April 2019

APRIL 2019

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue Boilers & Burners Building Energy Management Systems CPD Module: Biomass Boilers Compressed Air

The battle for talent A career in building controls

Step by step guide Savings in compressed air

Evolution of the boiler room Taking a bespoke approach

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APRIL 2019

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue Boilers & Burners Building Energy Management Systems CPD Module: Biomass Boilers Compressed Air

The battle for talent A career in building controls

Step by step guide Savings in compressed air

Contents

www.eibi.co.uk

29

Evolution of the boiler room Taking a bespoke approach

APRIL 2019

34

FEATURES

12 Boilers & Burners

Stuart Turner discusses the changes in modern commercial heating systems and the importance of effective integration

Energy 30 Building Management Systems The building controls industry is set to boom but where are the engineers of the future? Terry Sharp highlights the exciting experiences a career in the building controls industry can bring

Before rushing into a heat pump or hydrogen future, it’s important that last year’s boiler plus legislation is fully rolled out in both domestic and commercial gas boiler installations, says Darren McMahon (14) The pressure is on operators of diesel-fired generators. Jason Harryman discusses what options are open to users now the Medium Combustion Plant Directive is biting (16) A greater push on improving heating efficiency is required to meet our 2050 carbon reduction target. For maximum results, we must use technology in a more bespoke way, says Paul Arnold (20) Preparing old systems for new energy-efficient boilers is not a straightforward as it seems. Andrew Dabin looks at the main factors that energy managers must consider(26)

A BEMS must be given attention throughout the year in order to maximise its potential. Casey Wells explains (32)

33 Energy Software

TEAM launches its next generation Sigma Tenant Billing solution while ZTP unveils the Kiveeva platform that is designed to digitalise the procurement and management of flex power and gas contracts

34 Compressed Air

M&E contractors and building services managers looking to maximise space within plant rooms have a checklist of services to consider. Heating systems are just one of many, says Chris Caton (27)

Compressed air is a worthwhile target for auditing, analysis and optimisation, says Stef Lievens. And there are some simple steps that users can take to start making savings Roy Brooks outlines some methods to consider to save energy in a typical compressed air system, and highlights areas where waste occurs and how to minimise it (36)

REGULARS 06 News Update

Housebuilder accused of cheating the public, while energy efficiency has contributed a quarter of all growth in UK GDP over a 42-year period

when reviewing the potential of biomass boilers

29 Products in Action

10 The Warren Report

Ten years after their introduction DECs and EPCs provide a fascinating snapshot of the state of the UK’s building stock even if compliance is still far from perfect

Mark Hobbins introduces biomass as a fuel source and then explores some of the key considerations

Air conditioning is installed at a new Mercedes Benz retail centre in Stockport while pipe insulation helps a Birmingham Hospital reach a high BREEAM rating

38 ESTA Viewpoint

21 The Fundamental Series: CPD Learning

reduces motor sizes; Mitsubishi completes wall-hung air conditioning systems; and a thermal camera with rapid reporting features

Richard Quilter explains the importance of the MID Directive when it comes to choosing meters at a time when performance contracting and on-site generation continue to grow

42 Talking Heads

David Hall believes utilities must take the lead in helping householders to become prosumers through financial incentives and the latest connected technology David Hall

39 New Products

Permanent magnet technology

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editor’s opinion

Follow us on @ twitter.com/energyzine and twitter.com/markthrower1

EVs and buildings collide

B

y the time that 2040 comes around I

engineering centre (see page 9). The outlets are for

can guarantee that my knees will be

use by employees to encourage uptake of electric

considerably more creaky than they are

vehicles. Charging points will also be installed in

now. However, mobility by car will be less

the visitors’ car park, so guests can take advantage

of a problem. Instead of owning a car I’ll probably

of convenient fast charging. This smart charging

summon one for use on that day and driverless

network is believed to be the largest single

technology will take over. And, of course, the vehicle

installation of its kind in the UK.

will be electric. In fact, all vehicles will have to be electric by then.

The trend towards EVs is moving at such a pace

This upsurge in demand will put pressure on building operators and energy managers to ensure that their buildings are fit to cope. All our homes and

that 2040 may turn into 2035 or even 2030. The

new buildings will have charging points as standard

infrastructure to cope with demand is already

and methods have to be found to retrofit. But Jaguar

showing signs of lagging behind and governments

Land Rover has coupled the installation of chargers

have to come up with plans to ensure a smooth roll

with the construction of a BREEAM Excellent

out.

standard building. It is a perfect opportunity to

We may need 8GW of additional power generation

ensure that if we are going to move to a new age of

by 2030 to charge our cars, coupled with large-scale

clean transport then our buildings can, and must,

electrical distribution upgrades - the equivalent of

perform to the same high environmental standards.

building around 2.6 Hinkley Point C power stations.

It will require a whole range of different technologies

As the speed of introduction of EVs gains pace,

to come together including batteries, photovoltaics,

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the EiBI team editorial Managing Editor Mark Thrower tel: 01483 452854 Email: editor@eibi.co.uk Address: P. O. Box 825, Guildford GU4 8WQ Social Media Assistant Sam Jackson tel: 01889 577222 Email: info@energyzine.co.uk

advertising Sales Managers Chris Evans tel: 01889 577222 fax: 01889 579177 Email: chris@eibi.co.uk Address: 16-18 Hawkesyard Hall, Armitage Park, Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 1PU Russ Jackson tel: 01704 501090 fax: 01704 531090 Email: russ@eibi.co.uk Address: Argyle Business Centre, 8 Leicester Street, Southport, Lancashire PR9 0EZ Nathan Wood tel 01525 716 143 fax 01525 715 316 Email nathan@eibi.co.uk Address: 1b, Station Square Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 1DP

the way we refuel our vehicles will fundamentally

BEMS, to provide the infrastructure for EVs and

change. Charging at home at night or at our

energy-neutral buildings. This collaboration must

workplaces will be the preferred options. It has been

gather pace quickly.

classified sales

MANAGING EDITOR

circulation

Mark Thrower

Sue Bethell Tel: 01889 577222 Email: circulation@eibi.co.uk

estimated that 40 per cent of electric car charging in Europe takes place at work.

Jaguar Land Rover has installed 166 smart charging outlets for electric vehicles at its Gaydon

Sharon Nutter Tel: 01889 577222 Email: classified@eibi.co.uk

administration/ production

THIS MONTH’S COVER STORY Compressed air is a worthwhile target for auditing, analysis and optimisation, says Stef Lievens of Atlas Copco Ltd. And there are some simple steps that users can take to start making savings. These can include turning off compressors during breaks and overnight, finding and sealing leaks in the airlines, and training staff to avoid wasting compressed air in the same way as they have been trained not to waste electricity. More complex steps may involve installing more efficient variablespeed drive compressors, which match the work they put in to compressing air to the demand.

See page 34 for more details Cover photo courtesy of Atlas Copco Ltd

04 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

Fran Critchlow Tel: 01889 577222 Email: info@eibi.co.uk

publishing Directors Chris Evans Russ Jackson Magazine Designer Tim Plummer For overseas readers or UK readers not qualifying for a free copy, annual subscription rates are £85 UK; £105 Europe airmail; £120 RoW. Single copies £10 each.

Published by: Pinede Publishing Ltd 16-18 Hawkesyard Hall, Armitage Park, Nr. Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 1PU ISSN 0969 885X This issue includes photographs provided and paid for by suppliers

Printed by Precision Colour Printing Origination by Design and Media Solutions ABC Audited Circulation Jan-Dec 2018 12,179

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SMEs offered partner network Following a successful pilot, Energy Systems Catapult is launching a new Incubator and Accelerator to offer SMEs tailored support to de-risk innovation, help their businesses scale and secure investment.

Incubation or Acceleration Support will be offered by the Catapult’s Innovator Support Platform (ISP), with two Innovator Challenges announced each year, focused on the creation of a smart energy system.

SMEs will have access to a network of partners to help with conventional business growth needs alongside expertise from across the Catapult.

Innovator Support Platform (ISP) business lead, Paul Jordan, said: “Many UK innovators face systemic barriers preventing their products and services getting to market at scale.

Yet innovation is crucial to transforming our energy system to meet carbon reduction targets; and heating alone accounts for over a third of UK carbon emissions.

“So, Energy Systems Catapult would like to invite SMEs who are working on innovative smart energy solutions for heating and cooling to submit applications for Incubation or Acceleration Support.”

One of the SMEs involved in the Incubation Support pilot was Evergreen Smart Power.

The Manchester-based start-up is developing a virtual power business aggregating and controlling domestic energy loads resulting from the decarbonisation of transport and heating to suit specific customer, market, generation and grid conditions.

Evergreen Smart Power founder and CEO, Andy McKay, said: “Support from Energy Systems Catapult and its Innovator Support Platform has provided Evergreen Smart Power with invaluable energy industry insights and business expertise that would usually be inaccessible to a small start-up.

ZERO CARBON HOMES

Housebuilder was ‘cheating public’ During the 2015 General Election campaign former Chancellor George Osborne surprised practically everybody by axing long-agreed plans to require all new homes to be zero carbon from 2016 (see EiBI May 2015).

His moratorium is still in force four years later.

At the time, no organisation or company applauded him publicly, with several leading housebuilding companies, material producers and their trade associations all deploring this policy U-turn.

Now, however, a director of the UK’s most profitable major housebuilder, Persimmon, has admitted that his company was the one that had lobbied Osborne successfully in 2015 to axe the zero carbon homes policy. The company’s planning director, Peter Jordan, told the House of Commons Business select committee that “we worked with government, and thought the right thing to do to get us building more quickly was to put it

06 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

on hold, and then review the building regulations afterwards.” There has been no subsequent review of Part L standards.

Scrapping the zero carbon policy “helped us maintain our supply chains and push production and growth,” Jordan claimed. “We have worked with our boiler manufacturers, with our supplier specifications, and our Space 4 factories, to get to a point that we are ready for change.”

So Persimmon is now mostly building just to the Part L 2013 standards. Such standards would usually ensure an A or B Energy

Performance Certificate rating.

Jordan admitted that only just over half (53 per cent) of its latest homes are officially rated A or B standard.

The company has been singled out for particular condemnation by the Committee on Climate Change. Its chair, Lord Deben, has accused the York-headquartered housebuilder of “cheating the public” by deliberately skimping on energy-saving requirements (see EiBI Jan 2018).

In the same session, former Cabinet Minister Patrick McLoughlin asked how it was possible for some housebuilders to still be building to 2006 standards, when planning permission only stood for five years. Technical director of Melius Homes, David Adams, referenced how planning permission is “grandfathered” as soon as work begins. This means that larger sites can be built at such an unambitious level once any building had commenced.

Retail giant aims for net zero carbon emissions by 2050 The John Lewis Partnership has announced it will reduce its operational greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 at the latest, without purchasing offsets, in line with the pathway set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to limit global warming to 1.5oC. The Partnership will initially focus on making significant emissions reductions in the vital period of the next ten years to decarbonise its operations as much as possible as quickly as possible. By 2028, it will remove a third of carbon from its operations through a significant investment in new refrigeration technology, biomethane-powered trucks, electric vans and renewable electricity. This is expected to result in CO2 savings equivalent to removing 16,000 petrol cars off the road every year.

The new targets build on significant emissions reductions already achieved, including a 70 per cent reduction in emissions achieved last year against a 2010 baseline - two years before the 2020 deadline the company had set itself.

To reduce emissions from its physical estate, the Partnership has committed to reducing its energy use by a quarter and ensuring electricity across all its sites will be 100 per cent renewable and British-sourced by 2028.

Over the next ten years, it will also phase out all hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) - the greenhouse gases used in cooling systems - from its core Waitrose & Partners refrigeration and switch these to HFC-free refrigerators, currently focusing on water-cooled refrigeration systems to achieve

this. Waitrose & Partners has already started to introduce a new design of shelf-edge strips which uses racing car technology to make its shop refrigerators more energy efficient.

In addition, the company says it will continue strengthening the responsible development standards it applies to every construction project. To date, over 110 Waitrose & Partners and John Lewis & Partners shops have been certified under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) process.

news update For all the latest news stories visit www.eibi.co.uk

UK CAPACITY MARKET

IN BRIEF

Tempus begins new legal challenge

Sole distributor for humidifier range

Following its successful application to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to annul operation of the UK capacity market (see EiBI Dec 2018), clean-tech energy company Tempus has lodged new legal action in the European Courts. This challenge relates to the European Commission’s decision to approve the similar Polish capacity market without opening an in-depth state aid investigation to examine the evidence, in particular on cleaner, cheaper alternatives to fossil fuel.

Tempus Energy has also filed a legal claim in the UK High Court, in an attempt to enforce the shutdown of the UK capacity market, after the scheme was judged to be illegal by the ECJ. The company accuses the government of flouting the ECJ’s ruling by instructing capacity providers to continue complying with their agreements, and also encouraging energy suppliers to make voluntary capacity payments to the Electricity Settlements Company.

It says the money already paid to capacity providers (over £5.6bn) should be returned to customers. “We are astounded at the UK government’s complete disregard for the law,” said Tempus Energy chief executive Sara Bell (above). “Energy consumers should

From April, Humidity Solutions will be the sole UK distributor for the West Midlands manufactured Vapac range of electrode boiler steam humidifiers.

The knowledge and expertise of both companies combine to enable Vapac humidifiers to be offered to the market with the full package of support services.

Kevin Hartshorne, sales manager of Vapac, stated: “We are delighted to have Humidity Solutions to partner us in presenting Vapac back to the market after a turbulent year due to a factory fire.”

John Barker, Humidity Solutions’ managing director, stated: “The chance to work with what has been the name for electrode boiler humidifiers in the UK over the past 40 years was too good an opportunity to pass by.”

not be paying for these subsidies which have already been declared unlawful.”

Meanwhile, the Polish government has introduced an energy subsidy scheme modelled on the UK capacity market scheme. It too awards subsidy agreements of up to 15 years duration for the building of new coal and gas stations. Due to the same flawed policy design, Demand Side Response (DSR) capacity providers are effectively shut out of the main auctions, meaning they can only access contracts of one year maximum.

