Halo Church Heating Technology in St. Mary the Virgin, UK

St. Mary the Virgin Church in Derbyshire, UK, is a Grade I listed historic building with nearly a thousand years of history. Like many rural churches, it faced a longstanding challenge: heating the building efficiently, sustainably, and effectively without compromising its historic fabric.

The previous gas boiler and radiators, many over a century old, were unable to heat the space adequately, with warm air rising and escaping. Even after six hours of operation before a service, winter services remained uncomfortably cold. Poor efficiency meant significant energy waste with minimal benefit. A specification was drawn up for a new gas boiler system with new pipework and seven fan-assisted convectors. Two quotes were received for the gas system, but both were significantly higher than expected, between $74,000 and $95,000, prompting the church to completely rethink its heating options.

As a Grade I listed church, St. Mary’s needed to submit a Faculty application to the local Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC). Any new heating system had to provide reliable comfort while minimizing energy use and carbon emissions, in line with the Church of England’s Net Zero 2030 target, and comply with conservation regulations.

Detailed documentation was prepared, including:

• Project Overview & Plan
• Background & Options Appraisal (including the Five Ws)
• Specification (two documents)
• Statement of Significance
• Photographs
• A completed Church of England checklist called the Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon

The DAC asked a few questions before approving the proposal.

Evaluating the Options

The Options Appraisal considered all potential heating systems and energy sources, including electricity, gas, air-source heat pumps, solar panel integration, radiators, underfloor heating, infrared panels, and heated pew systems.

Two members of the church had learned about the Halo heating trial in a Bristol church and subsequently visited the Herschel production facility in early 2023 to better understand the infrared technology.

A detailed quote for the Halo infrared heating solution showed it would cost almost 40% less than the gas and radiator system.

Infrared electric heating emerged as the most viable and sustainable option, offering savings thanks to faster warm-up times and substantially lower energy use compared to a conventional radiator system. Compared to the old gas system, the Halo infrared solution was calculated to deliver:

• 66% reduction in operating costs
• 88% reduction in carbon emissions

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) completed the decision-making, planning, and documentation over eight months. The Faculty approval process took four months.

Funding and Project Delivery

Securing funding was the most time-consuming element, taking nearly five years in total. St. Mary’s successfully obtained grant support from:

• The Benefact Trust – $4,030
• The Garfield Weston Foundation – $6,200
• The Raymond Ross Fund (Diocese of Derby) – $6,200
• Derbyshire County Council Members’ Community Leadership Scheme (supporting early specification work) – $620

Installation was completed within four months, including removal of all existing cast-iron pipework and radiators. Coordinating with the electricity supplier for a meter upgrade proved to be the most challenging logistical task.

The results following the installation in August 2024 have been highly positive. The Halo infrared heaters provide rapid, effective heating.

“The experience throughout the 2024–25 winter months was that the main Halo heaters in the nave work very well. In addition, the Summit heaters in the south aisle and chancel provide much improved heating.”

The church is currently reviewing the performance of the smaller Aspect units in the north aisle and may add an additional unit.

Since the heating upgrade, there has been a noticeable increase in winter events, a direct result of the improved heating, which was one of the project’s original objectives.

Many historic and rural churches face similar challenges in heating buildings that are used only a few times per week, efficiently and with lower carbon emissions. St. Mary the Virgin demonstrates that infrared heating technology can provide a practical, low carbon solution while respecting heritage constraints.

Herschel would like to extend sincere thanks to the Churchwarden, Dave Curtis and the team at St. Mary the Virgin for sharing their Halo heating story. St. Mary the Virgin is also happy to share their calculations showing the extent of the carbon reductions with other churches.

Contact the Herschel Team today for a consultation and experience the future of church heating for yourself