RADIATORS EVOLUTION OF THE RADIATOR
There is no doubt that the radiator is evolving. No longer just functional heat emitters, radiators are becoming focal points of the décor whilst still carrying out their vital task of sharing heat around the home. The evolution of decorative and designer radiators and the advent of a real colour choice have changed the humble radiator forever. Radiator specialist Stelrad offers some insight
more adventurous than has previously been the case. The standard steel panel radiators – the compact designs in particular – are still the best sellers in the UK. However, there has been a trend in the UK radiator marketplace in the last couple of years to ‘up sell’ a standard design to a decorative radiator, either across the new home or refurbishment being undertaken, or just in the main rooms where householders want to incorporate a ‘up market’ radiator – in particular in the lounge and kitchen/diner spaces and in bathrooms and master bedrooms. The bathroom was the first room in the home to benefit from something a bit more special, with the ladder towel rail being the first non-standard response to heating in a home. Towel rails and specially designed bathroom radiators tended to be tall rather than wide and the beginnings of the love affair with vertical radiators had begun. This spread to the kitchen where designer
R
adiators are still the emitter of choice for over 90% of the heating systems in the UK. However, the radiators being selected are tending to be
and decorative radiators began to appear, in particular vertical models which would take up less horizontal wall space, leaving more room for kitchen units. Even a person looking to buy a radiator that is as inexpensive as possible expects the radiator he or she buys, to be aesthetically pleasing, to have rounded edges and an excellent paint finish such as those available from Stelrad. But perhaps because of the number of house renovation and decorating type programmes on the hugely expanded number of TV channels available to us all these days, more people are taking an interest in their radiators. Many no longer rely solely on their heating engineer or installer to quote for a boiler and eight rads. People are getting more selective and they want a say in the way their home will look. One of the most obvious changes in radiators in the past
few years has been the huge increase in colours that radiators are available in nowadays. To paraphrase the famous quip by Henry Ford, traditionally you could have radiators in “any colour, so long as it was white”. Stelrad now offers many of its models in up to 35 different colours – with a small delivery waiting time.
Gettingitright T
he Heat Network Regulations have changed and unintentional non-compliance is widespread. Anthony Coates-Smith,
business development director at Insite Energy, summarises what you need to know. Installers, M&E contractors, and heat network
operators are struggling to comply with the Heat Network (Metering & Billing) Regulations. This is partly because the rules have altered, causing some confusion, and partly because mistakes are being made when calculating heat network system operating capacity and efficiency. Drawing on the experience of Insite Energy, the heat metering and billing specialists, here are some tips to help prevent you from falling foul of the law. • Understand where the Regulations apply: n buildings where the thermal energy for heating, cooling or hot water supply is distributed from a central source to more than one end-user or building or location. The purpose of the Regulations is to give end-users greater awareness and control of energy costs. Individual meters must accurately measure, memorise and display the energy
consumption for heating and cooling. • The first step is notification: The regulator must be informed of the existence of any heating scheme. Calculations have to be made of system operating capacity, heat network operating efficiency, and corresponding metering requirements. It’s during this process that mistakes are being made. • The regulator has changed: Previously, notification had to be provided to the National Measurement and Regulation Office (NMRO), but now this has to go to BEIS. • If fitting meters is not feasible: If this is the case, the Regulations require instead the installation of heat cost allocators, hot water meters, and thermostatic radiator valves to measure end- users’ consumption. To determine ‘feasibility’, viability assessments have to be made. • Look out for a new ‘viability tool’: A ‘viability tool’ or ‘cost-effectiveness’ calculator’ was originally made available by the government to determine whether a heat supplier must install a metering system, and if so to what extent – but this wasn’t
Top tips for complying with the Heat Network Regulations
fit for purpose and has been scrapped. A new viability tool is scheduled for introduction later this year. In the meantime, the requirements outlined in point 3 are on hold. • No retrofitting meters for now: The December 2016 deadline for installing individual heat meters to existing unmetered properties is postponed until arrival of the new viability tool. • Know where meters are still needed: Individual meters and building-level meters must still be fitted in new builds and major refurbishments not subject to viability tests. All existing heat networks comprising more than one building must also now have ‘Block Level’ or ‘Entry Point’ meters retro- fitted. Waiting for a viability tool is no defence in these cases. • Complacency is dangerous: Despite the viability tool delays, BEIS is becoming more systemised in reviewing the data received from heat network installations. This means non-compliance is more likely to be spotted. To avoid risking conviction it’s best to involve a heat metering specialist early on, ideally before a specification goes out to tender.
24 August 2017
www.heatingandventilating.net
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