This, combined with other barriers created by the scheme, skews the market, putting DSR at a competitive disadvantage and creating windfall profits for coal and gas incumbents.

Energy and clean growth minister Claire Perry told Parliament in January that the ECJ’s ruling was made entirely on “procedural grounds” and did not constitute “a challenge to the

nature of the UK capacity market mechanism itself” (see EiBI Jan 2019).

Bell described Perry’s statement to Parliament as “disingenuous”, and urged investors to seek independent legal advice rather than relying on government proclamations.

“The government has not been honest with investors and Parliament,” she remarked. “The legal basis for existing capacity market agreements has been withdrawn and the government has a legal obligation to return the money to customers. The government is desperate to give the impression that capacity market investments are safe.

But they are not safe.”

By becoming “demand-flexible”, electricity consumers can actively reduce their electricity demand at peak times and shift usage to cheaper, off-peak times, usually when renewable power is plentiful and transmission costs are cheaper. This saves money, while relieving network stress at peak times, improving system reliability and reducing reliance on expensive, “peaking” fossil fuel plants.

DSR is valuable for keeping energy costs - and therefore production costs – down in industrial processes, but is also increasingly being used in homes and offices, thanks to the smart buildings revolution.

Behaviour change programme helps property advisers E.ON and the Cardiff office of global real estate advisers Savills have come together to run an innovative behavioural science experiment, to test how businesses can encourage their employees to do their bit and reduce their energy use. These small and unobtrusive changes had little or no impact on day-to-day business activities but saw energy use fall by 26 per cent.

The four-week experiment run in the city centre office revolved around Savills employees, comparing the behaviour of two sides of the office: one with a series of behavioural science inspired ‘nudges’ to prompt responsible energy behaviours, with the other running as a control group without any interventions, to monitor energy use over the same period.

Nudges are small interventions designed to prompt people into a different pattern of behaviour, such as switching a light off that they may have left on. These make use of behaviour change techniques to guide employees into more sustainable choices – for example habit formation and creating social norms where individuals change their behaviour to fit in with the group.

Given that Savills office already has its own building management system in place with energy efficiency

measures such as pre-set timers for lighting which could not be controlled by staff, the experiment offered an opportunity to explore other ways that a business can save energy and the important contribution individual employees can play.

Phil Gilbert, director of customer solutions at E.ON, added: “These fantastic results prove that behavioural science is a powerful tool, with small changes able to make a big impact on office running costs. I look forward to helping more of our customers use these learnings to save energy and money.”

Bristol makes huge carbon reduction Bristol City Council has recorded a 71 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from its direct activities against a 2005 baseline, surpassing a target to reduce emissions by 65 per cent by 2020.

The council sourced 21GWh of energy generation from solar, wind and biomass in 2018, enough to power 24,000 homes for a month.

Projects including street lighting upgrades, increasing renewable energy stocks, implementing energy efficiency measures and closing certain corporate estate buildings all contributed to the achievement.

Bristol City Council is also rolling out city-wide projects to assist with wider carbon reductions outside of its direct impact. Heat networks and a City Leap initiative to transform the city’s energy infrastructure and ecosystem have been introduced.

APRIL 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 07

news update For all the latest news stories visit www.eibi.co.uk

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Chancellor Philip Hammond’s spring statement contained several policy announcements concerning energy usage.

A consultation into the Business Energy Efficiency Scheme, originally proposed by Hammond (right) in his 2018 Autumn Budget, was confirmed. It will major on seeking to get small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) more involved with energy saving.

Options under active consideration include reintroducing the zero interest loans scheme, scrapped in England in 2010, but still being run with success in Scotland and Wales. A central portal to provide independent advice is mooted; again, since the Carbon Trust ceased being publicly owned, this has been absent. New obligations upon energy companies to fund energy saving investments at SMEs’ premises, are also under consideration.

08 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

A Future Homes Standard will also be launched by 2025 to ensure that all new buildings are fitted with low-carbon heating – without independent gas boilers - but with “world-leading” levels of energy efficiency. No firm date has been set as to when a trajectory towards

these zero-carbon new buildings would be re-introduced.

Other commitments in the statement include: advancing the decarbonisation of gas supplies by increasing the proportion of green gas in the grid, and creating zerocarbon travel options through a call for evidence on Offsetting Transport Emissions requirements.

Conservative MP Antoinette Sandbach said: “High energy efficiency standards are vital not only to ensure that everyone has a warm place to live, but also to reduce our carbon footprint. We need to make sure that every home, new or old, is fit for the future. The announcement on green gas has shown the Government takes this task seriously. I’ve been working to raise awareness of this issue in Parliament and to my constituents, and we now need to make sure these measures are accessible and affordable for all homeowners.”

Panasonic teams up to further HVAC&R development Panasonic has announced a partnership with Systemair in order to further develop HVAC&R within the commercial and residential sectors in Europe.

Both companies will use the collaboration to improve their building solutions, including heat pumps, control technology and chillers, while also expanding Panasonic’s HVAC&R presence in Europe.

The first product series to emerge from the partnership, the ECOi-W, was unveiled by Panasonic at the recent Climatización y Refrigeración exhibition in Madrid. The new product, designed by Systemair, is due for launch in the second half of this year and includes cooling capacities from 20kW to 210kW, with an operating range of -17ºC to 50ºC. Speaking to EiBI, Roland Kasper, CEO of Systemair, believes that the collaboration will encourage more innovative products as a result of combining heating and cooling technology.

“The indoor temperature of a building needs to be comfortable for people to exist in. There are many different solutions to this, both in terms of cooling and ventilation and heating. When you can combine these things and make them work in unison you can start to create some really interesting products and that is what we are striving for with this partnership,” he said.

Kasper also expects Systemair to grow in the UK in the near future, adding: “We want to offer a wider scope of products in the UK and we expect to grow our presence there. We are rising in relevance within the UK and are anticipating a continuation of this.”

Enrique Vilamitjana, MD of Panasonic AC & Heating

Toshiyuki Takagi executive officer of Panasonic Corporation and President of Panasonic Air-Conditioner and Gerald Engström chairman and founder of Systemair

Europe, explained to EiBI that the heating and cooling sector is one of the most forward thinking, which makes sharing ideas even more important in order to make technological progress.

“These are two very innovative companies in the heating and ventilation field, so we need to focus on how to bring the next solution to an already advanced market when it comes to efficiency. I think that we can definitely do this and further innovate technology in Europe,” he concluded.

In a press conference unveiling the partnership, Panasonic also announced a greater push to make all of its products and manufacturing processes more energy efficient while decreasing the impact on the environment.

news update For all the latest news stories visit www.eibi.co.uk

STUDY BY YORK AND LEEDS UNIVERSITIES

Energy efficiency leads to GDP growth Gains in energy efficiency have contributed a quarter of all growth in UK GDP over the period 1971-2013.

A new UK-wide study from York and Leeds Universities shows that investments in energy efficiency are a key driver of economic growth.

Researchers reached this conclusion having modelled the chain of successive energy conversions to explore the energy-economy relationship in the UK. The authors believe their research provides an important lesson for policymakers: improving energy efficiency has benefits that go far beyond climate policy. The delivery of better energy services can improve

aspects of society, such as wellbeing.

The researchers warn that their results reveal that a crucial part of global climate policy is likely to be less effective than some believe at delivering overall reductions in energy use. In order to “decouple” energy use from GDP growth, in order to achieve global climate goals,

several additional policy options are needed.

The first is to design energyefficiency policies less likely to trigger rebound effects, and more likely to lead to decoupling. This can be done by combining efficiency policies with approaches that increase the price of energy, such as carbon taxes.

A second response is to ensure that energy services – “warmth, travel and illumination” – can be delivered in ways that reduce primary energy demand. Simultaneously, overall demand for such energy services can be reduced, via a “sufficiency” strategy that encourages a more equitable distribution of resources.

UK car maker’s charging outlets encourage EV use Jaguar Land Rover has installed 166 smart charging outlets for electric vehicles at its Gaydon engineering centre. The outlets are for use by employees to encourage uptake of electric vehicles – 40 per cent of electric car charging in Europe takes place at work.

Charging points will also be installed in the visitors’ car park, so guests can take advantage of convenient fast charging. This smart charging network is believed to be the largest single installation of its kind in the UK. The 7kW AC smart charging stations, supplied by NewMotion, can add 22 miles of range to an all –electric Jaguar I-PACE every hour and 176 miles in total during an eight-hour day. The stations are cloud-connected and integrated with the NewMotion public charging network, so employees can charge at stations across Europe using a single card. Users can also monitor and track charging throughout the day with a smartphone app.

Jaguar Land Rover sources 100 per cent renewable electricity – generated from natural resources including solar and wind energy – for its UK facilities, which will be used to power the infrastructure, providing carbon-free commuting to employees.

Jaguar Land Rover’s electricity supply is backed by

Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO), meaning a proportion of EDF Energy’s renewable energy is ringfenced for the company. In this case, the REGO scheme certifies that Jaguar Land Rover’s entire supply comes from renewable generation.

Sustainability is at the forefront of the Design and Engineering centre in Gaydon, says Jaguar Land Rover.

The new building is on track to receive a rating of BREEAM Excellent. It features photovoltaic panels, low environmental impact construction materials as well as efficient LED lighting systems.

Shell moves into digital technology with acquisition Shell has agreed to acquire UK-based energy technology company Limejump Ltd, in a deal claimed to enable both companies to support Britain in its transition to a lower carbon future.

Limejump is set to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell as a result of this deal. Erik Nygard, CEO of Limejump, emphasised that the agreement is an exciting moment for the firm. “We are in the middle of a revolution towards a future

where many electricity networks around the world are powered by renewable electricity. Shell will help us to drive our innovative technology platform to new heights and support the Limejump team to make a bigger impact on the industry than previously possible.”

Brian Davis, VP energy solutions at Shell New Energies explained: “We are impressed by the Limejump team and their track record of building a digital energy platform that connects and

optimises a diverse range of assets.

“Together, we can offer more choices to our customers in the UK as we accelerate the building of a customer-focused energy system in support of Shell’s strategy to offer more and cleaner energy solutions.”

Meanwhile, a year after Shell acquired First Utility it has rebranded the supplier as Shell Energy Retail and has switched more than 700,000 homes in Britain to 100 per cent renewable electricity.

A cheaper route to decarbonise Decarbonising the EU through green gas would be 36 per cent more expensive than doing so through energy efficiency and smart electrification, according to a report published by the European Climate Foundation, which suggests this is even the case in European countries with a cold climate.

It finds that a fossil-free energy system in Europe could be reached by 2050 and could potentially create 1.8m additional jobs by this time.

It also suggests such a system could enable potential savings in domestic energy spending of up to €23bn (£19.6bn) compared to a current policies baseline.

The study claims using smart electrification and energy efficiency measures to improve the thermal efficiency of buildings does require upfront investment but could lead to savings of up to 22 per cent as a result of avoiding investments in infrastructure and generation assets.

It suggests smart electrification could also reduce the need for thermal back-up by up to 54 per cent and renewable curtailment by up to 70 per cent, as electrifying sectors such as transport, buildings and industry would offer increased flexibility and enable more variable renewable sources to enter the grid.

It notes green hydrogen should be used in specific applications where it can add the highest value, such as seasonal storage for peak electricity supply in winter, but warns using it to decarbonise road transport and residential heating will increase energy system costs and household energy bills.

The European Climate Foundation study believes savings from using more green hydrogen are outweighed by the additional investments that would be required for electricity generation to produce them, with households potentially being forced to spend up to an additional €214bn (£182.8bn) on energy in 2050 with an energy system heavily-reliant on green gas.

APRIL 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 09

04.19

THE WARREN REPORT

Andrew Warren is chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation

Are EPCs and DECs making any difference?

Ten years after their introduction DECs and EPCs provide a fascinating snapshot of the state of the UK’s building stock even if compliance is still far from perfect

L

esson One. If you want to manage energy usage, you must be able to measure it.

For years, everybody knew that the British building stock was “old, poorly built and draughty.” Still is, according to The Economist magazine just last month. But at least for the past decade, we have been able to measure just how bad the stock is.

Since 2008,when the system mandated under the Energy Performance of Buildings directive was fully introduced - over 19.3m English and Welsh buildings have had their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings formally lodged on the official register, held by the private contactor Landmark Information Group.

Of these, a staggering 96 per cent are domestic residencies.

An EPC indicates the relative energy efficiency of any building. Assessments are banded from A to G, where A (or A+ for non-residential properties) is the most efficient in terms of likely costs and carbon emissions. Officially an EPC is required whenever a building is newly constructed or sold - a requirement mostly now obeyed. But also whenever a property is let. Which isn’t what always happens.

The purpose of any EPC is to show prospective occupiers the relative theoretical energy efficiency of the property. Not necessarily currently: EPCs still only have to be reassessed every ten years.

So the first generation of EPCs are now past their sell-by dates. That is certainly one of the reasons why so many more EPCs are currently being issued. For instance, there was a 50 per cent increase

in registrations between Q4 of 2017 and Q4 2018.

Of the 1.47m EPCs issued over the last 12 months, many are renewals, not necessarily first-timers. Sadly, nobody seems yet to have tabulated what proportion of these renewed ratings have improved over the past decade.

No fewer than 246,000 new EPCs were registered last year for homes and conversions - which surprisingly seems to imply well over 100 per cent compliance.

Of these 84 per cent achieved an A or B rating – as full compliance with Parts F and L of the Building Regulations suggests they normally should. Of these, just 1 per cent merited an A rating. Curiously, over 5 per cent of new buildings were rated as E, F or Gs. Which suggests that there are still homes being built which would now be illegal to rent out!

Higher fuel bills for tenants Prospective tenants of existing homes do have higher fuel bills to contend with.

Two-thirds of EPC ratings acquired in 2018 are at D or below; in contrast just 2 per cent achieved an A or B ratings. And there remains the consistent concern that great numbers of tenancies are still being granted for homes for which EPCs have never been assessed. Or possibly have been, but are too shaming for any landlord to provide for tenants.

