Energy management


heavyweight off-roader. Driving at 70 mph, both slip into neutral and their engines are turned off on a level road. The heavier vehicle will travel a lot further than the lightweight car before it comes to a halt. Does that mean it has used less


energy overall? No, of course not. The heavier vehicle will have consumed more energy, i.e. fuel, getting to 70 mph as more energy was needed to shift it from rest. The greater distance travelled in neutral is that extra energy stored in the form of kinetic energy being released. Furthermore, to stretch the car


analogy to breaking point, a car might use less fuel ticking over on the drive than racing from A to B, but if you wanted to go somewhere, it will have wasted energy while sitting there. Imagine leaving the engine on to


ensure your windscreen is frost free on the drive in the morning. This would be a waste if morning was eight hours away, no matter how fuel efficient the engine was at low revs. So, the fact that your heating system


is on, when it should be off, no matter how efficient it is, is undesirable. Similarly, if it cannot be turned off quickly, how many care home operators would have to open the windows to ventilate the building? Alongside the use of insulating


surfaces such as laminate and carpet, underfloor heating can be much less effective than originally envisaged. Also, because the carpet is heated, any fluid spills may result in an unpleasant odour that cannot be easily removed.


Thermal skirting Thermal skirting is in effect a radiator that is built into the skirting board. As it is fitted all around the room at low level, it radiantly heats the room just like under floor heating, but much more quickly and responsively. It can be retrofitted into existing


spaces as well as new builds and can be connected to existing conventional systems as well as renewables such as heat pumps and solar thermal systems. The system is designed to run cooler


and to distribute heat evenly, thereby retaining the aesthetics and colour of traditional skirting. As it is the skirting as well as the heating, the hidden savings of fitting both at the same time are not lost on developers and when timber frame or modular construction are used, the advantages over under floor heating are clear. Thermal skirting may not solve every


heating problem – it does not heat tile or marble flooring underfoot – but it can be readily retrofitted into virtually any property.


Conclusion Both British Gas and the BRE have published reports that indicate that gas condensing boilers save energy when operating at 50°C or less. Similarly, renewables such heat


pumps work best and are most efficient at lower flow temperatures, but can also provide higher outputs if the immersion heater kicks in. As design temperatures only have to


account for the worst nine days of the year - the average number of days per year when the temperature hits -1°C -


In the care home environment, thermal comfort can be particularly important as underheating and overheating can result in distress or even violent and challenging behaviour


February 2021 • www.thecarehomeenvironment.com Martin Wadsworth


Martin Wadsworth is the managing director of Discrete Heat, a UK manufacturer of the ThermaSkirt skirting heating system, originally launched on BBC’s Dragons’ Den. More than 45,000 ThermaSkirt systems have been installed in hospitals, care homes and assisted living developments.


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thermal skirting systems can provide sufficient heat at lower temperatures for most of the year and still work at higher flow temperatures during the average nine worst days. That is something that will be required


for updating older buildings that do not have the latest insulation.


TCHE


Reference 1 Fanger P.O., Assessment of Man’s Thermal Comfort, 1973, McGraw-Hill.


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