending on the network, this can include:

Controls and BMS upgrades, including open, interoperable controls and plant sequencing
Hydronic improvements: hydraulic balancing, removal of unnecessary bypasses, pipework reconfiguration and pump and variable-speed drive upgrades
Return-temperature reduction measures
Insulation of distribution pipework, valves, fittings and plant-room equipment
HIU and substation upgrades or replacement
Metering improvements to support accurate measurement and billing
Plant replacement and low-carbon heat sources where justified

Operate

Once the works are commissioned, Heatiliti operates and maintains the network for the agreed term, using monitoring, controls data and planned maintenance to keep it running efficiently. We report performance transparently and keep optimising throughout the contract.

Guarantee

We guarantee the thermal efficiency the network achieves after the upgrade, measured against the agreed baseline. That makes Heatiliti accountable for the result, not just for completing the works.

The thermal efficiency guarantee

The guarantee is based on the network's thermal (system) efficiency: the relationship between the energy or fuel put into the network and the heat delivered or sold to residents and other customers. The baseline, target, measurement and verification method, and any exclusions are agreed for each project before works begin.

A higher thermal efficiency typically leads to lower energy consumption, lower carbon emissions and lower costs. Further plant, network and service KPIs are typically added to the contract as appropriate.

If the guaranteed efficiency is not achieved, the remedy agreed in the contract applies. Depending on the circumstances, this may be remedial works at Heatiliti's cost or a repayment/credit mechanism.

How Retrofit DBOG works

1. Assess

We review plant, controls, hydraulics, heat losses, consumption, maintenance history, operating data and customer-impact risks.

2. Establish the baseline

We agree a transparent efficiency baseline and the measurement and verification approach that the guarantee will be judged against.

3. Develop the improvements

We identify, cost and prioritise the upgrades, such as controls, hydronic works, insulation, HIU upgrades, metering and plant improvements.

4. Build

We deliver, commission and hand over the agreed works as a single, accountable design-and-build package, keeping disruption to residents to a minimum.

5. Operate & guarantee

We operate and maintain the network, measure efficiency against the baseline, report transparently and keep optimising through the contract term.

Why Retrofit DBOG

Owners of underperforming networks often fund one repair after another without a lasting improvement in efficiency. Retrofit DBOG replaces that cycle with a single programme: one team designs the upgrades, delivers them, runs the network and guarantees the outcome. Because the team that delivers the works is also responsible for long-term performance, design decisions are made with operation in mind, and there is no gap between the installer and the operator to fall through.

Why Heatiliti

Heatiliti's leadership team has experience developing, technically supporting and delivering major heat-network retrofit and optimisation programmes under long-term performance contracts. These have included controls retrofit, hydraulic upgrades and energy-centre improvements across thousands of homes. That experience shapes our approach to baselining, scope development, delivery risk and long-term performance accountability.

Consumer protection, built in

Better asset performance is only part of the goal. A successful retrofit should improve the reliability, affordability and transparency of heat for the people who rely on it. Heatiliti considers resident impact, communication, disruption during works, tariff governance and service continuity alongside technical efficiency throughout every Retrofit DBOG project.

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FAQs

What does Retrofit DBOG stand for?

Retrofit Design, Build, Operate & Guarantee. Heatiliti designs and delivers upgrades to an existing heat network, then operates it under a thermal efficiency guarantee.

What is guaranteed?

The network's thermal efficiency: the relationship between the energy or fuel put into the network and the heat delivered or sold. The baseline, target, measurement method and any exclusions are agreed for each project. A higher thermal efficiency typically leads to energy, carbon and cost savings.

What kind of upgrades are included?

It depends on the network, but typically controls and BMS upgrades, hydronic improvements such as hydraulic balancing and pump upgrades, insulation of pipework and plant, HIU or substation upgrades, metering improvements and, where justified, plant replacement.

What happens if the guaranteed efficiency is not achieved?

The remedy is set out in the contract. Depending on the circumstances, it may involve remedial works at Heatiliti's cost or a repayment/credit mechanism.

Is Retrofit DBOG suitable for new-build heat networks?

Retrofit DBOG is designed for existing networks. For new-build schemes, our Design & Consultancy, Mechanical & Electrical and ESCo services provide long-term performance accountability from the outset.

How is Retrofit DBOG different from an Energy Performance Contract?

Both link improvement works to a performance outcome. Retrofit DBOG focuses specifically on existing heat networks, with one accountable team responsible for design, delivery, operation and a guaranteed thermal efficiency, rather than a guarantee based on modelled energy savings alone.

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