BDR Thermea Group - Experts & Thought Leaders

Baxi has worked in partnership with the Club since the start of the 2024/25 season, when they were announced as the Principal Partner of both the Men’s and Women’s Teams. This new agreement, which runs until at least the end of the 2026/27 campaign, will now see the Baxi brand also appear on the front of the Club's Academy shirts from the beginning of next season - representing a major increase in their commitment to Oxford United. Indoor climate solutions Baxi has grown to over 1,200 workers and a portfolio of some of the best-known labels Since its birth in Preston, Lancashire, over 150 years ago, Baxi has grown to over 1,200 employees and a portfolio of some of the best-known and most respected brands in the heating industry.  Baxi is part of BDR Thermea Group, a world-pioneering manufacturer and distributor of sustainable indoor climate solutions for residential and commercial use, who put back all their profit into innovation and improving low carbon heating technologies, and into local communities to support education and opportunities for all. Reduces carbon footprint This long-term relationship goes beyond the pitch and reflects the shared commitment of the Club and Baxi in promoting the role of sport to drive climate awareness and action, to improving the own environmental performance and to acting as ambassadors for positive change within the communities. Over the course of the partnership, a number of joint initiatives will take place aimed at helping supporters to save energy, lower bills and reduce their carbon footprint, along with delivering activities, experiences and opportunities to make people feel connected. Climate awareness and community initiatives Oxford United’s Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer, Adam Benson, said: "This new agreement underlines just how much we both value this partnership. It was clear from the outset that Baxi wanted a long-term agreement with the Club and were committed to working with us on climate awareness and community initiatives." He adds, "This comes at a significant time in the Club's history, and we look forward to continuing to develop the relationship with Baxi over the coming years." Commitment to a sustainable future Paul Haynes, Product, Solutions & Marketing Director at Baxi, commented: "We were looking for a sponsorship opportunity with a club that mirrored our values of sustainability, collaboration and best-in-class service." He adds, "Oxford United clearly demonstrated its commitment to a sustainable future, not least with its plans to be the UK’s first major football team to have an all-electric stadium."  Oxford’s fan first approach Paul Haynes continues: "Oxford could also evidence how it achieves through working together as one team, a key aspect of the sponsorship that allows us to embrace opportunities across all areas of the Club’s activities; the Men’s and Women’s teams, its impressive Academy and the grassroots community activities that create such strong bonds with fans." He further states, "Which connects well with Baxi’s clear and deep focus on our customers and Oxford’s fan first approach, always trying to understand and improve what matters to supporters and visitors alike."  Long-term commitment Paul Haynes concluded: "Oxford United stood out for us as a club that truly embodied our values and we already feel part of the team. We don’t just want to be a sponsor in the background, but a true partner of the U’s, with a long-term commitment and a hands-on shared agenda that will drive both of us forward to be better and stronger for the future."

Baxi has launched a complete end-to-end range of products and services, including new AquaHeat heat interface units (HIUs), to provide a single point of contact for customers involved in heat network projects. From carrying out initial feasibility and design studies to supplying prefabricated centralized energy centers and HIUs to driving efficient system maintenance and system optimization, Baxi offers total customer support at every stage.  Heat networks Heat networks are an important part of the drive to decarbonize heat and hot water services in residential and commercial buildings. The government has a target to supply 20% of heat in buildings from heat networks by 2050, up from 2-3%.  Through the Heat Network Transformation Program, which includes initiatives, such as Heat Network Zoning and tighter industry regulations, it is ensuring that high-performance, low-carbon heat networks can contribute towards reaching net zero. UK new build and renovation projects Baxi is offering a raft of services to support customers with the correct implementation With heat networks set to be implemented across a growing number of UK new build and renovation projects, Baxi is offering a raft of services to support customers with the correct implementation.  Perfect for use in new build or retrofit multiple occupancy buildings, campus heating systems, and district heat networks, Baxi’s comprehensive heat network solutions and services will support residential, public sector, and commercial property developers and building owners in delivering low-carbon buildings. Baxi Packaged Solutions At the heart of Baxi’s heat network proposition is Baxi Packaged Solutions. Established prefabrication specialists, the business excels in designing and manufacturing pre-packaged plant rooms for centralized energy centers, as well as prefabricated utility cupboards for use in individual dwellings within the property. These typically use heating and hot water solutions from Baxi’s respected brands including Remeha and Heatrae Sadia as well as heat pumps from the wider BDR Thermea Group manufacturing facilities in Europe. Baxi’s heat network service As part of its heat network range, which includes thermal substations, Baxi is also launching AquaHeat, a new heat interface unit (HIU) for use in multiple occupancy projects such as apartments. The twin-plate HIUs are available in two outputs and can deliver indirect space heating and Domestic Hot Water (DHW) for new build and older homes. An indirect heat-only model is also available for use in commercial premises.  Baxi’s heat network service is further enhanced by the UK launch of Mercurius Connected – a digital innovation developed and already available in Europe – that will be able to remotely monitor, troubleshoot and optimize the HIUs. Baxi’s Integrated Thermal Solutions unit  Baxi is also drawing on expertise and experience from its parent company BDR Thermea Baxi is also drawing on expertise and experience from its parent company BDR Thermea, which acquired heat network specialist, Fortes Energy Systems, the market pioneer in manufacturing and supplying HIUs and thermal substations in northern Europe, last year. Baxi’s Integrated Thermal Solutions unit – headed up by Sales Director and heat networks advocate Stephen Hart – provides customers with feasibility studies and system design before installation, in addition to training, remote and onsite commissioning and ongoing service support. challenge of decarbonizing heat Stephen Hart said: "It is clear that heat networks will be one of the key routes to decarbonization. Listening to our customers, it is equally evident that having a single point of contact will help them with the challenge of decarbonizing heat and delivering low-carbon buildings." He adds, "By offering an end-to-end heat network solutions service backed with expert advice – from design to after-sales support – we can make the process simple, straightforward and successful for our customers."

