Commercial boiler supplement
Boiler sector feels the heat as new challenges loom
Commercial boiler companies are poised for change as they tackle new and coming legislative challenges. We asked some of the leading companies to tell us how they have faired in the last 12 months, the challenges they are facing and what the outlook is for the future
Baxi Commercial business project manag- er, Jonathan Tedstone – The commercial boiler market has been through a tough time of late, riding the storm of the pro- longed period of economic downturn. However, there is a new focus on the hori- zon in the form of the Energy Related Product Directive – or ErP.
With the ErP due to be implemented in just over a year’s time, installers and man- ufacturers alike need to be ready for the change. Coming into force in September 2015, the directive will mean boilers and renewable heating equipment will be given an efficiency rating. The directive compris- es Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Regulations for Lot 1 (space heaters and combi space heaters) and Lot 2 (water heaters). This will mean two things. 1. Ecodesign – any product that does not meet certain efficiency requirements will not get a CE mark, and will, therefore, not be legally available for sale. 2. Energy Labelling – will mean that each space and water heater will come with an efficiency rating and label, from G to A+++. This will have a significant impact on the commercial market as it covers fossil fuel boilers and water heaters output up to 400kW. ErP will effectively, over time, elim- inate all inefficient products up to 400kW from the market. The major impact on the market from ErP will be from September 2018 onwards, when the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are reduced.
The effect this will have on the industry
is huge. If we calculate gross seasonal effi- ciency using the Part L Building Regulations formulae and apply them to Lot 1, the equivalent seasonal efficiency is 92.5% without differentiation between new or existing buildings. To achieve such levels, small to medium sized projects will require a condensing boiler solution, with refurbish- ment projects requiring customers invest in a full system replacement rather than sim- ply replacing the affected module. Manufacturers therefore need to focus on not only ensuring their products are ErP ready, but also providing support and information to make the transition as easy as possible for their customers – the installers, contractors and specifiers. For the installer, the ErP directive means more paper work will need to be completed dur- ing the commissioning phase to provide a package label for the combined heating products installed, so it’s vital that they are prepared for the change and that the
industry pulls together to simplify the process as much as
possible.The ErP is almost upon us and the commercial heat- ing industry needs to act now to ensure it is ready for the next phase.
Hamworthy Heating national sales manag- er, Stuart Turner – It was initially a slow start to 2014 but many govern- ment projects that were ‘shelved’ two to three years ago have come to fruition as funding has now been released. We have seen a slight increase in new build projects this year but the bulk of our work remains to be for the retrofit sector. There is a large stock of buildings in the UK that still need upgrading to be more efficient. Older boiler installations are not always up to current standards and inevitably result in more than a ‘swap in swap out’ boiler replacement. Valves, gas pipes, ven- tilation and flues need to be assessed – particularly if upgrading from atmospheric to condensing boilers.
The lead time for projects is shorter now than ever. In order to meet this we have adapted the way we work in our fac- tory and now operate a ‘lean’ manufactur- ing cellular model. This enables us to eas- ily change the production cell or focus the workforce according to product demand. All expenditure, particularly in local
authority, has to be justified. Customers need to see the benefits and return on investment of upgrading boilers. This requires a shift away from focusing on the acquisition cost but instead reviewing sav- ings over the life of the plant. We look at a customer’s gas bills and show them how a new boiler system could dramatically reduce their fuel usage. In some cases we have seen savings of a million pounds over the life of a boiler.
District heating schemes are undeniably on the rise again. When I first started in the industry (over 30 years ago) plant rooms were being decentralised. Now we are see- ing a shift back to centrally managed plant rooms for cost savings and efficiency improvements. The way we control our equipment continues to be of great impor- tance. I think we will see more remote con- trol of equipment and monitoring of energy usage via computers and tablets.
2 | September 2014 | A supplement to HVR
Hoval managing director Adrian Walker, – As is obvious to all of us, condensing gas boilers are now very much the prevailing technology for heating plant in commercial appli- cations – and rightly so. They clearly have the potential to deliver significant reductions in energy consumption and emissions. The fact that the vast majority of new boiler installations are gas condensing is testament to this. However, they are not always the most appropriate solution for every application. In recent years we have all become focused on making sensible investment decisions, not least when buying or spec- ifying boilers. Often, though, it seems that when a condensing boiler is chosen it is assumed, regardless of application, that general daily operation in full ‘condensing mode’ is a given. However, where a con- densing boiler is used in a system with traditional return temperatures of higher than 60°C (especially in retrofit situations) such return temperatures are too high to achieve the fuel efficiencies attributed to condensing boilers in ‘condensing mode’. In such cases, net efficiencies will be con- siderably lower than the 109% often quot- ed by boiler manufacturers (including Hoval) as these relate to full optimised condensing mode.
In essence it should not be assumed that a condensing boiler will always oper- ate in condensing mode. It can only do that when the system return temperature allows it to. This is an obvious point – but seems to have been lost in translation. In these situations a steel shell boiler could often be a more cost-effective option that is in keeping with the prevail- ing return temperature of the heating sys- tem – and will still offer excellent opera- tional efficiencies, and low emissions, due to the increasing sophistication of pres- sure jet burners. Of course, gas condensing boilers should continue to be the first choice in situations where return temperatures can be easily reduced to a point where they can operate in condensing mode for most or all of the time. However, where this is not feasible, steel shell boilers continue to be an excel- lent alternative.
Bosch Commercial and Industrial business development director, Geoff Hobbs, – Following on from the exceptional growth in 2013, this year so far has been an extremely positive one for Bosch Commercial and Industrial Heating. We are
now in our second full year under the Bosch brand and our presence in the industry continues to go from strength to strength. In particular, we are seeing sig- nificant growth in the number of industrial boiler installations taking place; working on standout projects such as Immingham Power Station in North East Lincolnshire. This year we have also seen a huge increase in demand for Combined Heat & Power (CHP) modules. Following on from the Government’s announcement that, from April 2015, CHP will be exempt from carbon tax, there has never been a better time for both light commercial and com- mercial users to take a look at how CHP can help to reduce carbon emissions. With further potential savings to be made from Climate Change Levy (CCL) exemption and access to Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECA), CHP technology now arguably offers the most cost-effective way to reduce CO2. But, as with all renewable and low carbon technologies,
well
designed, installed, and operated systems are the key to realising both the operational and financial benefits available. We are also seeing a surge in interest in district heating schemes. With huge leaps having been made in high-efficiency technologies over the last 20 years, it is not surprising the practice of installing dis- trict heating schemes is becoming more popular again in the UK.
Ideal Commercial Boilers, national sales director Darren Finley – At Ideal Commercial Boilers, we’re pleased to report that we have experienced strong growth over the last two years despite the challenging market conditions. This is due in part to the strength of the brand, which has a 100-year strong reputation for high quality, high efficiency products. Many of our customers also prefer to specify prod- ucts that have been manufactured in the UK specifically for UK heating systems. Building on these strengths, our strategy
Daily news update at
www.heatingandventilating.net
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60