BSRIA launches test standard for HIUs
BSRIA has launched a test standard for heat interface units (HIUs) to fill a gap in the UK market by providing a method to demonstrate the performance of HIUs and compare products across a range of thermal parameters for different applications. The standard will serve as a reference point for manufacturers, contractors and end users and will help create confidence in the industry.
An HIU is a packaged set of components that connects a consumer’s heating and/or hot-water system to the heat network. Their successful operation depends on appropriate system design and specification — followed by competent installation and maintenance.
Colin Judd, senior test engineer with BSRIA, said, ‘We know such a standard will be extremely useful for members and industry alike. Indeed, we have seen significant growth in the testing of these products, and they continue to increase in popularity.
‘Over the past 20 years, there has been increasing recognition that heat networks, enabled by the use of HIUs, particularly those associated with CHP in urban areas, are a key element of a low-carbon future. The standard can also be applied to chilled-water HIUs used for space comfort cooling.’
The standard dovetails with the recently launched HIU guide, which focuses on the issues surrounding the application and installation of direct and indirect HIUs for residential and small commercial applications in district or communal heat networks.
BG 62/2015 is available from the online BSRIA Bookshop.