Interestingly, the average existing home being sold or rented out is just 83m2 in size. Whereas the average for new homes is slightly larger, at 91m2. Flats have significantly higher energy consumption per square metre than houses.

Last year, just 91,000 EPCs were lodged for non-domestic properties. On the face

‘Many parts of the public sector are failing to produce these certificates, certainly annually, or in some cases, ever at all’ 10 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY APRIL 2019

of it, this implies a surprisingly low new build rate, or even churn in occupancy.

Although that in itself was a 21 per cent increase on 2017 numbers. No less than 54 per cent were D rated or below; just 3 per cent are A rated. Apparently for that exclusive A+ rating, “the numbers are too small to report.”

Also held by Landmark are the details of Display Energy Certificates (DECs). These are for properties occupied by a public authority and frequently visited by the public. They should be displayed “in a prominent position.”

There are two crucial differences between these and the private sector EPCs. For a start, DECs are based on actual, as opposed to theoretical, energy consumption figures. And buildings over 1,000m2 have to be evaluated annually.

Public buildings below that size have the same up-to-10-year-old arrangement for DECs as permitted for EPCs. As the Government has shamefully admitted, there has been no attempt ever to establish just how many publicly occupied buildings fall into this category, nor how many thousands (million?) of square metres they occupy.

Nonetheless, the published DECs figures tell an interesting story in themselves. Those still operating at standards of D or below are almost twothirds of the total (62 per cent), far worse than EPCs. And just 11 per cent are at A or B level, compared with 15 per cent of buildings measured under EPCs. There has long been a strong belief that it is the measurements of actual, rather than theoretical, consumption that is far more informative for professionals.

It is also significant that just 34,800 DECs were lodged in total last year. This is in contrast with the figure of 68,000 that the Government initially projected would be required to produce DECs. This suggests that many parts of the public sector are failing entirely to produce these certificates, certainly annually, or in some cases, ever at all.

The ways in which energy certificates are calculated will always provide only a broad-brush picture. But they remain the only way in which our building stock’s relative energy performance can be measured. Compliance is far from perfect.

But then, transparently nor is the energy efficiency they seek to measure. 

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The art of integration Stuart Turner discusses the changes in modern commercial heating systems and the importance of effective integration of a wide range of different elements

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gradual change to the boiler market in recent years has been the integration of multiple heat sources to complex commercial systems, which often consist of a combined heat and power (CHP) unit alongside gas condensing boilers.

CHP is proving to be a popular choice in multi-storey residential apartments, where a central plant connects to heat interface units (HIUs), forming a district heating system. However, for such an application to operate effectively, careful design considerations are required throughout the system – and of course, a great deal of integration!

The most critical aspect when specifying a CHP unit is to base it on a daily load profile and base heating load. These will always identify the specific requirements for CHP integration. If there is an existing heating system in place, such figures can be obtained by monitoring BEMS, energy bills, meter readings or on-site audits. For new build properties, taking data from an existing property with similar parameters can also help provide an accurate gauge.

A completed load profile is essential to correctly sizing a CHP unit; too big, and there will be long periods when a CHP unit could stand idle, wasting capital expenditure. Too small and it will surely underutilise the technology’s potential. Once a correct size of CHP unit has been established, CIBSE AM12 recommends a run time of 14-17 hours per day, so this should be the target for any heat-led application to ensure effective use of the technology.

In heat-led applications, such as a district heating system, there is likely to be a large thermal store required, allowing CHP modules to achieve optimum running conditions. However, just as sizing the CHP unit is of the upmost importance, so too is correctly sizing

Boiler manaufactuters have made huge progress in condensing technology

the thermal store, as it provides two key benefits. The first is meeting a heat demand greater than the maximum output of the CHP, thereby reducing the use of backup boilers, while increasing CHP running hours. Secondly, it enables heat demands lower than the minimum turndown to be met, once again reducing the use of boilers and increasing CHP operating times.

For both cases, a well-sized thermal store facilitates a CHP unit to function at full output, rather than at part-load conditions; once again helping to improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs.

Use of gas condensing boilers Despite the clear benefits of CHP units, there are always applications requiring the use of gas condensing

12 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

boilers, whether as a back up to a CHP system, or as the primary heat source. In either instance, there is the need to utilise boiler technology that offers the balance of high power, excellent turndown ratios, as well as low emissions.

It is in this area that boiler manufacturers have made incredible gains, with condensing technology being available at far higher outputs than previously available.

Of course, creating boilers with higher outputs often increases the physical size of a product, making it challenging to replace old units when access is restricted. However, the latest floor standing models on the market have overcome this thanks to a modular construction, which allows a unit to be disassembled into component parts,

All elements of a heating system must be carefully considered from CHP to buffer sizing, boiler design and control

Stuart Turner is national sales manager at ELCO Heating Solutions

transported to the plant room, and then reassembled again.

Such a design also allows a modular boiler to provide huge flexibility when siting it in a commercial property and, for new build applications, opens up the possibility of roof-top plant rooms. However, there still needs to be careful consideration of a commercial boiler’s operating weight, which makes the specification of low water content units a must. Multiple boilers can then be situated without any concerns over reinforcing the floor, while also delivering superb response times and reduced running costs.

The final element in a district heating scheme is a HIU and the specification of these requires the same level of scrutiny as the CHP and boiler. A network interface unit should efficiently transfer heat from a primary pipe network via a plate heat exchanger, to provide an apartment/flat with complete control over the output, distributing heating or cooling, while also providing domestic hot water.

For a HIU to integrate into a system effectively, it needs to be specified with the required level of control. Inadequate control can result in less heat transfer from a primary system to individual apartments, making it difficult to maintain a high delta T on the overall system. If a CHP unit is involved, this can result in an increased return temperature, which can significantly impact its operating efficiency and potentially prevent it from being the first in the firing sequence. This could compromise system efficiencies and increase primary running costs; however, such risks can be alleviated by fitting HIUs with modulating valves and pumps as a minimum.

There is no doubt that commercial heating systems are becoming more complex with multiple heat sources working together, such as CHP and condensing boilers. As a result, they are becoming more reliant on efficient heat distribution and accurate hydraulic balancing, which means all elements need to be carefully considered, from CHP and buffer sizing, to condensing boiler design and adequate control. 

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Boilers & Burners

Darren McMahon is marketing director at Viessmann

For further information on Viessman visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 126

Let’s walk before we run Before rushing into a heat pump or hydrogen future, it’s important that last year’s ‘boiler plus’ legislation is fully rolled out in both domestic and commercial gas boiler installations, says Darren McMahon

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n late February, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) published a comprehensive report, UK housing: Fit for the future?, which set out the scale of the challenge of decarbonising our building stock.

No one denies that greenhouse gas emission reductions from UK housing have stalled and that we need to act decisively if we are to be successful in deploying at scale low carbon heat technologies such as heat pumps or even hydrogen heating.

However, mass deployment of heat pumps or hydrogen feels like an overstep if we can’t get the simple things right like ensuring gas boiler installation best practice across the market. This is important not only to deliver heating bill reductions for consumers and cost-effective decarbonisation, it is also necessary to prepare the stock for the widespread roll-out of low carbon heat technology that needs to operate at lower temperatures.

The boiler plus policy introduced in April 2018, which Viessmann was instrumental in conceiving and advocating, was a big step towards making advanced controls mandatory with boiler installations in the UK market. However, boiler plus did not go all the way and by failing to do so falls short in preparing large parts of the market for further disruption in the journey to achieving long term decarbonisation objectives.

Firstly, boiler plus additional efficiency measures like weather compensation are not mandatory beyond the combi boiler market.

That means that the 354,000 heat only/system boilers installed every year in England are currently not covered. This is a major oversight as a number of manufacturers already have a weather compensating solution which includes the ability to raise the temperature of DHW to a cylinder, above a level to combat legionella, as well as modulate heating water to lower temperatures.

Gas boiler installation best practice should be established before progress is made towards low carbon heating technologies

Secondly, boiler plus does not cover new build boiler installations.

Therefore, the heating systems that are fitted in the annual 200-250,000-strong new build market may be inferior in terms of efficiency than those being retrofitted.

Thirdly, installation best practice is not addressed properly under boiler plus. Although the boiler plus consultation response notes that hydraulic balancing is ‘expected practice’, it concedes that it is not enforced, unlike in other major EU markets.

This year will see the one-year review of boiler plus as well as a consultation on Building Regulations Part L. It is crucial that these gaps are addressed so that everyone can benefit from best practice. If boiler plus measures are extended beyond combis there could be up to a 0.335TWh of gas demand reduction in 2020, rising to 5.03 TWh per year in 2034.

The UK would also prepare the whole market for the inevitable transition towards more efficient heating systems, operating at lower temperature.

Just as boiler plus should be rolled out across all domestic gas boiler installations, there are

14 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

energy-efficiency opportunities to be realised by taking a similar approach in the commercial sector. Naturally however, the complexity of systems and buildings that vary widely in age and specification is much greater in larger buildings and a one-size-fits all policy would not be suitable.

High temperature boilers Commercial systems are traditionally set up for high temperature boilers (or high temperature air handling units), particularly where risk-averse public sector managers ritually replace like-for-like. The boiler is seen by many as purely a heat generator, supplied by a different company to the controller, the pipework and the pumps etc. The responsibility of controlling the system is handed to the BMS, which relies on very basic data. This means many boilers and their control systems are simply not set up properly.

Where weather compensation controls exist, they tend to be situated downstream of the boiler, far removed from its operation. The boiler still has to provide the 80 or 90 degree operating temperature as per the demand. All the weather compensation does is switch the

boiler on or off downstream, somewhat ignoring the role of these controls in allowing the boiler to condense as much as possible and to run more efficiently at lower temperatures.

Commercial sector boiler plus regulation would have to be very well thought through.

Fundamentally, there would need to a shift to an integrated systems approach, where the boiler manufacturer’s controls are used, including for the sequencing of cascaded boilers. There should be dedicated circuits for high and low temperature systems. Current building regulations offer an established framework of rules and interventions to encourage energy-efficiency, but they are presented as a list of standalone tick box solutions – easy to specify, less easy to integrate and make work together, effectively.

The market is to be applauded for its acceptance of condensing technology – over three quarters of commercial gas boiler sales are now condensing – and hopefully there is an appetite across public and private sectors, as well as in government, for reducing carbon emissions further. 

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Top of the class upgrades Salix supports £1.9m of energy school reduction projects in Nottinghamshire

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ottinghamshire County Council has implemented energy efficiency projects across 78 schools, which are estimated to save over £460,000 and 2,700* tonnes of CO2e per year. The schools expect to save a significant £5.9m on their energy bills over the lifetime of the technologies.

The council has installed energy efficiency upgrades in its schools including LED lighting upgrades, new building energy management systems (BEMS), boiler replacements and improvements to building fabric insulation, using their Salix Recycling Fund. These technologies have also been accompanied by a programme of renewable heat and power installations at numerous school sites, from wood pellet boilers and roof-mounted solar panels.

Mornington Primary School in Nuttall utilised £13,545 of Salix funding to replace inefficient lighting, allowing them to reduce their electricity consumption, saving an estimated £2,625 and 10.5 tonnes CO2e a year.

Energy efficiency measures, such as these, help form part of the Council’s comprehensive energy management service for schools, including support and resources to help engage staff and pupils.

Of the project, Linda Azemia, head teacher at Mornington Primary said: “We heard about the Salix scheme and knew we could use it to contribute to a refurbishment being carried out over the summer and get an enhanced solution. We asked for previously dark areas to be improved, automatic light switching according to occupancy and greater flexibility on classroom switching. We hope to build on and continue our successful energy and environmental efforts and look forward to seeing reductions in our forthcoming electricity bills.”

Phil Keynes, team manager, energy & carbon management at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “Working with Salix has enabled the Council to make huge improvements to the energy performance of its buildings and street lighting to the benefit of local schools, services, residents and the environment. It has also enabled easy access to excellent management information on the performance and achievements of our Recycling Fund investments.”

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Boilers & Burners For further information on Finning UK & Ireland visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 128

Keep it clean The pressure is on operators of diesel-fired generators. Jason Harryman discusses what options are open to users now the Medium Combustion Plant Directive is biting

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he Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) has brought in new rules and regulations aimed at slashing emissions from a wide range of mid-sized equipment.

Among these are many of the dieselfired generators used to provide power for industrial sites and large buildings such as hospitals and hotels.

Under the MCPD, the issue faced by many companies is that the new 190mg/Nm3 limit it imposes on nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions is simply not feasible for a typical four-stroke engine. While regulations march on, however, so does engineering, and many of the advances made in recent years will ensure that diesel technology remains a sound investment for the foreseeable future.

As the name suggests, the directive is aimed squarely at mid-sized plants, only impacting sites with a thermal input greater than 1MWth but lower than 50MWth. Anything smaller than this is already covered by the Ecodesign Directive, while larger equipment falls under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). Each piece of equipment is considered individually, so while a single 1MW generator would fall under the MCPD a trio of 500kW units would not.

It is also possible for standby generators to obtain an exemption from the regulations if they operate for under 50 hours per year. This is measured on a three-year rolling average for new plants, and a fiveyear rolling average for existing ones.

Obviously, this is a fairly limited amount of running time, working out to an average of around eight minutes per day. This is not as large a barrier as it may seem, however, as the majority of diesel generators that fall under the MCPD are commissioned to provide stand-by power, only coming online when needed, and so should comfortably fit within this restriction.

There are also rules concerning the generator’s minimum release

The majority of diesel generators that fall under the MCPD are commissioned to provide stand-by power only

height – therefore the chimney height – and its distance to receptors.

This makes it vital to ensure that a system has a compliant design, with an appropriate vertical flue and air discharge management.

Of course, this will not apply to every generator out there, which is where engineering advances come in.