Baxi has underlined its commitment to cross-industry collaboration by becoming a member of the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF). The heating and hot water specialist will use its BMF membership to continue to lead the transition to cleaner, low-carbon solutions, by strengthening relationships with other key suppliers and collaborating on industry issues. energy-efficient heating Baxi’s strong research and development platform and the financial strength of BDR Thermea Group means the organization can stay at the cutting edge of innovation. The quality of Baxi’s energy-efficient heating solutions is matched by its award-winning customer support and industry-renowned hands-on training, both of which make working with Baxi as easy as possible. diversity, equity, and inclusion Attracting a more diverse talent pool into the industry will be key to acquiring the skills needed to deliver net zero As founding members of the Construction Inclusion Coalition, the two organizations are also building on their shared commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion across the construction and heating sectors. Attracting a more diverse talent pool into the industry will be key to acquiring the skills needed to deliver net zero. Through its BMF membership, Baxi hopes to reinforce this commitment through further collaboration that will drive positive action for equality. transition to zero-carbon Jeff House, External Affairs & Policy Director at Baxi, said, "As the heating industry continues to play such a pivotal role in into the transition to a zero-carbon future collaboration across the breadth of our supply chain will be crucial." He adds, "The BMF provides us with the perfect platform from which we can work with other suppliers and merchants towards the same common goals." InstallerSHOW 2024 Jeff House continues, "We recognize the important role our merchant partners play and hope our BMF membership maximizes the value both Baxi and the other suppliers we work with can bring to the full breadth of the supply chain." House will be launching the business’s membership by speaking at the BMF’s Plumbing & Heating Forum, which will be held at InstallerSHOW 2024, at the NEC in Birmingham. supply chain collaboration John Newcomb, Chief Executive Officer at the BMF, stated, "We are delighted to welcome Baxi into membership. Improving sustainability and meeting government targets on zero carbon are major challenges for the building materials industry, and the BMF is playing a major role in facilitating supply chain collaboration to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future." He adds, "As one of the UK’s pioneering heating and hot water solutions providers, Baxi has an important role to play in achieving these objectives, and I look forward to working with them."

The energy transition is upon us and we are shifting today’s energy use to low and zero carbon sources. The way in which we heat and provide hot water to our homes and businesses will change, and we are developing technologies that will support this transition. A bold and pragmatic policy framework will encourage investment and drive change. BEIS Hydrogen Strategy We, therefore, welcome the publication of the Hydrogen Strategy from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This important document details the role and vision for clean hydrogen deployment at scale, in the United Kingdom, building upon the ambitions in last year’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. As an energy carrier, hydrogen has many uses that will help to decarbonize heating, transport and industry. We, therefore, welcome the government’s assurance to the public that hydrogen can be made as safe as natural gas. UK Government’s Contract for Difference The availability of low-cost hydrogen at scale is a key enabler of the deployment of hydrogen for heat Alongside the BEIS Strategy, the UK Government is publishing its proposed business model for supporting hydrogen production, in the form of a Contract for Difference. This approach has been utilized successfully for offshore wind and will enable the sector to invest in early-stage projects, and reduce the cost of hydrogen. The availability of low-cost hydrogen at scale is a key enabler of the deployment of hydrogen for heat. We believe, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, and a whole range of heating technologies will need to be deployed for a range of properties. Baxi Heating, as part of BDR Thermea Group, is at the forefront of developing clean heating solutions, including our ground-breaking development of hydrogen boilers. Hydrogen-ready boilers from 2025 Our work with the Hy4Heat project and associated demonstration sites in the UK show technical feasibility of this solution. We believe the government should act upon advice from the Climate Change Committee and other sources advocating a mandate that all boiler sales from 2025 should be hydrogen-ready, in order to help pre-populate a swathe of the housing stock, ready for a future conversion. Technology, energy efficiency and business models are all bit parts in the wider picture. Skilled installers and contractors will be utterly essential to success, so we are glad to see the announcement of a hydrogen sector development action plan in early 2022, setting out how the government will support companies to secure supply chain opportunities, skills and jobs in hydrogen. UK Heat and Buildings Strategy Following the Hydrogen Strategy, we look forward to several important publications in the lead up to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), including consultations on the role for hydrogen-ready appliances, off gas grid heating measures and the UK Heat and Buildings Strategy.