2013 March

The wider use of low-carbon heat sources to produce domestic hot water necessitates a considered approach to risk control. Jeff House of Baxi Commercial Division explains.

The need to use less water is becoming increasingly recognised and accepted. The industry is ahead of the public is raising awareness, as Barbara Osborne of Deva and Methven UK explains.

When managers at an acute district general hospital in Bedfordshire wanted to understand the consumption of hot water to enable requirements to be identified for replacing equipment with the most energy-efficient solution, ETA Energy Systems was called in. Peter Richardson, managing director of ETA, explains, ‘During our assessment of the hospital’s needs, we established full weekly hot-water consumption profiles, allowing equipment to be accurately selected and specified for the replacement project.

Grundfos has further enhanced its Sololift2 range of macerators. The family comprises just five models that, through the flexibility of their design, their adaptability and performance, provide the solution to handling wastewater for any combination of WC, bidet, sink, shower and washing machine.

Well over half the energy that goes down the drain as hot water from showers can be recovered to preheat cold water using simple maintenance-free technology. Jon Cockburn takes up the story.

According to Rinnai’s Scott Humphries, its continuous-flow hot-water systems are easy to keep free of scale. He says, ‘When quoting for big installations, for example, multiple showers and numerous wash hand basins — continuous-flow systems save 30 to 35% on install and around the same on gas costs. And there is no costly messing around with salt-based conditioners.’

Lochinvar has supplied a solar-thermal system to meet the high demand for hot water in the new city-centre Redmond Building of Liverpool John Moores University. Consisting of a range of social and learning spaces, the 11 500 m2 building has toilet and changing facilities on each of its six floors, with a hot-water requirement throughout the day.

David Pepper welcomes the flexibility and practicality of the proposed changes to Part L of the Building Regulations, but questions their significance for producing domestic hot water.

Grundfos has embraced augmented reality (AR) to help explain the installation and features of its UPS2 pump head. Designed not only to meet the energy requirements of EuP 2013 legislation but also exceeding legislation due in 2015, this compact pump head offers a fast and energy-efficiency solution to upgrading or replacing pumps in restricted spaced such as in boilers or preplumbed cylinders.

Toshiba Air Conditioning has launched a leasing scheme for replacing obsolete R22 air-conditioning equipment with new systems — in most cases for no additional cost. R22 is still one of the most common refrigerants in use in installed systems, but the use of R22 for topping up plant will be banned from the end of 2014.

In five years’ time it will be illegal to let any commercial building with an Energy Performance Certificate of F or lower. Anthony Coumidis of McBains Cooper, considers the challenge the owners of these existing buildings face to avoid assets being rendered obsolete.

Biddle has launched a sectional version of its Forceflow fan convector to make the replacement of ‘back-access’ fan convectors simple and straightforward, as its configuration can be altered to match the existing builder’s work footprint. Fan convectors have become a popular choice for heating school classrooms, favoured for their ability to warm up rooms very quickly and that they require only minimal wall space.

The new communal heating system for two high-rise blocks in Wolverhampton is served by Evinox packaged boiler skids that are more efficient than individual boilers. The £12 million investment to refurbish the buildings on the Hickman estate is part of the Wolverhampton Homes Decent Homes programme. Each flat has a ModuSat heat-interface unit equipped to provide accurate metering of energy consumption and billing.

Year-long monitoring of the performance of upgraded air-conditioning units at the UK headquarters of Alfa Laval has shown a 44% reduction in overall energy use, amounting to around £4200 a year. The work involved replacing aging R22 units with five new City Multi YHM-R2 Replace technology systems from Mitsubishi Electric.

As part of ongoing refurbishment Xpelair’s Customvent division has provided a bespoke high-efficiency ventilation system for Halliford School in Shepperton. The system needed to meet and exceed stringent acoustic regulations that were imposed during planning stages because of the proximity of the school to local housing.

Energy savings of 22% over and above those already being achieved by the building-management system have been realised by the Driving Standards Agency by fitting Sabien Technology’s M2G intelligent boiler load optimisers to boilers at Eastgate House in Newcastle upon Tyne. The payback is projected to be abound 1.4 years.

Legionnaires’ Disease is an ever-present risk in many pipework systems. Des Dolan of Durapipe discusses how to help prevent legionella bacteria establishing themselves in building-services systems

St Mary’s School, an independent girls’ school in Dorset, has upgraded all its fire-detection measures with design help and guidance from ADT Fire & Security. The upgrade protects the site with a reliable and robust digital system. The school occupies a varied 55 acre estate centred around a larger 4-storey Victorian country house, now enhanced by a modern complex of bespoke buildings.

