BSEE
With heat under the spotlight for eciency improvement, accurately matching the demand to building requirements is crical, says Paul Arnold, product manager at Remeha. And that might mean rethinking the design
intensifying to make our existing building stock more energy-efficient while meeting user requirements. With that in mind, given that heating and hot water are large users of energy, ensuring close matching of a building’s space heating and hot water demand must be an essential part of any modern energy strategy. So where to start? The boiler is a core component of the plant room in most non- domestic buildings, so it’s crucial that it is specified and installed in such a way that it will use the energy input as efficiently and effectively as possible. Get this right and a reduction in energy usage, costs and environmental impact will follow. Manufacturers are constantly innovating to produce new advanced condensing boiler models to meet the new challenges, like our own high-performance, next-generation Quinta Ace series, which offers enhanced control capability. But while the right technology may be available, the application is ultimately what determines the end result.
A Engineering for efficiency
In a traditional design, condensing boilers will successfully deliver both the well-regulated space heating and reliable supply of hot water required to optimise user comfort levels. Condensing boilers perform more efficiently at part load and lower return temperatures, so sharing the load across multiple units helps maximise boiler performance. Installing condensing boilers in a cascade arrangement also increases their turndown ratio, allowing them to match more closely the fluctuating demand while enabling non-disruptive future servicing and maintenance.
Evolving the design
uInstalling Quinta Ace 160 boilers in cascade has achieved the required high performance heang provision at Archbishop Ilsley School
However, in certain sites where demand for hot water is particularly high, evolving the design to separate out the heating and hot water generation may prove a more appropriate and energy-saving solution. Why? Sizing the boiler(s) to meet peak demand in the colder months could lead to oversizing during the summer months when space heating is not typically required. Aside from energy waste, boiler efficiency can also be affected due to short cycling, low firing rates or an inability to operate in full condensing mode. Take Archbishop Ilsley School, as an example. For many years, this large secondary school relied on old non-condensing boilers and an ageing hot water cylinder to provide comfortable conditions across its sports centre, from its sports hall and
s the UK’s emissions reduction target tightens, energy efficiency remains a key focus for organisations to bring the nation closer to our net-zero goal by 2050. Pressure is
BOILERS & HOT WATER When two perform better than one
gymnasium to its swimming pool and shower facilities. But when the time came to replace the old plant, it was also time to reconsider the design. “Reliability was a priority for the school to achieve and maintain a comfortable environment within the sports centre, while providing hot water for the swimming pool and showers,” explains Mark Fry, director at Spa Gas, the project contractors. “But energy efficiency was also a major consideration to avoid unnecessarily high bills and emissions.”
The first step was to calculate the space heating load. Five high-efficiency Remeha Quinta Ace 160 wall-hung condensing boilers, with a combined output of 800kW and Class 6 low NOx emissions, were selected as the most energy-efficient solution to meet the project requirements. Designed for reliable, high performance, these condensing boilers will deliver long-term high heating efficiencies at the School and cleaner, more environmentally-friendly operation.
Efficient by design
“The ability to cascade the five boilers not only resulted in a neat, compact installation, but made the project simpler and faster,” says Fry. “In fact, the biggest challenge was getting the old boilers out of the plant room.”
The hot water supply for the School’s sports facilities was met by a dedicated Andrews Water Heaters ECOflo fully-condensing direct-fired water heater, chosen for its high recovery rate. With the new boilers and water heater now fully operational, Archbishop Ilsley School is benefiting from reliable, energy-saving heating and hot water provision and anticipating lower energy costs moving forward.
Fifty per cent savings
So how great can the savings be? Aberystwyth University cut gas consumption and costs by an impressive 50 per cent after replacing old heating and hot water in four of its student accommodation blocks with high-efficiency Remeha condensing boilers and an Andrews Water Heaters unit.
Halls of residence, like those at the University’s Penglais Campus, typically experience a high demand of heating and hot water. To meet the requirement for improved reliability within a fixed four-week period, Sion Jenkins, project manager at Aber Heating, recommended installing two Quinta 65 high-efficiency wall-hung condensing boilers in each of the four plant rooms, alongside an energy- efficient Andrews Water Heaters MAXXflo 90/200 condensing water heater. With recovery rates of up to 1,920 litres of hot water per hour, the MAXXflo provides a continuous supply of instantaneous hot water to satisfy the hot water demand. “The boilers have been designed for improved ease of installation, which helped us to meet the
uRemeha Quinta boilers and Andrews MAXXflo have halved gas consumpon at Aberystwyth University’s Penglais student accommodaon buildings
challenging schedule on this project,” says Jenkins. “And, importantly for whole life costing and long-term operational savings, spare parts and ease of servicing have also been addressed.” The result? With all four boiler rooms refurbished within the tight timeframe, the project at Penglais Campus has been an unqualified success. The improved reliability and effectiveness of the heating and hot water supply has benefited the students, while halving running costs for the University.
Manufacturer support
Sometimes two perform better than one, whether the solution is multiple boilers, or an integrated heating and hot water design. And as experienced manufacturers not only know their products but how to maximise their efficiency and effectiveness, early engagement is advisable to ensure optimum system efficiency. Early project discussions will also help keep designers and contractors up-to-speed on the latest manufacturer advances in technology and solutions that may be relevant to their project. At Remeha, we look forward to supporting designers and contractors with our high-efficiency heating products and expert technical and product knowledge. With greater sharing of our collective knowledge, we as an industry can continue to innovate with product and system design to deliver better, more energy-efficient buildings.
www.remeha.co.uk
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COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL
16 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER SEPTEMBER 2019
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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