Energy


y efficiency Tak


performance for at Baxi Heating. T


A


swe learn to livewith COVID-19, addressing the energy efficiency of our commercial buildings ismore important than ever.While energy consumption in unoccupied buildingsmay have fallen during lockdown, nowis the opportune moment to prior


ritise energy efficiency improvements s


before energy demand and prices rise oncemore. Energy efficiency is also a fundamental pillar in the UK’s path to net zero. Andwith over a third of UK emissions coming fromheat in buildings, this is an obvious target fo As we work to


or improvement. a range of appro


owards full decarbonisation of heat, oaches and solutions will need to


be employed tomeet the unique requirements of individual buildings. This is likely to include low carbon technologies such as heat pumps inwell insulated commercial properties and heat networks in dense urban environments. The feasibility of repurposing the existing gas grid to transport green gas is also being explored by ourselves and others to offer a lowdisruption option towards decarbonising our older buildin


ng stock. Butwemustn’t neglect the cost-effective


opportunities that are available nowto reduce energy demand and emissions fromheat in buildings. Replacing any ageing or inefficient boilerswith high efficiency condensing boilers and adding the appropriate controls, for example, has the potential to deliver significant efficiency savings for rapid financial payback. The focus nowmust be on optimising perfo


ormance for maximum savings. With that inmind, let’s consider some of the


challengeswhen refurbishing older heating systems and howbest to maximum efficie


ency gains. overcome these hurdles for


Cascades


Efficiency is the key requirement in any commercial heating upgrade. However, as the newsystemwill generally need to fit into the space designed around the old boiler, accessibility and available space will also need to be consideredwhen determining plant configuration.


available space will


Wall hung boilers are typically the boiler of choice due to their compact size and their ability to be installed in cascade arrangement.


ly the boiler of choice Cascade systems comprisemultiple linked boilers


Given that extensions to a building or improvements to Accurate sizing


g or improvements to


its fabric since the previous boiler plantwas installed are likely to alter demand, it’s clearly essential to understand the building’s actual requirement.And as a building’s use or occupancy ratemay have changed considerably post COVID-19, a reassessment is particularly relevant at the present time.


But in low-ceilinged cramped basement plant rooms, wall hung boilersmay not always be an option. Fortunately, smaller,more lightweight floor standing condensing boilermodels are nowavailable that are easier tomanoeuvre safely into position.Additional features like the inclusion of integralwheels or the ability to disassemble high output boiler into parts again smooths access constraints and associated costs. However, it is not just the boiler footprint that needs to be calculated asmaintenance areas, access space andwalkwaysmust also be factored into the available space.


Clever use ofmodern boiler service area can overcome this hurdle. For example,with the latest floor standing boilermodels, like Remeha’s Gas 120 and 220 Ace, ultra-compactmodular configurations can be achieved that usually only require access at the fron t for space-saving design. And while interconnecting pipework tends to be placed above


www.heatingandventilating.net net


efficien Taking


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turndown A casca


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Retrofit and boiler replacement have a vital role to play in meeting our environmental targets, says Andy Green technical director at Baxi Heating The focus now must be on optimising system maximum efficiency savings


on optimising system een technical director tal role to play in meeting


which can respondmore efficiently to changing heat loads and are easier to size to specific building needs. Selecting boilerswith a highmodulating ratiowill ensure that each boiler can adjust its operating capacity in linewith


capability and improves themodulation de configuration also offers a high demand formore efficient operation.


capability of the boilers formore efficient operation. The inbuilt redundancy provides greater reliability while the design alsomakes for easiermaintenance – leading to higher lifetime efficiency – as the boilers are easier labour and


d downtime. to isolate, remove and replace, redu


Maintenance areas cing


!!


Sept


September


tember 2020


www heatingandventilating.net www.heatingandventilating.net g.net


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