BSRIA’s latest Key Performance Indicators for M&E maintenance show a number of encouraging improvements — as Tracey Tilbry explains.

Balancing the requirements for cooling, heating and hot water in a building has never been easier. And simulation software makes it easy to evaluate the best option. Michael Passingham of Daikin UK takes up the story.

Purmo is presenting its range of radiators as offering a potential energy saving of 15% in low-temperature heating systems compared with other types of heat emitter, particularly in applications using renewable-heat sources. Chris Atkins, sales and marketing director, explains, ‘The secret is largely in their ability to react rapidly to changes in temperature as and when they are required.

The refurbishment of boiler plant in one of 24 plant rooms at a boarding school in Dorset has seen three Hamworthy Purewell VariHeat pre-mix condensing boilers replace four Purewell Classic atmospheric boilers. Provision has been made for the installation of a fourth boiler in the summer when that area of Canford School is likely to be extended.

Not only does the new SFG20 enable maintenance strategies to be defined for every type of building and every need, but it also delivers the capability of managing the total cost of ownership. Andy Green of the SFG20 technical standards committee takes up the story.

In urging more FTSE 100 companies to report on their estate-specific carbon reduction, Cal Bailey of NG Bailey is only suggesting what his own company is already doing — and successfully exploiting that first-hand experience.

The refurbishment of the listed Great Northern Hotel at King’s Cross achieved an Energy Performance Certificated only just below a B rating. Mike Malina of Energy Solutions Associates, which carried out the assessment, describes how a BREEAM ‘Very good’ certification was achieved for this 150-year-old hotel.

Despite turbulent times for the solar PV sector just over a year ago, this form of renewable energy has become firmly established and is set to become part of the mainstream of the UK energy mix — with that growth supported by the setting up by BRE of the National Solar Centre. Ken Sharpe has been looking into the background.

With 2013 bringing increasing pressure to deliver cost benefits, including energy reduction, Grundfos reminds us that most pumps are incorrectly sized for their current application. To address the problem, Grundfos offers a wide range of high-efficiency pumps and advanced motor technology that can reduce the average pump’s energy consumption by up to 60%.

Big Foot Systems offers competitive, no-risk rooftop support systems for building services and plant equipment.

TES is the temporary storage of thermal energy for later use, bridging the gap between energy availability and energy use. Using conventional solar collectors one can provide not only hot water but also as a low grade under floor heating utilising +27ºC (81ºF) Phase Change Material (PCM) containers can be provided, eliminating the need for any other heating source.

Siemens Building Technologies has added KNX-compliant flush-mount models to its Symaro sensor line. In addition to measuring the temperature, humidity and air quality, these communications-enabled sensors can also control these parameters, as well as switch lights on and off and control sun protection systems. The devices support a wide variety of configuration options and can be customized to each specific application.

Geberit has approved a new electro-fusion box for improved connection of its HDPE and Silent-db20 pipe systems. The company has worked with Advance Welding to produce the AW315G, which offers superior performance and greater overall efficiency during welding compared to its predecessors.

Viessmann’s Vitodens 100-W gas condensing boiler has two pairs of flow and return pipes for separate space-heating and DHW circuits at different temperatures. The efficiency of both circuits is maximised, especially if weather compensation is also fitted, as the heating side can condense effectively too.

Alpha Heating Innovation has expanded its InTec range with the addition of a high-output floor-standing storage combination boiler. Created in response to high hot-water demands such as within larger properties and homes with multiple bathrooms, the InTec 50CS includes a 54 l storage cylinder, enabling it to deliver a high volume of hot water. The combi boiler kicks in when the stored water is exhausted.

Panasonic’s Heat Pump Manager (HPM) is part of a new generation of smart controllers for eco-efficient heating. The HPM is a versatile stand-alone controller for heating and domestic hot water and is available with or without a built-in display.

The Max range of powerful air curtains from JS Air Curtains is designed for warehouses and factory doorways. These air curtains can seal large entrances with an invisible barrier of air that prevents cold air entering while the doorway is open and in use, helping to maintain a comfortable temperature and reduce heating costs.

