A radiant gloss on heating costs

Against a background of fuel prices that are can only rise in the long term, Simon Garratt of AmbiRad advocates a long-term view rather than interest only in initial capital cost.

Current industry regulations obviously insist that staff cannot work in cold temperatures. However, with factory and warehouse owners faced with an ever-increasing overhead, the temptation is to resort to the cheapest heating system available, even though it is rarely the most energy efficient.

Most manufacturers of heating systems are now looking to systems that reduce whole-life costs as a way of making real energy savings. Short term, a cheap system might seem the right way to go, but don’t be deceived.

Although paying for more energy-efficient heating systems may not be a popular idea in the current economy, it makes tremendous sense when true value. rather than initial cost, is looked at.

According to Government information, the most reliable indicator of ‘value’ in the construction industry is the relationship between long-term costs and the benefit achieved by the end-user. When it comes to the heating system, best value is gained from the system that achieves the required functionality at lowest cost when calculated over the whole life of the equipment.

Whole-life cost analysis is an economic evaluation process solely for the purpose of assessing the true cost of constructing and running a building over a period of time, based on the functional requirements of the building. It is effective for new buildings, including design and build projects, and is a pre-requisite for all PFI contracts.

The technique was originally used by the accountancy profession to compare outcomes when income varies over time, using today’s value or net present value as a starting point. Today, the methodology is used widely in many industries, although uptake in the construction industry is ‘quite small’, according to John Langmaid, principal consultant at BSRIA.

Using these calculations, manufacturers such as AmbiRad have proved that the economies that can be gained from installing radiant are substantial. Savings of 25 to 60% have been achieved when radiant replaces a traditional boiler and radiator system in a large-space building.

It’s a technique that has been in existence for decades. With more and more people seeing the benefits of whole-life cost analysis, its popularity in construction is increasing. Rather than focusing on the cost of installation and payment for the system, it focuses instead on the building’s requirements, how well each solution tackles them and the costs of doing so.

Going cheap might look good in an initial payment. But compare its whole-life cost to that of an energy efficient system, and the difference can be thousands of pounds — wasted money that businesses cannot afford to lose.

Considering a building’s needs shouldn’t be simplified to ‘the building must be heated’, as the full requirements are far more specific. Value management and value engineering are indispensable factors in finding the more efficient solution.

AmbiRad, radiant heating, space heating
Continuous radiant tube heating in hangars at RAF Cottesmore is proving more effective and much cheaper to run than the previous high-temperature-hot-water system.

The system should match the needs of the occupants, as well as the building’s shape and size. This means knowing exactly where and when heat will be needed and how it can best be delivered.

In specifying a heating system, it is important to base requirements on output and functional needs, rather than describing the process by which these will be achieved. This allows for flexibility and, perhaps, more thoughtful or innovative approaches to a heating solution, one that will fulfil needs over the system’s life. For example, it should respond to alterations in the work pattern, downsizing or expansion.

The genuine energy saving benefits of radiant heating are demonstrated by installations at the RAF Cottesmore. The four 5500 m2 hangars previously had a highly inefficient high-temperature hot-water distribution system with enormous distribution losses. The existing heating system was decommissioned, and each hangar was fitted with a continuous radiant-tube heating system, operating in four zones.

Following an investigation into the options, taking into account whole-life costing, AmbiRad’s radiant-tube heating was found to be the best solution for long-term value.

The zoned heating had an unusual advantage on this application. On occasion the cockpit is secured into place using epoxy glue. The aircraft can be positioned in one of the zones and heating left running over night to set the glue. With the previous heating the entire hangar had to be heated to achieve this.

After just a few months, energy consumption was found to have fallen dramatically. Over a 10-year period following the system’s introduction it was calculated that the base would benefit from discounted savings of nearly £150 000.

This kind of saving is something that every sector can benefit from. And, with forward thinking companies strongly backing the system, there can be nationwide savings of up to millions of pounds. With fuel prices looking to never back down, it is a saving that no-one can afford not to make.

Simon Garratt is marketing manager with AmbiRad.

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