Bank of Ireland's Solid Investment in Decarbonisation

Bank of Ireland is one of Ireland’s most established financial institutions, with a strong presence across the country and a clear commitment to sustainability. At the heart of this commitment lies its Cabinteely data centre; a critical facility operating 24/7 to support the bank’s core services. Originally built in the 1970s and renovated in the 1980s, the building has served the bank for decades, but evolving environmental goals demanded a major transformation. 

As part of Bank of Ireland’s 2030 carbon reduction strategy, the engineering team set out to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and move toward full electrification. This ambitious project focused on replacing traditional gas boilers with a high-efficiency heat pump system, ensuring the site could maintain uninterrupted operations while achieving significant sustainability goals. 

Transforming a 1970s data centre into a modern, energy-efficient facility required balancing technical innovation with operational continuity. Bank of Ireland’s vision was clear: decarbonise the site, eliminate reliance on fossil fuels and future-proof the building, all without disrupting its daily operations. Robbie Norman, Property Engineering Manager at Bank of Ireland, tells us that "this project was kicking off to remove our reliance on gas and then reduce our impact on the environment".  

The heating solution had to overcome four major hurdles. First, retrofit complexity: integrating advanced heat pump technology into an older infrastructure meant designing a system that could replicate boiler performance, while meeting sustainability goals. 

“Finally, technical integration: the solution needed seamless compatibility with existing heating systems and controls. A modular, cascade-controlled design was key in handling variable loads and guarantee redundancy, while advanced features like weather compensation add further flexibility and sophistication” 

Meeting all of these requirements in a live, mission-critical environment defined the central challenges of this project. 

Aaron O’Mahony from JV Tierney adds: “I think the fact that it's a retrofit and the fact that we're going into a building that is as old as it is, we need to have something that will do similar to a boiler but obviously new technology and the Mitsubishi Electric CAHVs can do that.” 

Johnny Ryan, Technical Sales for Crossflow Refrigeration, further adds: “Mitsubishi Electric were the perfect option for this project with their reliability and their tech support.” 

It was JV Tierney design expertise that ensured the system would integrate flawlessly with the existing infrastructure while meeting the bank’s ambitious sustainability and compliance goals. It was important “that we have the right heat load to cater for an old building” remarks Aaron. For this reason, JV Tierney worked closely with Crossflow and Mitsubishi Electric throughout the design and construction stages, creating a collaborative environment that guaranteed technical precision and efficiency. 

With features like precise load modulation in 0.5kW increments and integrated weather compensation, the CAHV system not only met the technical demands of the retrofit but also future-proofed the building against changing government legislations.  

One of the key reasons for selecting the CAHV heat pump was its environmental credentials. As Johnny Ryan explains, “Why we chose that specific heat pump was its low GWP which is in line with all the future F-Gas guidelines thus helping Bank of Ireland reduce their emissions”. 

Together, Mitsubishi Electric, Crossflow and JV Tierney delivered a solution that combines sustainability, reliability and operational excellence for Bank of Ireland. 

Comfort and reliability were key considerations for this site. With 12 modular units operating seamlessly, the system maintains precise set points without interruption, even during peak demand. Beyond performance, the project future-proofs the building against upcoming F-Gas regulations and aligns perfectly with Bank of Ireland’s sustainability vision. “We're hoping then to replicate this installation across our other admin buildings” Robbie explains. 

This project is more than an upgrade; it’s a statement of intent. By partnering with Mitsubishi Electric, Crossflow, and JV Tierney, Bank of Ireland has delivered a solution that combines innovation, reliability and environmental responsibility.