Reduction of soot, particulates Most diesel engines run with high temperatures in the combustion chamber, as this is most efficient and helps to reduce production of soot and particulates. However, these hotter conditions also increase the engine’s levels of nitric oxide (NO), which oxidises into nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a major pollutant and a target of the MCPD. It is possible to reduce the amount

16 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

of NOx produced by lowing the temperature in the combustion chamber, but this increases the amount of soot it produces – something that no operator particularly wants to happen.

However, new technology means this can be overcome. Finning offers a range of air-to-air after cooled, or charge-air cooled engines to Cat 3516 engines, which are designed to cool the engine air after it has passed through a turbocharger, but before it enters the combustion chamber.

This decrease in air intake temperature enables a denser intake charge to the engine, allowing for more air and fuel to be combusted per engine cycle. This enables the engine to increase output while lowering the combustion temperatures. With cooler

Jason Harryman is sales and business development manager – electric power-diesel at Finning UK & Ireland

combustion comes reduced NOx production, allowing engines to help meet MCPD targets.

Another piece of technology that can seriously cut down on NOx emissions is selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology. This is already widely used in marine and automotive applications but can pay dividends when used with diesel generators, dramatically cutting NOx emissions.

The system works by injecting a urea-based diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) into the generator’s exhaust air stream. The DEF sets off a reduction reaction with the NOx, converting the harmful pollutant into nitrogen, water vapour and a bit of CO2 – still a harmful gas, but much less damaging than NOx. Ordinarily it would be expected that significantly reduced emissions would come with some kind of drawback in the form of reduced efficiency. However, when engines are fitted with SCR technology the combustion process can be optimised, actually boosting the overall fuel efficiency.

Of course, all these benefits do not come completely free. SCR technology does consume DEF while operating, which needs to be considered in the running costs. The actual amount of fluid being used will vary substantially depending on a wide range of factors, ranging from the annual running hours, the concentration of the DEF and its duty cycle.

When investing in a new diesel generator rated for more than 1MW, the technologies previously mentioned should be considered when making purchases from now onwards – the deadline for new plants being registered with MCPD passed last December.

There is still some room to manoeuvre if a facility has existing generators on a site, however, as the deadline for registration and permits hits in January 2024, with compliance coming in to place in 2025. While it can be tempting to put off a decision, it makes sense to start thinking – and planning – right now.

There are plenty of retrofit technologies available to keep your diesel generators running for years to come, so make sure to begin speaking to experts as soon as possible. 

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Boilers & Burners

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Bespoke burner control service

Heat exchangers for airport hotel

Burner manufacturer EOGB Energy Products Ltd has launched a new service to design, develop and integrate bespoke burner controls for commercial heating systems and industrial processes.

Working in partnership with customers to understand their production process and specific heat control requirements, EOGB engineers can develop a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) configured to individual requirements. These deliver a range of functions such as sequencing systems to control multiple boilers and furnace control systems to accurately regulate temperature.

A graphical Human Machine Interface (HMI) can also be custom-designed to provide sophisticated management and a real-time view of system conditions and operational data, which engineers can access remotely from any internet connected device.

Martin Cooke, technical director at EOGB, said: “By working with customers to understand what they want to achieve, we can design PLCs to optimise the use of advanced and highly-efficient combustion equipment to ensure the highest ONLINE ENQUIRY 129 production yield and energy savings.”

Econoplate plate heat exchangers from Stokvis Energy Systems, have been installed as part of an overhaul of the domestic hot water provision within a 500-bedroom hotel at Stansted Airport.

The building services upgrade at the Radisson Blu, Stansted, has been overseen by Manchester-based, [PS]K Design Ltd leading to the specification of four C3A 1350+0R Econoplates to replace the original PHEs one at a time.

The quartet of Econoplates was supplied along with unvented kits and made-tomeasure insulation jackets to further increase energy efficiency. Stokvis’ own engineers carried out the commissioning of the units during July 2018; the scope of the work also included the installation of water softening equipment and a secondary return for the hot water service.

The senior engineer on the project for [PS]K Design, Steve Bartlett, explained: “The original plate heat exchangers were struggling to cope so we decided to replace them with the four Stokvis Econoplates. The new plate heat exchangers were selected to work at lower primary temperatures to maximise saving from setting back the boiler temperatures saving over 30 per cent in energy costs.”

Stokvis Econoplate units offer a solution for the supply of hot water where demand is high, including the commercial, medical, education and ONLINE ENQUIRY 130 industrial sectors, as well as hotels and leisure.

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London landmark gets overhaul of ageing boilers As well as being one of London’s most familiar historic landmarks, Tower Bridge is a popular venue for corporate and other events, with a number of unique spaces for hire.

The ageing boilers, however, were struggling to meet space heating and domestic hot water requirements, so a decision was taken to upgrade them. The work coincided with the conversion of a 9m high exhibition space, with the addition of a mezzanine to create two new spaces.

The design was carried out by consulting engineers Brinson Staniland Partnership (BSP) and the new Hoval boilers, along with associated upgrade works, were installed by contractors T Brown Group. One of the early challenges faced by the design team was that, while regulations require condensing boilers for such an upgrade, the Grade

I listing of the structure meant that Tower Bridge did not want plumes issuing from the flues on the side of the bridge base columns, 10m above the water level. Following lengthy discussions with the City of London authorities, special dispensation was given to use a bespoke, noncondensing boiler installation.

As a result, Hoval SR-plus 225 high efficiency, low NOx boilers were

specified for the project. However, again because of regulations such as the ErP Directive, the fully modulating Riello burners selected for the project had to be supplied separately from the boilers. Two Hoval SR-plus 225kW boilers were installed in each of the two boiler houses, which again presented challenges. “Not least of these challenges was access to the boiler houses through narrow walkways and corridors, steep stairwells, ship’s ladders and tight turnings,� recalled John Pearson of T Brown. “To overcome this, Hoval supplied the boilers in ‘complete knock-down’ (CKD) form, which were then assembled on site, fully welded and hydraulically tested by Hoval’s engineers, and then casings, burners and controls were fitted.�

ONLINE ENQUIRY 131

Extended range of light commercial boilers Bosch Commercial and Industrial has made a series of enhancements to its popular GB162 light commercial gas boiler, for improved installation, servicing and operation.

For the first time, the GB162 is available as an 85kW model, meaning the boiler is now available in outputs of 50kW, 65kW, 85kW and 100kW. With the condensing boiler’s cascade design, it can cater for large heat demands of up to 1.6MW, coming into and out of operation when required to ensure even load matching.

A key feature of the new GB162 is the introduction of overpressure flues which result in reduced installation height and increased flexibility.

With each flue containing a flue gas non-return valve, the need for a large cascade flue header is removed, while flue gases are prevented from re-entering cascaded boilers that aren’t firing. This results in reduced installation costs due to smaller flue diameters, and makes the solution even better suited for buildings with narrower chimneys and in plant rooms with low ceilings and restricted space.

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First of burner range meets MCPD Following a substantial research project with the aim of reducing exhaust gas emissions and improving the energy efficiency of burners, Babcock Wanson has introduced Optimo 2, the first of a new range of burners.

Optimo 2 is designed as a fully configurable stand-alone burner for medium size firetube steam boilers ranging from 2 to 4t/h output. Optimo 2 burners are available from 1,500 to 3,500kW output for new boilers and also as a retrofit solution to upgrade existing boilers to meet enhanced emission requirements.

Designed with a high-performance combustion head, Optimo 2 emission rates are less than 100mg/Nm3 NOx throughout the firing range when burning natural gas. Optimo 2 not only meets the requirements of the Medium Plant Combustion (MCP) Directive it can be configured to provide even lower emissions where regulations demand.

In addition to the good environmental performance, Optimo 2 boasts high energy efficiency. This is achieved through accurate control of low excess air levels throughout the turndown range. In addition, Optimo 2 has been designed with a very high turndown ratio.

The Optimo 2 is the first model of the new Optimo burner range that will replace Babcock Wanson’s LNTA range.

The Optimo 2 replaces all models from the LNTA 100 to 200. Optimo 1, 3 and 4 are in the final stages of development and are due to be launched shortly.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 132

ONLINE ENQUIRY 133

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Boilers & Burners For further information on Remeha visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 134

The modern plant room continues to evolve as heating solutions become more bespoke

The bespoke approach A greater push on improving heating efficiency is required to meet our 2050 carbon reduction target. For maximum results, we must use technology in a more bespoke way, says Paul Arnold

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s a large user of energy in a building, heating is frequently identified as the starting point for improvement measures.

Typically, the focus is initially on the low hanging fruit, such as plant upgrade, as this requires lower investment and delivers rapid payback. Which is where the advanced gas condensing boiler comes in.

Far too many non-domestic buildings still rely on ageing or inefficient non-condensing boilers for their heating, creating needlessly high operating costs and emissions.

Replacing any dated boiler plant with high efficiency, low NOx condensing boilers and improving the control strategy is an acknowledged low-cost, quick-win solution to significant savings – up to 50 per cent, in our experience.

But to achieve maximum benefits and minimum waste, it’s essential to determine the exact requirements of the building and site to achieve the most appropriate solution. As no two buildings are alike, this invariably means taking a more bespoke approach to system design. So how are manufacturers stepping up to the plate to support more efficient and

effective heating provision?

Manufacturers are constantly innovating to produce boiler models that meet the new challenges and minimise waste – from high efficiencies and low emissions to increased flexibility, ease of installation and in-built or costeffective boiler controls.

By providing a wider choice of heat outputs from both floor-standing and wall-hung boilers, manufacturers give designers the opportunity to match the heat load more accurately.

This helps avoid oversizing, reducing energy demand.

Most efficient heating solution Let’s consider a building that requires 1MW of heat. The load could be met with a single floor-standing boiler, a small bank of floor-standing boilers, or any combination of wall-hung boilers in cascade. In other words, the building blocks are there to create the most efficient heating solution for each project.

For energy managers, there are considerable advantages to installing multiple condensing boilers over a single unit – including improved efficiency. In a cascade arrangement, the boilers are able to operate at part load and lower return temperatures

20 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

where they achieve their higher efficiencies.

At the same time, this configuration increases the turndown ratio, enabling boilers to adapt to a building’s fluctuating heat demands more accurately. All of which means further savings. From a whole-life efficiency perspective, the inbuilt redundancy of a multipleboiler design improves the reliability of the service, and services and maintenance can be carried out more easily, minimising disruption.

Facilities and energy managers will be familiar with the pre-assembled cascade systems that manufacturers offer for a rapid, efficient solution to multiple boiler installation.

Typically, manufacturers will provide linear and back-to-back cascade options for installing two to ten wall-hung boilers. But to facilitate accurate load matching, manufacturers like Remeha offer a more bespoke approach as larger wall-hung boilers (160kW) can be matched with lower output models to achieve the best result.

A more recent advance is the opportunity to install up to eight floor-standing boilers on a cascade system. This enables a high heat output to be installed in a small

Paul Arnold is product manager at Remeha

footprint, making it easier to improve heating efficiency in restricted spaces.

But the ultimate bespoke solution is to install multiple boilers on a rig unit designed specifically to meet individual project and site requirements. A bespoke rig service offers design options far beyond selecting a back-to-back or linear boiler arrangement.

On older systems, for example, the design can achieve hydraulic separation via the bespoke rig system and a plate heat exchanger or low loss header. Water quality can also be addressed. As a 1mm layer of limescale will cause a 7 per cent increase in energy input to the boiler to meet the same heat demand, ensuring good water quality through the rig will maximise whole-life efficiency.

The rig design can also integrate project-specific controls such as weather compensation, sequencing or building management system direct operation. In this way it optimises boiler performance and maximises seasonal efficiency.

Once the low-hanging fruit has been picked, what next? Budget permitting, organisations will look to further reduce their carbon footprint with the installation of renewable or low-carbon technologies like combined heat and power (CHP) or heat pumps. On new build projects too, low-carbon or renewable equipment is often required into the heat generation design to comply with Part L2 of Building Regulations.

As low carbon technologies almost always require the support and back up of condensing boilers to ensure overall seasonal performance, this will result in a hybrid heating solution.

The modern plantroom continues to evolve as heating solutions become more bespoke in a bid to reduce energy waste. At Remeha we look forward to supporting energy and facility managers, consultants and contractors with our comprehensive range of flexible, high-efficiency, low-carbon heating technologies and our in-depth product knowledge. Working together we can achieve the best, most efficient heating solution for each application and help the nation move to a lower-carbon future. 

“ Energy in Buildings and Industry and the Energy Institute are delighted to have teamed up to bring you this Continuing Professional Development initiative ” MARK THROWER MANAGING EDITOR

SERIES 16 | MODULE 10 | BIOMASS BOILERS

Biomass boilers and systems

By Mark Hobbins CEng, MBA, MSc, FEI, MAPM

F

inding the balance between the correct size of biomass boiler and what it serves requires several aspects to be considered. This article introduces biomass as a fuel source and then explores some of the key considerations when reviewing the potential for biomass boilers and their associated equipment.

Biomass as a fuel for heating systems is a well-proven route to decarbonise heat in a building or in an industrial setting. Biomass is viewed as being carbon neutral due to its energy being captured and stored via the process of photosynthesis, even though it does release CO2 when combusted.

The CO2 released is largely offset by what is absorbed in the original growth of the biomass, or which will be captured in the growth of new biomass to replace the biomass being used. For it to be truly considered carbon neutral, the fuel source should be from a sustainable source. The main difference between other fossil fuels and biomass is the time for the CO2 to be formed. With most fossil fuels this is over millions of years as opposed to a life time or a relatively short period. It’s the difference between a time to grow rather than a time to form.

It is generally considered that biomass is fuel from wood-based sources such as woodchips or wood pellets, but it can also include other materials such as short rotational coppice, straw bales, more conventional wood logs or waste wood. However, there are

examples of other sources of fuel being considered biomass as well as biogas installations.

With some projects the downstream emissions for the producing and delivery of the fuel may need to be considered.

To have a holistic approach to the potential for a biomass installation you need to consider: • fuel delivery and handling to the location; • storage and fuel delivery to the biomass boiler; • fuel quality; • biomass boiler(s); • key system equipment: accumulator tank; flue; ash extraction; integration with existing or additional heat source; and • ancillary items: expansion and pressurisation unit; controls; pipework, values and isolations.

