BOILERS
Why it’s worth remembering electric boilers
Electrically-powered domestic boilers make very good sense for some properties and – increasingly – for the planet. Hugh Jones, product manager at Viessmann UK, explains
E
lectrified home heating can be good for us all. Good for fighting climate change, as progress is made towards shifting the UK’s power grid to low- and zero-carbon energy sources. Good for homeowners, because as
more of the UK’s electricity comes from renewable sources, the more protection we’ll have from volatile gas and oil prices. And good for installers, because it’s another product offer for customers, particularly where a viable electrified alternative to heat pumps is required. Heat pumps are important, of course, because they can help heating move
away from reliance on fossil fuels. This was recognised in the Government’s recently-published Heat & Buildings Strategy, which announced that from spring 2022 a new £450 m Boiler Upgrade Scheme will offer capital grants of up to £5,000 to property owners “to install heat pumps and in some limited circumstances, biomass boilers, to replace fossil fuel heating systems.” But let’s be realistic: heat pumps just aren’t suitable for many properties, especially not smaller homes and apartments that have low heat losses and require only a 2 kW system with just a few radiators. And even where heat pumps are suitable, homeowners won’t always be able to afford them, even with a grant.
Which brings me to electrified boilers. Though these have been widely overlooked in the past, their time has arrived. Expect them to gain popularity
Below: Vitotherm ES4 under-sink storage hot water heaters, available in five or 10-litre versions
Hugh Jones, product manager at Viessmann UK
www.heatingandventilating.net
The Vitotron electric boiler
with housebuilders and electricians. This is because of the approaching 2035 fossil fuel boiler ban; because skyrocketing gas and oil prices have added urgency to investment in wind and solar technologies to generate renewable electricity; and because more people will voluntarily choose electrical appliances over those which burn fossil fuels as electricity gets greener. Homeowners will also be attracted to the fact that electric boilers could cost less than gas or oil boilers to install and involve less disruption because pipework is reduced and there’s no need for a flue. The increasing importance of electricity in heating and hot water generation is
reflected in the way some businesses are shaping-up for the future. Viessmann has been investing heavily to strengthen its leadership position in both electricity and hydrogen-led heating, as well as conventional boiler efficiency and heat networks. There are two good examples of this: in 2019, Viessmann completed acquisitions in Austrian electrical heating company Etherma, a producer of infrared heating systems and direct-fired heaters; and Polish company Kospel, a manufacturer of water heaters, hot water storage tanks, and electric boilers. Following these acquisitions, earlier this year Viessmann launched a range of electric heating products to the UK: three Vitotherm hot water heaters, three Vitoplanar electric space heaters, and the new Vitotron 100 electric boiler system – an efficient solution for homes without a gas connection. The Vitotron 100 is available in 4, 6, or 8 kW models for single-phase power and up to 24 kW for three-phase power. This boiler can be used as a primary heat generator and as central heating backup, can work with central heating systems and DHW cylinders of all types (being equipped with a 5-litre expansion vessel),
30 January 2022
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