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Modular wiring solutions with Click Minigrid
T
he extensive Minigrid range of mounting plates and modules from Click Scolmore provides installers with the opportunity to create a vast number of customised switching solutions on site. With more than 175 unfurnished plates and in excess of 750 interchangeable modules available –
there is the opportunity to create literally millions of combinations. All the Click Minigrid plates are modular as standard so whether you are using the Click Mode white moulded plastic range or decorative metal plates such as Deco and Deco Plus, you can achieve any arrangement and finished look that best suits the project/ application in hand. It is this modular switch arrangement standard in both mounting plates and modules that has proved to be
a highly valued facility amongst designers and installers alike. The Minigrid modules are all easily and quickly exchanged or mounted onto unfurnished plates by means of a simple single screw fixing, saving both time and money. The Minigrid range comprises 1-and 2-gang unfurnished plates with a range of aperture configurations including 1, 2 x 2, 2 x 3 and 6-in-line apertures, plus 2 Tier Minigrid plates with 12 or 18 apertures and 3 Tier plates with 18 apertures. The possibilities are limitless.
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IN FOCUS
Doubly safe: ACR Copper Press fittings for up to 48 bar
uropean piping specialist SANHA is bringing the Streamline® ACR Copper Press fittings to the UK market. Their ingenious design and multiple safety features combined with the ease of handling offer huge advantages for installing HVACR and VRF/VRV systems as well as heat pumps.
Two sealing rings on each fitting end prevent even tiny refrigerant molecules to leak. The design creates
a particularly round pressing pattern and thus a more uniform, secure pressing, resulting in 200 % more surface contact. ACR Copper Press fittings are suited for a wide range of refrigerants including R410A and R32 as well as connections with hard, half-hard and soft copper pipes. The installation length is comparable to conventional solder fittings. The range includes dimensions from ¼” to 1-3/8”. They come packed in clean, resealable bags. With their unique design and clearly marked in blue, ACR Copper Press offers a highly convincing and safe means for the installation of cooling and refrigeration piping. It goes without saying that various BIM Revit and CAD formats are readily available. Contact us to find out more at stand F91 or
alan.frost@
sanha.com |+44 1628 819 245!
www.scolmore.com A
www.sanha.com Taking The Blended Approach: All Electric Low Carbon Hot Water
ir source heat pumps (ASHP) are a technology that operates most efficiently at lower temperatures, making them highly applicable to domestic applications, but domestic hot water (DHW) systems for commercial properties require a 60°C working flow for safe operation and anti-legionella
processes. This does not prevent the use of ASHPs as they can be pushed to deliver a higher percentage contribution, generating working temperatures of 45-50°C for preheat, but this at the cost of performance efficiency, requires electrical energy, and that has operating cost implications. However, when compared to an equivalent-sized direct-electric (i.e., from the grid) system, one with an ASHP can achieve carbon reductions of 42-47%, whilst saving 25-35% of the energy costs. The system will still be required to top up the heat to the necessary 60°C, preferably using an electric boiler. This, combined with the heat pump’s reduced operational efficiency means it will still be much more expensive to run than an equivalent-sized gas-fired system based on a modern and efficient (109% net) water heater. The recommendation in this case is to keep electrical demand down by increasing the size of the hot water storage which is then heated more slowly. This is very different to the high energy input, and low storage seen with gas-fired systems. A 30kW energy source can heat 750 litres/hour by 34°C, so when the system draws hot water at a faster
rate than it can be heated to 44°C for hot showers you start to get complaints that the water is ‘cold’. The larger volume cylinder helps to overcome this under sizing allowing for a two-hour reheat cycle that maintains enough water at 60°C to meet daily demand, whilst slowly heating reserves through the night when demand is minimal to meet the morning peak. Despite this, carbon savings and costs are no longer aligned. As an example, if we take a building with an
average occupancy rate of 23.5 with provision of basins, and shower/wet rooms, typically seen in student accommodations, care homes or boutique hotels, the yearly running costs resulting from a change from gas to direct electric would increase from £1019 to £3019 (based on electricity on average currently costing as much as 3.8 times that of gas). Even with an ASHP operating at optimum efficiency (for 35% recorded reduction in energy) costs would be £2862. Close to three times that of gas alone, so it is inherently important to consider the nominal value of the carbon reduction, especially if planning a refurbishment from gas to electricity. New build projects, unless exhibiting very large hot water demands, will struggle to receive permission (under Part L of the building regulations) for a new gas connection and as a result will specify electric-based systems. This still should lead to application design that blends ASHP for preheat with other sustainable options that can include solar thermal, but particularly electric boilers. The simplest approach blends preheat, such as from an Adveco FPi32 ASHP with, for example, the Adveco ARDENT 9-100 kW electric boiler to supply thermal energy to a mains water-fed compact indirect cylinder. Balancing such a hybrid electric system is key to ensuring efficient operation, so consideration needs to be given to controls to assure the water heating remains consistent, and that the two technologies do not fight each other. Working in a balanced combination, enables systems to be sized down, by as much as half in terms of ASHP requirements. This delivers immediate capital savings as electric boilers are far less expensive compared to an equivalent heat pump. You also immediately reduce the physical size of the system embodied carbon and demand from the electric supply. As a high-temperature heat source, the electric boiler is capable of providing temperatures of up to 75°C and should be used in place of an immersion as these are not designed for primary heating. Immersions are
relatively costly to purchase and operate and prone to rapid limescale development and failure in hard water areas, so should only be incorporated as a back-up for additional system resilience. Specifying an electric boiler is far more advantageous, preventing scale deposition, as well as delivering further system redundancy since the boiler will incorporate multiple immersions within its chassis. Carbon reduction under an all-electric approach is a given, and, as the grid becomes less dependent on gas-fired power stations, carbon emission figures from a system should continue to reduce over time, future- proofing sustainability gains from an implemented DHW application deploying ASHPs.
https://adveco.co/ 30 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JUNE 2023 Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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