The ancillary items mentioned would be like any heat or energy centre, so we shall not go over

here except for an overview of the control’s integration. For the other items, we shall briefly describe some of the key considerations.

Biomass is generally delivered to site as woodchips or wood pellets, albeit it maybe from other sources.

This is usually delivered by lorry, so it is essential to ensure that it can access where the boiler house and/ or fuel storage is sited. The next main thing to consider is how the biomass is transferred from the lorry to the storage. The handling of biomass at this point by the fuel supplier does come at a cost. The options would be that a lorry comes and tips its contents into a lower ground or ground level area, much the way a large coal lorry would have in the past. However, it maybe that this isn’t possible at a site, so it may need to be blown into a hopper or picked from a lorry into a hopper in large bags (or indeed a purposebuilt store).

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APRIL 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 21

SERIES 16 | MODULE 10 | BIOMASS BOILERS

The handling costs of the second two options can impact the economics of your project by an additional 10-30 per cent on the fuel costs. So key thing here is easy access for the lorry and off-loading of the fuel to minimise the costs as a function of the amount of fuel required.

Once the fuel is delivered to the fuel store, it then needs to be transferred in an appropriate way to the boiler. To some extent this is dependent on the size and amount of fuel the boiler requires. This is generally through some form of mechanical handling system like a screw auger or ram stoker. In larger storage systems, a moving floor may aid the supply to the screw.

The quality of the fuel (mainly the moisture content) can often cause issues with the mechanical handling system where blockage may be an issue.

When it comes to the wood storage itself, it should be water tight to avoid water being absorbed.

Another consideration may be around the spores that can grow on old wood if not stored correctly. The size of storage shall be a function of demand for heat from the boiler, how much and often fuel can or will be delivered, and how much of a buffer in supply you would feel comfortable with.

Therefore, it is critical in the biomass development and planning that fuel quality is reviewed and understood and then carried through into operations. It is not unusual to have a quality check procedure (which includes sampling) periodically in the operational phase.

Addition of tanks

development as part of planning.

• the higher moisture content can lead to handling issues, for example, woodchips clumping in the screw or worse damaging the screw with the increased weights. There are other handling and storage issues.

• impurities in the wood need to be dealt with or there may be emissions issues. This can cause chemical emissions/particulates that are not acceptable; • physical impurities and/or noncombustible items in the fuel stock (this can be common in reclaimed wood. This may damage the handling equipment as well as in the boiler itself;

• the size of the wood, particularly with woodchip supplies, also needs to be taking into consideration so the handling equipment can cope (as well as the quicker burning of smaller sized); and • bulk density – this is mass of many particles of the material divided by the volume they occupy including the spaces between them. Fuel sources with higher moisture have higher weight and lower bulk densities.

The energy density of a fuel is the multiplication of bulk density and calorific value (Energy Density in MJ/m3 = calorific value in MJ/kg x bulk density in kg/m3).

With most biomass installations, the capacity of heat available is normally with the utilisation of an accumulator tank or tanks as well as the boiler. The tanks are added to the system to do several things: aid the biomass boiler running at higher loadings when running; provide capacity and a buffer between supply and demand; and, some form of resilience in the system.

Therefore, in most applications, you will find that it is key to size both the boiler and the accumulator tank in a robust fashion. The consequence is that you will either not load the boiler enough and for long enough, similar to short cycling a gas boiler but also run the boiler inefficiently; or, the accumulator tank struggles to maintain enough heat (reach temperature) for the peak loads or for large parts of operations (with the short fall generally picked up by a second heat source).

The sizing also has an impact if integrated into a secondary

Importance of fuel quality The quality of fuel is important for several reasons, but not exclusively to: • moisture content shall affect the heat content (calorific value), the lower the moisture the lower the heat content; • the boiler will need to be able to deal with the moisture content in the wood, meaning a larger combustion chamber. Generally, boilers have a minimum amount of moisture they are able to cope with; • if the moisture is high, it can lead to darker smoke from the flue and can carry some of the combusted material through to the flue. It is not uncommon for smoke dispersion being modelled during

For details on how to obtain your Energy Institute CPD Certificate, see entry form and details on page 24 22 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

SERIES 16 | MODULE 10 | BIOMASS BOILERS

heat source like a gas boiler. For example: if the accumulator tank is too large for periods of low demand (like in summer), the gas boiler is likely to short cycle with not enough demand on the biomass boiler and the turndown ratios of biomass boilers are not as low as gas. Short Cycling is where a boiler is cutting in and out in short periods of time, this is less efficient than longer loading period due to firing up. It also increases maintenance and reducing the life time of the boiler.

Turndown ratio is the ability of the burner in a boiler to low fire, so a turn down of 1:10 means it can go as low as 10 per cent of rated output.

This can be in staged increments or in a fully modulating. Typically, biomass boilers don’t go below 30 per cent and are in a staged increment.)

The Carbon Trust has a freely available sizing tool which aid in both the sizing of the tank and boiler: https://www.carbontrust. com/media/672921/biomass-boilersizing-tool-version-6-8-3.xlsm.

To be able to size systems appropriately, it is important to have a view of the likely daily/ seasonal heat demands before deciding on the sizing/ integration strategy. Typical capacity factors for some application are available.

For example 20 per cent for a small to medium commercial buildings, which then aids the tank sizing from the boiler. Get the sizing wrong and having an efficient and effective system may be a struggle; so take care and seek advice.

Integration of biomass boiler There are two main aspects to the integration of a biomass boiler in a new or existing system (there are others like space requirements, flues or access; but we shall concentrate on two here): mechanical integration and control integration.

Mechanically, the biomass boiler should be as a lead boiler in parallel to a secondary source with the accumulator tank in series with both. The accumulator tank should

also be able to be by-passed and isolated for good practice.

For RHI and for good practice, we need heat meters to measure the biomass output separately.

This may mean that motorised isolating valves have to be added to the system to prevent the secondary source being measured with the biomass output. OFGEM has published guidance for heat metering for RHI, and even if RHI is not a consideration in your project it does provide good practice to follow. https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ publications-and-updates/easyguide-metering-requirements-nondomestic-rhi

Make biomass lead boiler The controls need to be set up to utilise the accumulator tank and the biomass as much as possible. This is more than just making the biomass boiler a lead boiler but also setting up to ensure that the boiler is run for as long as possible and as loaded as possible. During commissioning, some fine tuning may be required.

Furthermore, a summer and winter strategy will need to be formulated.

The capacity, sizing along and controls will determine the strategy and is likely to be in three scenarios: Base load; peak-load; and optimising. Baseload is continuous demand; peak load meets all the

demand; and, optimising being a balance between the two. The control strategy is much more complicated for the third option over the other two. The controls should never be overlooked when it comes to general maintenance.

As well as the accumulator tank and integration, the two other items that need careful consideration is the flue and ash extraction.

For the flue, it needs to meet good practice in terms of height for appropriate dispersion and does not affect the surroundings in addition to the environmental considerations. For guidance on the flue we need to review: planning; Building Regulations; The Clean Air Act; and Environmental Permitting Regulation. Depending on the fuel stock you may also need to think about the Waste Incineration Directive too. You may need to carry out a dispersion modelling to meet planning.

When we burn biomass we are going to get ash left over from the combustion process. Many boilers have an automated ash extraction to allow for removal. In small systems this may be a drawer tray from the bottom of the boiler while in large systems this may be a moving grate. Either way, consideration for periodic removal of the ash is required or the boiler will choke. Controls can highlight this in the way of an alarm; but it needs to be part of the maintenance regime to not only remove the ash but also check the method of extraction.

With many of the items in biomass system involving mechanical parts, the maintenance requirements need to be adopted to avoid interruption and ensure the system works as designed.

Further reading If you would like to read further on Biomass as a way of providing heat, then look at the Biomass publication: CTG012 Biomass Heating and the EiBi module Series 14 Module 1 of May 2016 for the health and safety aspect.

For details on how to obtain your Energy Institute CPD Certificate, see entry form and details on page 24 APRIL 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 23

SERIES 16 | MODULE 10 | APRIL 2019

ENTRY FORM BIOMASS BOILERS Please mark your answers on the sheet below by placing a cross in the box next to the correct answer. Only mark one box for each question. You may find it helpful to mark the answers in pencil first before filling in the final answers in ink. Once you have completed the answer sheet in ink, return it to the address below. Photocopies are acceptable.

QUESTIONS 1. Biomass is generally considered carbon neutral when:

n It is from a sustainable source n It is saved from landfill n It is from an abundant source close by n It has not use elsewhere

2. What two items are key for fuel delivery

n Off-loading and price n Access and off-loading n Access and price n Time of year and price

3. Moisture content of wood fuel is pivotal to

n Heat content from wood n Boiler specification n Fuel handling n Both A and B above n All A, B and C above

4. Energy Density of the fuel is based on

n Calorific Value n Bulk density n Calorific Value and Bulk density n Calorific Value and impurities

5. An accumulator tank provides what in a biomass system

n Resilience to the system n Increases flow temperature n Reduces losses in the boiler house n Improves efficiency and effectiveness of the system

6. A turndown ratio of 1:8 means the boiler is capable of a low firing rate of

n 12.5 per cent n 10 per cent n 8 per cent n 20 per cent

7. What demand profiles should you need to know to size appropriately

n Seasonal profile n Daily profile n Seasonal and Daily profiles n Monthly consumption

8. Who provides guidance on heat metering for biomass installations

n OFGEM n EPA n BEIS n DEFRA

9. For flueing arrangements, it is good practice to consider what

n Clean Cities Act n Environmental Permitting Regulations n Ash disposal n Size of woodchips

10. True or False, Biomass systems are likely to have increased maintenance over a gas only system?

How to obtain a CPD accreditation from the Energy Institute Energy in Buildings and Industry and the Energy Institute are delighted to have teamed up to bring you this Continuing Professional Development initiative.

This is the tenth and final module in the sixteenth series and focuses on biomass boilers. It is accompanied by a set of multiple-choice questions.

To qualify for a CPD certificate readers must submit at least eight of the ten sets of questions from this series of modules to EiBI for the Energy Institute to mark. Anyone achieving at least eight out of ten correct answers on eight separate articles qualifies for an Energy Institute CPD certificate. This can be obtained, on successful completion of the course and notification by the Energy Institute, free of charge for both Energy Institute members and non-members.

The articles, written by a qualified member of the Energy Institute, will appeal to those new to energy management and those with more experience of the subject.

Modules from the past 15 series can be obtained free of charge. Send your request to editor@eibi.co.uk. Alternatively, they can be downloaded from the EiBI website: www.eibi.co.uk

SERIES 15

SERIES 16

MAY 2017 - APR 2018

MAY 2018 - APR 2019

1 Lighting Technology 2 Boilers & Burners 3 Compressed Air 4 Water Management 5 Combined Heat and Power 6 Drives & Motors 7 Underfloor Heating 8 Energy Purchasing 9 Photovoltaics 10 Heat Pumps

1 BEMS 2 Refrigeration 3 LED Technology 4 District Heating 5 Air Conditioning 6 Behaviour Change 7 Thermal Imaging 8 Solar Thermal 9 Smart Buildings 10 Biomass Boilers

* ONLY available to download from the website after publication date

n True n False

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The Energy Institute (EI) is the professional body for the energy industry, developing and sharing knowledge, skills and good practice towards a safe, secure and sustainable energy system. The EI supports energy managers by offering membership and professional registrations including Chartered Energy Manager, as well as workshops, events, training and networking opportunities across the UK and overseas. It also produces a number of freely available knowledge resources such as its online Energy Matrix and energy management guide.

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Completed answers should be mailed to: The Education Department, Energy in Buildings & Industry, P.O. Box 825, GUILDFORD, GU4 8WQ. Or scan and e-mail to editor@eibi.co.uk. All modules will then be supplied to the Energy Institute for marking

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Terms: in submitting your completed answers you are indicating consent to EiBI’s holding and processing the personal data you have provided to us, in accordance with legal bases set out under data protection law. Further to this, EiBI will share your details with the Energy Institute (EI) with whom this CPD series is run in contractual partnership. The EI will process your details for the purposes of marking your answers and issuing your CPD certificate.

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EIBI_0419_002-0 Edit_Layout 1 01/04/2019 12:59 Page 27

Are Your Organisation’s Profits Simply Going Up In Smoke?

eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 14

Boilers & Burners For further information on Hamworthy Heating visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 135

The art of separation Preparing old systems for new energy-efficient boilers is not a straightforward as it seems. Andrew Dabin looks at the main factors that energy managers must consider

E

nergy-efficient boilers are now the industry standard.

Many of these are only compatible with modern pressurised systems. In contrast to this, open vented heating systems were common in the past. This can be a problem when refurbishing them and that’s why finding a solution to ‘bridge the gap’ between old and new is necessary.

An example of good practice is hydraulic separation between the primary circuit (with the boiler(s)) and secondary circuit (existing old pipework).

A first point of examination is the condition and size of current pipework. For optimum performance and efficiency such as enabling the required lower return temperatures for condensing performance, alterations need to be considered.

When it comes to the water flow around the system, it is necessary to take into account whether the boiler has an integral pump and if a primary circuit pump is required.

Does the current pipework’s flow capacity match the primary/shunt pump minimum requirements?

Possible consequences of an inadequate flow rate are not only annoying for the client but can also be costly: a broken heat cell due to an insufficient water supply costs thousand to repair, a scaled up heat exchanger causes efficiency losses and longer heat-up times as well as a shorter life expectancy.

How are you going to protect your boilers? It is worth considering the installation of: • a dosing pot for introducing chemicals (to e.g. prevent corrosion) into the system; • an air and dirt separator to remove air bubbles and dirt particles; and • strainers to catch debris.

The next step is choosing how to connect to the secondary circuit.

There are several ways to achieve this: via low loss header or buffer vessel arrangements, plate heat

Plate heat exchangers provide hydraulic separation of heating circuits

exchangers or the use of a no flow boiler.

