boilers & cylinders
Hot water cylinder insulation drives energy efficiency in the home
Kingspan Environmental explain the benefits of cylinder insulation and how it can help your housing stock be more energy efficient
costs, Sustainable Homes has followed up with a second investigation of over 500 homes from 13 Housing Associations that brings into focus specific reasons why, including the way people use hot water. If nothing else, the National Energy Study highlights that stored hot water is perhaps the preferred option for households that require frequent hot water supply, and indeed, a high flow performance from taps and showers. Even for smaller homes, the survey challenges conventional assumptions on efficiency. While important for a world in general that is
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increasingly concerned with energy saving and the carbon footprint, it is perhaps an even more compelling argument for landlords, private and social, who take responsibility for helping tenants better control their energy consumption and avoid falling into fuel poverty. The main gist is that the way we use hot water, the way we manage draughts and our fear of thermostats and timers, determines how energy efficient we actually are. For example, the survey reveals that those who admit the least understanding of their heating system tend to be the highest energy users, concerned more about comfort than cost. SAP methodology is not an exact science and the assessment is based on standardised
ased on an initial survey that revealed homes with higher SAP values were not necessarily reducing residents’ energy
assumptions for occupancy and behaviour, not necessarily what happens in the real world. An Energy Performance Certificate may give an estimate of the building’s typical annual spend of energy but ultimately is no guarantee of an efficient home. Sustainable Homes claims that the patterns of actual energy usage reveal a very different picture from a purely ‘technical performance’ standpoint.
“The main gist is that the way we use hot water, the way we manage draughts and our fear of thermostats and timers, determines how energy efficient we actually are. For example, the survey reveals that those who admit the least understanding of their heating system tend to be the highest energy users”
Built in expansion device saves energy and space Despite scepticism from the boiler
manufacturer’s lobby, evidence from this study goes on to suggest that homes with combi boilers actually use 13 per cent more energy than homes
using system boilers fitted with a hot water cylinder, even those with low occupancy. One of the key reasons for this is that heat loss performance of unvented hot water cylinders has been vastly improved, with the best insulation thickness now measuring over 60mm. Also boiler efficiency is significantly reduced by being turned off and on, known as ‘cycling’, as happens with instantaneous hot water applications Why is this important? Because, replacing the
Thermal image showing heat loss from traditional top mounted hot water outlet
Thermal image of cylinder with side mounted hot water outlet
28 | HMM March 2016 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk
central heating system in a home is a significant expense for landlords and, while continued investment in energy efficiency is needed, SAP should not be the only guideline. Realistic energy usage patterns should also be taken into account by landlords genuinely concerned about fuel poverty and lowering residents’ energy bills. As far as the hot water system is concerned, it’s
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