HVAC SIZE RIGHT
With today’s boilers offering increased versatility and flexibility in system design, the technology is here to improve the thermal efficiency of the UK’s commercial buildings. The challenge is to engineer for maximum efficiencies, says James Porter, Sales Director at Remeha.
For facilities managers looking to make efficiency savings, heating is the perfect place to start. This service is the largest
single end-user of energy
in a building, so it’s important to make sure that the system operates as efficiently as possible. Improved efficiency brings tangible results, slashing running costs and enhancing the green credentials of the business. It also makes heating more reliable, creating a more comfortable working environment for improved productivity and wellbeing – all of which is good for the bottom line.
UP TO 50% SAVINGS The humble boiler continues to play
a key role in improving thermal efficiency. A high proportion of UK commercial buildings still rely on boilers for heating and hot water – but just how efficient are they? In buildings where boilers are ageing or failing, a simple boiler upgrade is an acknowledged quick win. The energy and carbon savings are immediate and considerable, reaching as high as 50%.
SIZE MATTERS Today’s more compact and
lightweight boilers are designed for improved ease of installation, enabling faster installation for minimal disruption and downtime. But this is not the only area where size matters. Accurate sizing of the heating provision is essential if the maximum overall efficiencies are to be achieved.
Historically, it’s often been a case of sizing the heat output to meet the maximum requirement to ensure reliable heating provision even at periods of peak demand.
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However, the heat output demand for a building fluctuates throughout the year. According to British Gas, retailers experience a 40% increase in gas usage from autumn to winter; for offices, the rise in consumption between the two seasons is 63%; and for manufacturers there is a 70% increase.
”ACCORDING TO BRITISH
GAS, RETAILERS EXPERIENCE A
40% INCREASE IN GAS USAGE FROM AUTUMN
TO WINTER.”
The challenge for heating manufacturers is to design a system that efficiently meets both the minimum and peak demand of the building.
MAXIMISING EFFICIENCY One of the most successful means of
matching the maximum and minimum load requirements is to install multiple fully-modulating condensing boilers in cascade operation.
Condensing boilers offer the highest efficiencies of all boiler technologies and therefore the greatest saving potential. Using multiple condensing boilers in a modular arrangement effectively shares the load between them, enabling them to match the heat demand more accurately and use the energy input more efficiently.
Efficiencies are further improved as the boilers operate at part load. This
means that they are in condensing mode for longer where they can achieve the higher efficiencies, delivering greater energy and carbon savings.
An added benefit of using a cascade arrangement is more secure heating as, even if a boiler should fail, there is no interruption to service.
GET IN CONTROL Of course, effective control is central
to achieving the maximum efficiencies. Adding a sequential control ensures that the boilers operate effectively and reliably, rotating the lead boiler and lengthening the serviceable life of the boilers. Use the appropriate weather compensated control and the boilers can adapt to the varying requirements of the buildings at different times of year, according to the outside temperature for greater savings.
WIDER OPTIONS Advances in condensing technology
– such as the arrival of large 160 kW wall-hung boilers that can also be operated in mixed output cascades – have brought still greater flexibility. Pre-assembled floor-standing boilers offer flexible back-to-back or side-to-side space-saving options while compact wall-hung boilers can be installed in time-saving, pre- configured cascade and bespoke designed rig systems. The growing number of design options meets all requirements and turns modern plant room design into a mini work of art.
Operating multiple boilers in cascade is an outstandingly effective solution to reliably improved thermal efficiency and reduced energy waste. Versatile and adaptive, it’s the simple but proven design solution that ticks all boxes at all times of year.
www.remeha.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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