Using a low loss header or buffer vessel in a heating system ensures adequate flow, resistance and temperature around the primary circuit, while flow rates and temperatures in the secondary circuit may vary. Another benefit when using a vertical low loss header is the low flow velocity allowing sludge to sink to the bottom which can then easily be removed from the system via a trap.

However, alteration costs on an old heating system to include a low loss header or buffer vessel can go against this choice. Other factors could be space requirements.

units needed. While it is common practice to use several boilers to prevent a single point of failure, using only one plate heat exchanger would reintroduce this risk.

A no flow boiler on the primary circuit is non-dependent on the secondary circuit flow for safe operation. Instead, an internal variable speed circulation circuit

Hydraulic separation of circuits Plate heat exchangers provide hydraulic separation of heating circuits and protect new boilers from dirt and debris from an existing secondary circuit, as the water does not mix.

Benefits include the protection of boilers through separation which prolong their life. A reduced amount of water in the primary circuit means treatment becomes cheaper (less chemicals used). Additionally, they provide pressure protection.

Downsides are space issues when both heating circuits are pressurised, and two pressurisation

26 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

An example of good practice is hydraulic separation between the primary circuit and secondary circuit

Andrew Dabin is product manager for Hamworthy Heating

ensures water movement when circuit pumps are off or set to low.

Furthermore, it utilises differential temperature supervision to control the output power for safe operation.

The high water content in a no flow boiler equals high thermal mass which allows it to fire without flow and without risk of overheating.

Once the control stat stops the boiler, the thermal mass safely absorbs residual heat. These types of boilers often have dedicated return connections for low temperature and high temperature heating circuits to ensure maximum efficiency can be obtained.

The main benefit of installing a no flow boiler is that it removes the need to install it in a dedicated primary circuit as well as the installation of additional equipment such as low loss header, plate heat exchanger and pumps. Thanks to its high water capacity, it can operate with wide differential temperatures and the twin return connection allows maximum operating efficiency. High and low temperature circuits connect to dedicated heat exchanger return connections.

Against choosing a no flow boiler is the required flow isolation through non-firing boilers. This helps the system pumps to modulate which ensures flow through the firing boiler. Isolating any non-firing boiler in any system is good practice.

Furthermore, the boiler should not be operating using its own thermostats or integral temperature controls but instead be integrated using a sequence controller or building management system.

Which method of hydraulic separation is preferable will be mostly determined by available plant room space, time, and budget.

Depending on the choice, other considerations would be low loss header/heat exchanger sizing, type of pump(s) used and if a reverse return is required.

On one hand, hydraulic separation can be achieved by using low loss header or heat exchanger.

This offers flexibility, as this equipment is optional. On the other, opting for a no flow boiler means the most integral part of the heating system determines the remaining design consideration. 

EIBI_0419_002-0 Edit_Layout 1 03/04/2019 16:29 Page 27

Boil Boilers ers & Burners Burners

Chris Caton is head of commercial product management at Ideal Boilers

For further information on Ideal Boilers visit www www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries .eibi.co.uk/e enquiries and enter ENQUIRY ENQUIRY No. No. 144

Getting the most from your plant room M&E contractors and building services managers looking to maximise space within plant rooms have a checklist of services to consider. Heating systems are just one of many, believes Ch hris Caton

S

maller footprint boilers or a modular system will help with plant room design. Space is offtten a at a premium in man ny cases so it it’s vital that you make the most of room in small or otherwise filled plant rooms.

However, newer, more effficient f condensing commercial boilers can take up a lot less room than their atmospheric predecessors, which opens up a range of options. “It’s also worth noting that the legislation around BS6644 should also be taken into consideration, especially the amount of ventilation that is needed for the safe running of a boiler installation. The obvious

More efficient condensing boilers can take up a lot less space than their atmospheric predecessors

checks need to be considered such as clearance around the boilers, which should ould alwa ay ys be in line

with manufacturer’s guidelines for servicing and commissioning checks,� states Caton.

There should also be no space constraints with regards to the ffllue – servicing access should n never be restricted. Identifying the safe parameters within the legislation should alwa ay ys be checked with the ffllue installer or manufacturer, he adds.

With the fitting of an ny new boilers, system separation and water treatment processes are a necessity. While it ma ay seem counter-intuitive to add more equipment into the plant room, corrosion of pipes and boiler parts due to poor quality water can mean that heating systems are damaged or fail, leading them to be out of service for a length hy period, concludes Caton.

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eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 11

DCE | Compact instantaneous water heater DEM | Mini instantaneous water heater

EIBI_0419_002-0 Edit_Layout 1 01/04/2019 13:00 Page 44

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THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATION DESERVES YOUR CONFIDENCE The labels, logos or ÂŤ certificate of excellence Âť are abundant, but they are not all equal.

When a manufacturer starts the process of Third-Party certification, they enter a process of quality for the benefit of all: end users, prescribers, insurers, investors and authorities.

The reliability of advertised performance, the readability and transparency of information, the regulatory compliance, the product energy efficiency, are some of the benefits resulting from Third-Party certification.

Our certification process is robust, rigorous and demanding: continuous testing, product sampling, factory audits, independent testing by accredited agencies and laboratories, selection software control as well as independent evaluation.

Since 1994 EUROVENT CERTIFICATION CERTIFICATION certifies the performance ratings of HVAC-R products for residential home and industrial facilities. Visit our website available 24/7.

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eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 22

Download your customized

EIBI_0419_002-0 Edit_Layout 1 02/04/2019 15:56 Page 29

Products in Action For further information on products and services visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter the appropriate online enquiry number

Pipe insulation boosts hospital to BREEAM target A new clinical building, which is home to a state-of-the-art cancer and rare disease centre, has been created as part of Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s Waterfall House. 20,000m of Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation was specified for the building’s services to help achieve credits towards the BREEAM target rating of ‘Very Good’.

The four floors of Waterfall House are tailored to meet the needs of young patients receiving care from its pioneering rare diseases centre. This includes a collection of private rooms, spaces for staff and patients to relax or socialise, family rooms, and access to fresh air.

As part of the Next Generation Project, the new building aims to offer world-class healthcare facilities that will serve for the lifetime of the hospital. It was designed by architects, BDP, and engineering consultants, Hoare Lea. The project was also overseen by M&E contractors, Interserve Engineering Services.

The plan was developed to be forward thinking as the facility needs to be adaptable and flexible in nature to meet the requirements of the future.

The premium performance insulation core of Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation has a thermal conductivity as low as 0.025 W/m.K and can offer a long term energy-saving solution. In addition, it achieves a 2008 Green Guide Summary Rating of A/A+. As a result, the pipe insulation can help towards achieving credits for the hospital’s lifecycle and energy targets ONLINE ENQUIRY 111 as part of its BREEAM assessment.

Meter repairs for London's elite MWA Technology was recently called in to make vital repairs to the metering system of a Kensington penthouse flat that, late last year, topped a list of the top 10 most expensive properties in Britain after selling for a £50m.

Situated at the development at 5 Princes Gate, the flat also topped the list of London’s most expensive homes. Incredibly, the Princes Gate apartment costs nearly twice as much as the second most expensive property, a terraced family home in west London which sold for £27m.

MWA had to make vital repairs to the Kamstrup metering system that needed to be reprogrammed for accurate flow management and record. MWA says it offers a unique specialist service to provide expert technical ONLINE ENQUIRY 110 support at the user’s location.

State-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz retail centre feels the benefit of VRF air conditioning A new state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz retail centre now under construction will be air conditioned with Toshiba’s Super Heat Recovery Multi (SHRM-e) variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system.

Located on a 10.5-acre site near Stockport, the development will be the largest Mercedes-Benz facility in the UK, and includes the brand’s largest showroom in Europe, 32 workshop bays and a high-tech body and paint repair facility.

The project is the first in a series of new build schemes planned by Hong Kong-based retail group LSH Auto UK, which currently operates nine Mercedes-Benz dealerships and smart retail centres in the Manchester and Birmingham areas. The main contractor on the project is RG Group with Imtech Engineering Services North responsible

for mechanical and electrical services.

Air conditioning will be provided by 18 Toshiba high-efficiency SHRM-e VRF outdoor systems connected to 124 indoor units, all ducted to deliver a high-quality interior finish. In addition, Toshiba cassettes are being installed in administration offices. The equipment is being supplied by Toshiba distributor Cool Designs Ltd.

Gavin Horner, who led the project for Toshiba, said: “The showroom is a double height, open-plan design with adjoining offices, which offers significant potential for heat recovery. The heat pump-based Toshiba system will harness waste heat energy and deliver it in the form of heating or cooling to wherever it is needed in the building, making maximum use of available energy and

eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 15

minimising running costs for the end user.”

In addition to high, SHRM-e delivers improvements across the board in terms of occupant comfort, ease of installation and breadth of building application. This has been made possible by developments in key technologies such as the compressor and intelligent control system, supported by a battery of incremental improvements in almost all system components.

The system is controlled by four Touchscreen controllers, offering quick access to key operating parameters via a highly responsive colour screen. Each can control up to 64 indoor units, offering a user-friendly interface for enhanced user comfort and system performance.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 109

Building Energy Management Systems For further information on BCIA visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 136

The battle for talent The building controls industry is set to boom but where are the engineers of the future? Terry Sharp highlights the exciting experiences a career in the building controls industry can bring

A

ccording to BSRIA, the global BEMS market is expected to reach $6.8bn by next year. This is, of course, a fantastic figure but we face an ongoing battle to maintain the supply of talented engineers to cope with the demand, which will continue to spiral.

Failure to win this battle will place huge pressure on building projects, resources and will ultimately result in lower quality buildings, also hindering our collective sustainability targets. So what we can do to increase the talent pool in the building controls industry? I believe the raw talent is out there, we just need to attract it – and there is no better advert for our industry than the landscape we see around us today.

Take a look at some of the most impressive examples of architecture we have witnessed spring up in the last 10-20 years. London’s Shard, Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium,

the Absolute World skyscrapers in Toronto and The Blue Planet aquarium in Copenhagen are all modern aesthetical masterpieces.

While the architect may well get the plaudits, it is important to remind ourselves that these are more than just empty shells and there is a great deal of complex engineering underneath the exterior that we can take pride in. Modern legislation and environmental targets have of course made good building management a necessity, meaning that we and our engineers of the future are part of a difficult, but also an exciting and rewarding challenge to make our buildings energy efficient, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing.

Targets to work towards It is fair to consider that designing something like a BEMS for a new building is an easier task. In order to meet modern standards, such as the Minimum Energy Efficiency

30 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

‘Let’s start to place more emphasis on the fascinating process and spaces we control’ Standard (MEES), designers and potential managers of new buildings will already have these targets to work towards and will play a key part in the design process. However, it is not always as straightforward for older buildings, limited by legacy infrastructure unsuitable for modern building control systems.

While there are some exceptions in certain cases, such as listed buildings being exempt from having an Energy Performance Certificate, they shouldn’t necessarily be used as a reason to not try and improve the way a building operates for the benefit of its users and visitors. Updating an old building, therefore, while still retaining its

Terry Sharp is an associate with NDA Consulting, and vice president of the Building Controls Industry Association

historic authenticity is a challenge to be excited about – and this is something we should highlight more to the next generation of engineers.

For all his wild, imaginative genius even Gaudi could not have foreseen how advanced the world would be now when he first conceived his idea for the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, way back in 1895. Still under construction and with an expected completion date of 2026, the famous church attracts 3.5 million visitors a year, making it possibly the most popular construction site in the world. But with so many visitors it needs to move with the times so that the visitor experience is as enjoyable and stress free as possible. In order to make this happen the church’s building management team has embraced a variety of tools and innovations, such as Big Data, IoT smart sensors and Building Information Modelling (BIM), to ensure ongoing construction and visitor satisfaction can continue in harmony. For anybody working on the Sagrada Familia, whether they’re an architect, builder, electrician or IT installer, it must be hugely satisfying to be involved in the completion of a spectacular construction project that began well over a century ago.

Whether it’s new builds or retrofit projects the controls industry has a huge number of exciting projects to offer and we should use examples to appeal to the engineers of the future as much as we can. The number of entries to the 2019 BCIA Awards has topped last year’s total and shows that we are taking more and more pride in our work - and want the world to know about it!

The controls industry has brought me great opportunities to travel and work in the most diverse buildings including palaces, museums, factories and stadiums. So instead of focusing on the plant room, let’s start to place more emphasis on the fascinating process and spaces we control. The next generation of engineers will be the key drivers in evolving technologies to create a more environmentally friendly building landscape for tomorrow.

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? 

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Building Energy Management Systems

Casey Wells is digital customer marketing manager at Trend Control Systems

For further information on Trend Control Systems visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 137

Control for all seasons A BEMS must be given attention throughout the year in order to maximise its potential. Casey Wells explains why a 24/7/365 approach to BEMS optimisation is essential to maximise comfort conditions for building occupants

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he run up to spring this year was an interesting one, with unseasonably warm, sunny weather at the end of February, followed by howling winds and colder temperatures in March! Such dramatic fluctuations mean that a BEMS must be agile, flexible and responsive as extreme temperatures can be problematic for a wide variety of reasons that need to be addressed throughout the year.

We’ve all experienced the effects of poor comfort conditions and the negative effect they can have on productivity and our sense of wellbeing. While energy management is important in buildings, the focus should also be on the people that occupy them and BEMS technology can be used to improve their engagement.

Modern airtight buildings can suffer from poor quality air. Ensuring they operate in ways that ensure optimum comfort conditions as soon as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) is switched on, will be time well spent.

It should also be remembered that increased productivity offers a significant return on investment (ROI). This was highlighted by research from the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), which found that temperature can negatively affect productivity by 2 percent for each 1°C above the ideal temperature and 4.7 percent for each 1°C below. Furthermore, good air quality can improve productivity by up to 11 per cent.

A BEMS should automatically control to pre-defined setpoints – constantly tracking changes in both external and internal temperatures and light quality, and adjusting the HVAC and lighting before any occupants even notice. Furthermore, the data it produces allow building and facilities managers to better analyse, understand, reconfigure and improve a building’s internal environment.

