The future favours electric heating

Electromax
Renewable energy can be utilised by this Electromax package, with support from electricity.

With cleaner electricity generation on the way, electric space heating has a positive and secure future, especially as electric heating products are highly compatible with renewable technologies. Robin Wood argues the case.

The number of electric heating installations taking place in the UK is on the increase, according to recent reports. It has been suggested that residential landlords and developers of high-rise buildings are choosing electric heating products over their gas counterparts. Some industry experts are even predicting that in 10 years’ time electricity could be the dominant heating fuel.

However, electric heating continues to be penalised in Government figures. Although electric heating products are highly efficient at the point of use (for example our Amptec electric wet central heating flow boiler is 99.8% efficient), most specifiers and consultants will know that electric heating is viewed as carbon intensive within SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure), because of the way electricity is currently generated in the UK.

But we know from the report of the Climate Change Committee Report (‘Building a low carbon economy — the UK’s contribution to tackling climate change), published in December 2008, that a radical decarbonisation of power is planned — which will make electric heating a very efficient option.

Decarbonisation is likely to be achieved through a combination of nuclear power stations and renewable electricity generation — both of which have Government backing. As well as supporting a new generation of nuclear power stations, the Government has set a target for 10% of electricity produced in the UK to come from renewable sources by 2010. ‘Green’ electricity is already being produced via renewable methods — for example through wind farms, hydropower and photo-voltaics — and is available from some energy suppliers.

We have to admit that large-scale decarbonisation could be some way off, but, in the meantime, developers, specifiers and consultants that want to use electric heating are finding ways to overcome the issues, perhaps by making sure properties are well insulated or by incorporating renewable technologies to offset the emissions.

Electric heating can be successfully coupled with renewable technologies; helping to meet SAP and Code for Sustainable Homes targets, as well as reducing carbon emissions and fuel bills for homeowners or tenants. Fortunately, electric heating works well with renewable technologies — in particular solar-thermal water heating and heat pumps.

Some developers are also using ‘green’ electricity. For example, one of our housebuilder customers is using a restored water turbine and a mill stream to generate carbon-neutral electricity, which is partly used to provide heating and hot water. Our Amptec electric flow boilers and Megaflo HE hot-water cylinders have been installed at the development.

We believe that some consultants and specifiers are willing to try to overcome SAP issues because electric heating offers benefits over other solutions, with products being flexible, controllable, simple and cost-effective to install, and having low maintenance requirements.

Electric heating has really moved on in recent years. Gone are the days when there was only the uncontrollable night storage heater to turn to. There are now several options to consider, some of which offer end users a level of controllability and flexibility that doesn’t differ from mains gas.

heater
In highly insulated buildings, modern electric panel heaters have many benefits.

For example, electric wet central heating flow boilers really revolutionised the electric heating sector. Used with radiators or underfloor heating systems, they work in a similar way to gas-fired boilers. They provide heating when it is actually needed and are controlled and operated by a programmer and thermostat. They are usually compact and wall hung.

Heatrae Sadia has actually taken electric central heating one step further, by developing a ‘one-box’ solution. Electromax provides full wet central heating and unvented domestic hot water from one compact unit. Being factory assembled, tested and pre-plumbed, the product is simple to install. There is also a solar version (Electromax Solar). As well as being designed to reduce installation time, Electromax Solar can help specifiers to solve electric SAP calculation dilemmas more easily.

Of course, full central heating systems are not appropriate for every application; there may be budget constraints or a solution might be needed for a small apartment. But there are electric options for these circumstances too.

For example, a popular solution for highly insulated, modern apartments is electric panel heaters, which provide dry space heating. Panel heaters are cost-effective and straightforward to install, and offer the end user a high degree of flexibility and controllability.

 

We believe the electric heating sector is secure and set to grow further — especially with cleaner electricity generation on the way. Electric heating products are compatible with renewable technologies, and solutions are more flexible and controllable than in the past. It must be remembered that electric heating products are actually highly efficient at the point of use, so once cleaner sources of electricity are available, they will be very much in demand.

Robin Wood is head of Heatrae Sadia’s electrical division.

 

amptec
Given ‘green’ electricity, electric flow boilers such as Heatrae Sadia’s Amptec can contribute to low-carbon buildings.
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