Evinox is now official UK distributor for the Fontecal Corolla range of commercial boilers. They have been available in the UK since 2004, and this new arrangement assures continuing availability of boilers and spare parts for new and existing customers. There are four models of these wall-hung, condensing, pre-mix boilers with outputs from 38 to 100 kW.

Johnson & Starley’s range of WarmCair condensing warm-air heaters offers heating outputs from 10 kW right up to 46 kW, making them suitable for commercial projects. Three models are downflow units that combine warm-air heating with the production of domestic hot water; they have outputs of 10, 16 and 20 kW. In addition there are five heating-only downflow models with heating outputs from 10 to 46 kW and four upflow models with heating from 16 to 46 kW. Noise levels are said to be exceptionally low.

Toshiba Air Conditioning has introduced what it claims to be the industry’s first 7-year warranty for air-conditioning equipment. Under the new scheme, if a PCB fails, Toshiba will supply a new PCB and a realistic £175 installation cost — compared with £28 before, a figure in line with industry practice.

Gilberts ST Series of diffusers are well suited to providing displacement ventilation in theatres and auditoria by being installed at low level, typically under the seating. By introducing conditioned air unobtrusively from directly behind the occupants, only the space around the audience is conditioned, rather than the whole auditorium. The occupied space is kept at ideal conditions without using energy maintaining the whole space at design conditions.

Airvent’s Optima roof ventilator is designed for the smoke-ventilation market and has excellent air/water tightness and insulation properties. Its U-value is said to be the best on the market for a louvred smoke ventilator. These ventilators have been independently tested and certified to EN 12101-2.

Heatrae Sadia has entered the heat-recovery market with a shower heat-recovery unit and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. These products are primarily designed for new homes but can also be retrofitted into existing dwellings to deliver savings comparable with solar thermal.

Powrmatic is to introduce a range of ErP-compliant split-system heat-pump air conditioners from Midea in the coming months. All models in the range will deliver the seasonal energy efficiencies required by the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC (ErP Directive for air conditioners of less than 12 kW.

Panasonic has added low-capacity 3 and 5 kW Bi-bloc units to its Aquarea range of air-to-water heat pumps. They are ideal for small homes, social-housing developments and properties where there is no gas supply. They are specially designed for low-consumption homes and come as heating-only and heating-and-cooling versions. They use R410A.

Westco haas added new expansion vessels to its range, covering potable-water and heating applications. HeatWave (pictured) and PressureWave expansion vessels are made by the Total Water Solutions Company.

Riegens Lighting’s Frame slimline suspended luminaire combines LED lamps with prismatic technology. The aesthetic design of these luminaires makes them ideal for high-end office lighting installations.

Pegler Yorkshire has achieved the BSI Kitemark for copper press fittings, claiming to be the first company to do so. The Kitemark was received for the Xpress copper water and gas press-fitting ranges in sizes from 15 to 28 mm to BS 8537:2010. The certification also assures that the press fittings are approved for use with copper tubes meeting the requirements of BS EN 1057.

Trend’s IQ422 controller has multi-browser support and is claimed to have the smallest footprint (116 x 158 mm) for a 12-point universal controller. The IQ422 is the second variant in the family of IQ4 main-plant controllers and builds on the success of the recently launched IQ41x series. Data can also be accessed via mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets, with information being presented in the correct format automatically.

Imtech UK has won a place on the Greater London Authority’s multi-million Re:Fit framework (public buildings retrofit programme). This award-winning programme of the Mayor of London provides a commercial model for public bodies wishing to implement energy-efficiency improvements to their buildings or estate, which can include local energy generation.

Martin Cotterell, founder and technical director of Sundog Energy, has been appointed chairman of a British Standards committee dealing with photo-voltaic energy systems — BSI committee GEL/82. This committee is responsible for the UK input to the equivalent international committees (IEC TC82 and CLC/TC 82), which set the standards for all elements of solar PV systems — from the operation of the solar cells to the way the electricity generated is fed into the national grid.

JS Wright has won another housing regeneration contract in London, Worth £600 000 and awarded by Rydon, the 12-month project is part of the phase-2 redevelopment of the Durand Close Estate in Carshalton for Affinity Sutton. It involves installing hot- and cold-water systems, heating-distribution units and sanitaryware in new houses and apartments.

Ener-G has boosted its presence in the US CHP market by taking a 75% holding in Rudox, a co-generation business based in New Jersey. The existing owners, the Goodman family, will retain a 25% share in the new company. The two companies have a combined turnover approaching £130 million and a global portfolio of 603 MW of operational co-generation systems.