A BEMS is ideal for carrying out

An optimum start/stop strategy (OSS) will maintain comfort throughout the year

energy monitoring, as it will often possess unused capacity, have an existing service arrangement and generally be better supported than a stand-alone energy logging application. The equipment itself may also be more robust and modular and, in the case of a modern BEMS, have the capability to carry out virtual energy measurements from plant run times. So, it makes sense to determine whether changing monitoring requirements can be met by an existing BEMS system and, if not, investigate whether some simple upgrades or reprogramming is required.

Periods of reduced occupancy When employees begin to embark on their summer holidays, most companies experience periods of reduced occupancy. This is an ideal situation for a programme of BEMS optimisation, for instance using a plant on a demand-led basis at this time of year is the ideal strategy for reducing wear and tear, and making use of resources such as free cooling.

With a demand-led strategy, when specific areas need different levels of HVAC, this can be achieved using as little energy as possible.

For example, many buildings have

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a central air handling unit (AHU) to supply air at a constant temperature to fan coil units (FCU) that carry out the local temperature control.

Chillers are activated whenever the AHU return air temperature is above a setpoint, resulting in all the cooling being handled by the chillers, which are energy intensive and costly. Furthermore, whenever outside air is below the required supply temperature, an AHU has to heat it up but, sometimes, due to internal heat gains, this air then has to be mechanically cooled – wasting both gas on heating and electricity on cooling. Finally, ineffective use of an optimiser results in an increase in the air conditioning time zones during hot weather, so that during warmer months plant is set permanently to run for longer hours than normal.

In this situation the answer is to initiate a strategy where, if cooling demand is between 0-50 percent, fresh air dampers modulate to meet this requirement by using fresh air only, without the need to initiate chillers. If this free cooling is not sufficient and the cooling demand continues to rise above 50 per cent, only then can chillers be activated. To make this more effective, the supply

air setpoint can also be reduced to make maximum use of the fresh air cooling effect.

During the colder months, before things get too chilly and energy demand increases, it’s a good idea to implement an optimum start/stop (OSS) strategy.

OSS offers an efficient and automatic way of maintaining space temperatures, while controlling the amount of energy used to achieve them. By using a rolling profile of when a setpoint was achieved the previous day and by monitoring outside temperatures, an OSS calculates a start time for the heating system, so that a building is warmed up when the occupation period begins. Conversely, OSS can work well in the summer months to ensure that a building is cool enough during periods of occupancy.

While the ability of a BEMS to reduce energy use and save money is without question, organisations should remember that an improved working environment that has the health, happiness and wellbeing of occupants at its core offers a significant ROI through improved productivity, less absence as a result of illness and highly motivated personnel. 

Energy Management Software For further information on products and services visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter the appropriate online enquiry number

Next generation software allows accurate tenant billing Energy management specialist TEAM has strengthened its software portfolio with the launch of its next generation Sigma Tenant Billing solution. The application enables organisations to accurately and efficiently apportion utility costs between tenants, cost centres or departments delivering transparent accountable billing.

The flexible and reliable solution seamlessly integrates with existing energy management systems, delivering effective measurement and sophisticated bill calculation.

Users have the added advantage of integrating the data into their accounting system through the Accounts Link interface, speeding-up the billing process.

To ensure the software suits the specific needs of its users to deliver on their efficiency targets and economise the tenant billing process, TEAM worked with its customers on the design and functionality.

Tom Anderton, product and service development manager, TEAM said: “Tenant billing is the natural next step

on the journey to ensuring we can meet the evolving needs of organisations across a wide range of industries.

By working with our customers, we understand the unique challenges that can come with tenant billing.

“This collaboration has led to the inclusion of enhanced functionality to address these issues, such as flexible charging methodologies, allowing users to define their own utility tariffs and use data from a variety of sources.

As well as the ability to charge against multiple commodities and calorific value conversion, which ensures greater transparency when billing volumetric consumption.”

Developed as part of its flagship energy management software, Sigma, users can manage, monitor and gain insights into their tenant’s energy consumption through one system.

By tackling two energy management needs in one, the application offers

more functionality than proprietary systems.

The approach aligns with the organisation’s first-class ethos, to deliver solutions and services that exceed in addressing the challenges of modern energy management.

In adopting Sigma Tenant Billing, customers will receive a dedicated deployment designed to meet their specific requirements, along with continued on-going support.

Simon Miles, chief executive officer, TEAM added: “At a time when organisations are feeling the pressures of economic and political uncertainty, we want to help businesses in using technology to support sustainable and efficient operations.

“With Sigma Tenant Billing, businesses will see operational benefits and cash savings from day one, and with the built-in option to scale-up as the business grows, customers can expect to achieve added return on their investment.”

ONLINE ENQUIRY 138

Platform to digitalise contract procurement and management Energy software and management consultancy, ZTP, has launched Kiveev, a platform designed to digitalise the procurement and management of flex power and gas contracts. It is intended to provide users with clarity of position, risk mitigation, time saving and budget control.

ZTP spotted a gap in the market whereby many domestic and international multi-site businesses buying high volumes of energy on flexible/monthly contracts, had no system in place to monitor and forecast their energy usage, analyse current market prices, forecast future prices or build in accurate risk calculations. Kiveev has been designed specifically to address this issue.

The Kiveev platform will enable users to: • track and forecast consumption; • build and analyse budgets; • design trade strategies; • assess market conditions and price forecasts; • calculate risk; • record trades and positions; • evaluate strategies; and • report on performance.

As Kiveev constantly monitors the market, businesses can quickly react to market conditions and immediately see the impact against purchasing strategies. Investigation of price trends can also be performed through the Kiveev market dashboard. This dashboard provides: • live data – live commodities exchange and OTC price data • market commentary – daily and weekly market insight commentary; • delivered cost – total transparency with built in non-commodity rate algorithms; • strategy library – strategy builder

and library provides users with more control; • alerts – live alerts provide a constant overwatch; • legislative change – updates on legislation to ensure users are aware of changes.

Alex Hill, managing director of ZTP, said: “This new solution arrives at a time of increased energy market volatility, and will empower those responsible for energy management and procurement. Based on our work and discussions with clients and contacts from across multiple sectors including aggregates, construction,

leisure manufacturing, real estate and retail, and other key industry stakeholders, we identified the common denominator that many had no system in place to monitor and forecast their energy usage, analyse current market prices or build in risk factors, which is a becoming a key issue and concern in this era of increased accountability. We therefore set out to build a solution that can help users to significantly enhance how they manage energy together with maximising savings on their energy use and costs across their multi-site mixed-use development portfolios.”

“The way we bank, order food and watch TV has all changed drastically in recent years, and it is now time for digitalisation to change how the energy procurement and management process is delivered.

Through collaboration with our clients and other industry contacts, ZTP has been able to develop the Kiveev platform which will transform the way flexible power and gas contracts are managed by both national and international business,” Hill concluded.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 139

APRIL 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 33

Compressed Air For further information on Atlas Copco Compressors UK visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 140

Stef Lievens is business line manager for industrial air at Atlas Copco Compressors UK

Small steps to big savings Compressed air is a worthwhile target for auditing, analysis and optimisation, says Stef Lievens. And there are some simple steps that users can take to start making savings

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ndustry has taken a step-by-step approach to improving energy efficiency over the past few decades, driven by a mixture of regulation, new technology, costreduction initiatives, and concerns about carbon emissions. One of the most obvious results has been the wholesale shift to low-energy LED lighting.

As the technology’s maturation has increased its reliability, cut its costs and so enhanced the return on investment an increasing number of businesses are now exploring a less obvious step, which is to reassess how they create, distribute and use compressed air in their factories and facilities.

It may be a surprise that this ubiquitous source of pneumatic power can make a significant difference, but conservative estimates suggest that the provision of compressed air accounts for up to 10 per cent of global industrial energy consumption. This makes it a worthwhile target for auditing, analysis and optimisation in any energy-saving strategy.

There are simple steps that any organisation can take, such as turning off compressors during breaks and overnight, finding and sealing leaks in the airlines, and training staff to avoid wasting compressed air in the same way as they have been trained not to waste electricity. More complex steps may involve installing more efficient variable-speed drive compressors, which match the work they put in to compressing air to the demand, reducing the operating pressure of the supplied air, or changing the capacity of the compressor to more accurately match average demand.

As air compressors typically consume 10-12 per cent of a factory’s electricity, and sometimes up to 30 per cent, there’s a lot of potential for realising energy savings by conducting a compressed air energy audit. But if there’s such a lot of scope for energy optimisation, and there is

production enhancements, not to mention financial savings, are often enough to enable a plant or energy manager to make a business case for their organisation to invest in a compressed air upgrade.

Energy audit participation

Data loggers can reveal periods of the day or week when compressed air is being wasted

such a variety of steps that businesses can take to achieve it, how do you decide what to do first?

Simple visual assessment One simple approach is to have a compressed air energy audit, which can quickly reveal opportunities for improvements and energy savings that companies can either implement themselves or work with their partners to realise.

Thankfully the initial step involves a simple visual assessment, such as the #airCHECK service, which can be done in 10 minutes without disrupting production. This exercise is intended to reveal opportunities for end users to fix costly air leaks, check that their pipe runs are fit for purpose, and that the system is working at the appropriate running pressure. The audit will pick up inefficient operating practices, such as leaving compressors to run during evenings and weekends. The assessment can also reveal whether a compressed air system is outdated and unable to comply with the latest standards, mis-specified or misconfigured and therefore costing more to run that is necessary.

To get more detail, a straightforward data-logging exercise such as an iiTrak system energy audit can investigate opportunities

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for savings in more depth. Like #airCHECK, this audit is meant to be unobtrusive. It usually takes less than 15 minutes to install the logging hardware, which is then left to run for a week, during which AIRchitect software analyses how the facility is using compressed air.

The resultant report details any opportunities to produce compressed air more efficiently and reduce energy consumption.

It also highlights any situations in which the current set-up does not meet the relevant ISO standards.

It’s at this stage that the true value of participating in an energy audit is usually revealed. This is because the potential process and

This audit-led approach is backed up by real-word case studies. For instance, Buxton Press, the UK magazine printing company, began the process by participating in an iiTrak system energy audit, which showed that a lot of air was leaking from its pipework. To address the issue, the company installed a new ring main and 75kW variablespeed drive (VSD) compressor with ancillaries. This should reduce the plant’s annual CO2 emissions by about 48 tonnes a year, and reduce the annual cost of producing and supplying compressed air by close to £7,500.

Despite such savings being widely achievable using advanced VSD compressors, some companies put off making a change because of concerns that upgrading their compressors could disrupt day-to-day operations. With proper planning, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Manufacturers that want to move to continual optimisation of their compressed air system can use remote data-monitoring technology to achieve this as part of a wider smart factory environment.

What all of this shows is that visual assessments, full system audits, and continuous monitoring as part of a smart factory strategy, can each prompt a series of small changes that can help companies using compressed air to make long-term financial savings, production and energy-efficiency improvements.

As an important side benefit, such inspections and audits can also reveal opportunities to improve health and safety practices. As in our homes, many small steps can lead to significant energy and carbon savings. 

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Compressed Air For further information on British Compressed Air Society visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 141

Users of compressed air should aim to improve the overall system efficiency, not just install new compressors

Savings in the air Roy Brooks outlines some methods to consider to save energy in a typical compressed air system, and highlights areas where waste occurs and how to minimise it

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ompressed air is often referred to as the fourth utility. It is essential to many sectors as a safe, reliable and versatile source of power.

It does, however, take a considerable amount of energy, generally in the form of electricity, to produce the clean, dry, pressurised air that is needed for so many processes and applications.

A compressed air system is just that; a system, and every element of it impacts upon its energy consumption. Therefore, when discussing efficiency and the potential savings that could be realised, it is important for operators to take a full, system approach. – from generation to air treatment to distribution and finally, the point of use.

An ideal place to start is to identify some of the key areas where valuable compressed air can be wasted by processes or people downstream of the compressor.

For example, if an operator installs the most efficient compressor available, but connects

it to a system with a 30 per cent leak rate, then all the benefits are lost.

Users should aim to improve the overall system efficiency; efficiency in the generation of compressed air is one aspect but targeting avoidable waste in the system is even more important.

Many actions will require elements of maintenance or equipment/system upgrade, but the human element should not be overlooked. Substantial efficiency improvements can be achieved by implementing new processes and encouraging staff to use compressed air more efficiently and safely.

Reduction of generation Compressed air is often generated at around 8 bar, (116 psi) even if the point of use only requires 6.5 bar (94 psi). Gradually reducing the generation pressure to a point where processes can still function reliably can enable significant savings. For example, reducing pressure by 10 per cent can contribute to as much as five per cent savings in energy. It is advisable to obtain the advice of

36 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

a reputable service provider or the manufacturer first.

Leak rates in industrial systems are typically between 20 and 40 per cent, meaning the compressor has to work harder, and therefore consume more energy, to compensate for the pressure loss. A tiny leak of just 3m can cost more than £700 a year in wasted energy, but a simple, outof-hours survey can identify leaks easily. These can then be repaired, fixing the largest leaks first.

Compressed air is energy intensive to run, and cheaper options exist for certain jobs. For example, there may be more energy-efficient alternatives for drying and ventilation. However, for applications where there are risks of explosion or electrical interference, compressed air remains the best option.

Simple awareness sessions to advise staff about the costs and safe use of compressed air are strongly advisable. For example, not allowing benches or equipment to be cleaned down with compressed air will save a significant amount of air (and therefore energy) being vented in

Roy Brooks is technical development officer at British Compressed Air Society

to the atmosphere. It is far safer to carry out such cleaning using a vacuum system to reduce the risk of injury.

If compressed air is appropriate for the job, could it be delivered more efficiently? For example, air knives may be open-ended pipes.

Fitting a venturi-type nozzle can use 30 per cent less compressed air, and, by making the operation much quieter, will improve the working environment too.

An idling compressor can use around 40 per cent of its full load.

