Heating control is the answer to emissions and energy reductions
As its name implies, the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is designed to encourage organisations to cut carbon emissions and save energy. The heating industry has a significant role to play in this, says Mark Northcott, director of commercial products at Remeha
From April 2011, organisations that qualify for the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES) scheme — large public and private sector organisations — will buy ‘allowances’ from the Government equal to their annual emissions.
The overall emissions reduction target is achieved by placing a ‘cap’ on the total allowances available to each group of CRC EES participants.
This requirement, however, begs a question. How do these organisations achieve energy and emissions reductions?
One way is to reduce carbon emissions is to ensure that heating systems are up to scratch. Condensing boilers certainly demonstrate impressive efficiency, with some models producing up to 110% net efficiency. This slashes fuel consumption and, therefore, dramatically cuts carbon emissions.
However, specifying a condensing boiler is not enough on its own. In larger installations like those covered by the CRC EES, it is the quality of the system that really counts in terms of both energy savings and lower emissions.
And that implies tackling the controls as well as the heat generator itself.
Effective controls prevent boilers operating when they are not needed and eliminate wasteful on and off cycling.
If the system includes several boilers, then sequence controls save energy, cut emissions and prolong the life of the boilers by ensuring that they are not overworked.
Weather compensation prevents the unnecessary stop/start operation of boilers by working with external sensors which monitor outdoor temperatures and adjust the boiler output accordingly. They also prevent large temperature fluctuations that can adversely affect comfort levels and keep the boilers in condensing mode for longer, further boosting efficiency.
Mark Northcott, director of commercial products at Remeha