Where appropriate, install energy management systems to turn compressors off when they are not being used (for example overnight), to save energy.

Not all parts of the network operate to the same hours or the same pressure, so separate the compressed air system into zones.

At the same time isolate redundant pipework. When replacing your piping, consider all the alternatives to the usual galvanised steel.

Aluminium and plastic pipes do not corrode and also have a much smoother internal finish causing less pressure drop and thus saving energy.

Treating air to remove dirt, water and oil is necessary but can use a lot of energy. Many manufacturing plants only need a proportion of the compressed air to be treated to a very high purity (quality).

In these cases, excellent savings are achievable be treating all the generated air to the minimum acceptable level and improving the purity (quality) to the desired level at the usage point.

Regular maintenance (to maintain low leak rates and reliability of equipment) and staff involvement are good starting points. Add to this a policy that specifies that energy efficient options are purchased when replacing all equipment - from a drain valve through to the compressor - and the use of proprietary spare parts, can realise significant savings in excess of 25 per cent.

• BCAS has produced an ‘Reducing Energy Consumption from Compressed Air Usage’ best practice guide 104, which can be downloaded for free from the BCAS website at www.bcas.org.uk. 

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Compressed Air For further information on products and services visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter the appropriate online enquiry number

Robust solution to avoid delays

Compressor offers heat recovery

Oceaneering Umbilical Solutions, a leader in the design and manufacture of subsea cable discovered that its compressed air systems were becoming unreliable due to age and they required a new solution that gave reliability, energy efficiency and low noise levels.

Robust and reliable compressed air is an essential requirement for this business. Compressed air provides airto-air skate equipment that is used to lift the umbilical cables onto the carousels before they are loaded. Any delay in this loading process could mean the installation vessels not leaving port, resulting in huge costs..

After an analysis of the area and the customer requirements, Gardner Denver distributor CPA Engineered Solutions concluded that the best solution would be to install two fixed speed ESN250 models and a VS250 variable speed unit running at 8-bar pressure. A bespoke control interface helps distribute running hours evenly across the units and, the refrigerant dryers provide dry quality air. This solution combines reliable and easy to use operation and high efficiency.

Designed to meet the rigours of continuous 24/7 operating demands, the compressors also feature a robust design and ONLINE ENQUIRY 142 low noise level operation.

Gardner Denver has released a new air-cooled version of Ultima technology, which continues to set a benchmark in the market by being the first ever aircooled oil-free compressor to offer heat recovery for process water.

With the air-cooled model capable of recovering up to 98 per cent of heat generated during compression, cost savings of approximately £70,000 are possible when compared with the nearest rival models, claims the company. The technology’s patented closed package cooling system means the energy captured when compressing air can be used to provide process water heating, delivering usable water temperatures of up to 85oC. Its hybrid cooling capabilities offer extra flexibility for the user too. Operators can choose between either air-cooling, water-cooling or both, depending on the most economic means of cooling at the time.

Ultima is available with a pressure range from 4 to 10 bar, volume flow from 6.7 to 23.9 m3/min at 8 bar, and motor power from 75 to 160kW. The technology is equipped with iConn, Gardner Denver’s digital analytics platform, too, helping operators to measure, optimise and improve ONLINE ENQUIRY 143 compressed air usage.

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ESTA VIEWPOINT

For further information on ESTA visit www.estaenergy.org.uk

Confidence in your data At a time when performance contracting and on-site generation continue to grow Richard Quilter explains the importance of the MID Directive when it comes to choosing meters

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ith discussions and considerations swirling around the impact of EU Directives, it is perhaps important to outline the current position regarding metering, particularly when considering applications that are used for billing purposes and the legality vis-à-vis the presumed quality of data.

The Measuring Instruments Directive (MID) was introduced by the European Union to promote the free trade of measuring instruments throughout Europe and came into force October 2006.

Approval to the MID standard is required for meters used in any fiduciary (i.e. billing) application. For electricity meters this is MI-003 (active electrical energy meters).

MID is applicable for loads up to 100kW and every new meter installed for billing must be MID approved. MID makes no distinction between primary main supply meters and secondary sub-billing meters. Currently, installed meters that were approved under UK legislation prior to October 2006 may remain installed 38 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

indefinitely, if they are measuring accurately. However, any new meter manufactured and approved after October 2006 must be approved under the MID regulations.

Use MID-approved meter So, how does this affect me? If you are a residential, commercial, or industrial landlord or property manager you must employ a MID-approved meter when charging for electricity by meter reading (except as above). Examples include: • multi-use commercial buildings; • industrial estates; • sub-let shops or concessions;

Richard Quilter is business development manager, ABB and member of ESTA aM&T group

• residential flats; • marinas; • caravan parks; • data centre server supplies; and • sports facilities.

In clarifying these examples further, you could then ask - what about the billing systems, does the whole process need to be MID approved? The answer is, that only the meter is subject to MID; the data collection system, whether it is manual reading, remote reading via dataloggers, BMS, EMS software or any other means, does not need MID approval.

MID-approved meters can be identified by their specific markings, as required under the Directive. These comprise the CE marking, the MID marking which is made up of the letter ‘M’ and then the year of manufacture, as shown in Fig. 1. (i.e. a meter manufactured in 2016 would be M16) followed by a four or three digit code representing the notified body that approved and verified the meter.

To take your own checking further, the National Measurement and Regulation Office (NMRO) aims to publish approval certificates issued by notified bodies in the UK and certificates should also be provided by manufacturers of the meters.

On-site renewable generation and performance contracting have made the set up of metering and submetering increasingly complex. Making sure you have the right meters and the right data for the right purposes and that are fit for the future is of greater importance.

ESTA’s automatic Monitoring and Targeting group (aM&Tg), brings together members providing a range of products and services targeted at measuring, acquiring, managing, processing and analysing energy data in the pursuit of energy efficiency.

A large part of the group’s remit is to provide best practice guidance, support and information for those considering any implementation, upgrade or providing advice on all things aM&T. • If you have concerns regarding your aM&T provision and would like advice or guidance, ESTA aM&T group members will happily answer your request. Visit the ESTA website, or alternatively, come and see us at an ESTA Energy Conference.

The next one takes place 13 June, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Birmingham NEC. 

New Products For further information on products and services visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter the appropriate online enquiry number

Greater connectivity in degasser range

Thermal camera captures distant faults FLIR Systems has launched the FLIR T840, a new thermal camera in the highperformance T-Series family. The high-resolution FLIR T840 offers a brighter display and an integrated viewfinder to help electrical utility, plant managers, and other thermography professionals find and diagnose failing components in any lighting conditions to help avoid costly power outages and plant shutdowns.

The 464x348-resolution camera incorporates FLIR advanced Vision Processing, including patented MSX image enhancement technology, UltraMax, and proprietary adaptive filtering algorithms to provide customers with enhanced measurement accuracy and image clarity with half the image noise of previous models.

The FLIR T840 also offers an optional 6-degree lens that allows professionals to capture accurate temperature measurements on small targets at far distances, such as connectors on overhead distribution lines. Also, advanced, on-camera measurement tools unique to newer FLIR T-Series models, such as one-touch Level/Span and precise, laser-assisted autofocus, the FLIR T840, enable users to quickly find problems and make critical decisions easily.

With a 180-degree rotating lens platform, the FLIR T840’s ergonomic design helps users reduce the strain of full-day inspections and diagnose hard-to-reach components at substations and on distribution lines. The FLIR T840 offers rapid reporting features that help users stay organized in the field. Wi-Fi streaming to the FLIR Tools app makes it simple to survey issues in real time, while in-camera GPS automatically tags image files with geolocation data to simplify identification and precise documentation.

Spirotech has re-engineered its fully automatic SpiroVent Superior vacuum degassers, introducing two new models with increased performance and ‘intelligent’ controls.

The S400 and S600 can service higher volumes of water than ever before and feature menu-guided commissioning as well as remote access and operation via the cloud.

The changes have been made in response to the market, which is looking for greater connectivity alongside reduced energy consumption delivered with the aid of deaeration products that can operate effectively in today’s increasingly large commercial buildings.

The vacuum degassers work by decreasing the pressure in the vacuum vessel that sits within the unit. This liberates dissolved gases from the system liquid in the vessel and the accumulated gases can then be expelled.

Any air left behind leads to corrosion, and a destructive sludge developing, also creating noise from components such as pumps, which cease to work efficiently.

The powerful vacuum degassers are needed because ‘ordinary’ in line deaerators will not work anywhere near as effectively in high-rise offices and other tall buildings.

By continuously degassing quantities of the system liquid, the SpiroVent Superior keeps the negative effects of dissolved and liberated gas to a minimum.

A smart switch continuously monitors the volume of removed air, and will switch off when the minimum dissolved gas level is reached.

The S400 can degas 500 litres or water per hour, while the S600 can manage 1,000 litres an hour.

The degassers also ensure the system pressure never drops too low, with positive pressure maintained throughout.

Functions such as on/off, error and alarm reset, and degassing, refill and boiler interlock on/off can be controlled remotely, while parameters can be set for such things as system pressure, refill pressure and boiler interlock.

Mark Boccetti, technical advisor for Spirotech UK, said: “The new SpiroVent Superiors have been developed based on Spirotech’s 30 years’ experience in degassing technology.

“They are the most effective degassers on the market and, we believe, are the only units that offer the three functions of degassing, pressurisation and a Category 5 break tank in one single unit.”

ONLINE ENQUIRY 108

ONLINE ENQUIRY 106

Website gives guidance on sensor choice ATC Semitec has recently launched its new website which will help both design engineers and buyers easily identify the ideal temperature sensor for their NPI or product upgrade.

Rob Savin, ATC Semitec’s managing director, commented: “We have spent time redesigning our website with engineers and buyers in mind. We all require instant answers nowadays and our site readily guides you to the ideal temperature sensor for your application.

“Our new mobile friendly site is searchable by market application, product type or via one of the manufacturers we represent.”

With over 20 years’ experience in the thermal sensor industry, the company’s technical sales team provides the final link to designers, confirming specification, availability, competitive pricing, and of course samples.

“Even with the new site, it’s always good to talk,” added Savin. “It’s during these conversations that our product knowledge helps design engineers save time and money finding the optimum sensor.”

ONLINE ENQUIRY 104

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PM technology leads to smaller motors With increasing demands from both legislative bodies and end users for motor manufacturers to achieve higher efficiencies ever-more innovative engineering solutions are required.

To meet these challenges, Lafert Electric Motors has adopted and adapted permanent magnet (PM) technology. This has resulted in motors being significantly smaller and lighter than standard motors, as well as meeting and exceeding all efficiency requirements. Weight can be cut by as much as 50 per cent and frame sizes up to two sizes smaller, claims the company.

Lafert has also adopted PM technology for specific applications in buildings.

These include motor variations for lifts and fans in addition to the universal-duty units which are available both as stand-alone motors or with an integrated drive.

The lift motors are compact units that can be installed in the lift shaft to potentially eliminate the need for a machine room, while the fan motor is designed for high volume, low speed (HVLS), large diameter fans employed for effective heating/ ventilation systems in large spaces.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 103

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Air Conditioning

Wall-mounted air conditioning line up complete Mitsubishi Electric has completed its line-up of R32 M Series wall mounted air conditioning systems, with the launch of the new MSZ-EF R32 Zen system.

Combining energy efficiency with a streamlined design, the new unit adds to the already extensive M Series range, with all products in the range now using the lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant, R32.

Created to complement modern interiors with a compact and stylish design, the unit comes in three colour variations (black, silver and white) to blend seamlessly into any environment. The range also includes Wi-Fi capabilities, giving the user the flexibility to control and monitor the unit using a smartphone, tablet or PC via the MELCloud app.

Thanks to the incorporation of Replace Technology, the MSZ-EF range can also be used to replace and upgrade older systems utilising existing pipework and wiring, benefitting the user with lower installation costs and times.

The MSZ-EF range comes in 2.5, 3.5 and 5.0kW sizes with an impressively low power consumption and industry-leading low operating noise level of 19 dB(A) that has been recognised by the Noise Abatement Society and awarded the prestigious Quiet Mark.

Air Movement Solutions

ONLINE ENQUIRY 105

Outdoor drivers with near field communication Tridonic has announced the launch of its third-generation outdoor drivers from the excite (EXC) and advanced (ADV) ranges. All have NFC (Near Field Communication) interface. The dimmable control gear elements for the luminaire fixture are available in various wattages and if require can be supplied with matching LED modules.

NFC technology saves programming time in luminaire production and allows units with up to 20 drivers to be configured in a single work step. In addition, both series are equipped with ready2mains and U6Me2 interfaces, while the EXC3 series also comes with one4all.

Changes to the settings can be made even after installation via the NFC interface, ready2mains or DALI2 (EXC3).

The control gear elements for luminaires in protection classes I and II are available in different output powers and cover a wide range of applications with applicationoriented operating windows. EXC3 drivers are available with 14, 24, 40, 60, 90, 135 and 200 W output power, ADV3 drivers with 14, 24, 40 and 60W output power. The output current can be set between 100 and 500mA for the 14 W version of the outdoor drivers and between 200 and 1050mA for all others. There are several configuration options: wirelessly via NFC using Tridonic’s companionSUITE software or with the ready2mains programmer. In the EXC series, programming is also possible via DALI-2 using masterCONFIGURATOR. The devices are dimmable from 5 to 100 per cent via the mains voltage (inputDIM) and offer application-specific light levels. The mains voltage is selected on the basis of defined minimum and maximum dimming levels within the voltage range of 170 and 250V AC. The chronoSTEP2 function can also be used to define different dimming levels and day segments. In this way, the brightness can be adjusted by the programme to the actual demand ONLINE ENQUIRY 107 and reduced, for example, at night or during less frequented times.

40 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

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Boilers

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DIRECTORY CONTACTS

To advertise in this section contact classified sales on Tel: 01889 577222 Email: classified@eibi.co.uk www.energyzine.co.uk Chillers

Cooling

Energy Consultancy Services

Humidity Control

Meters - Water, Oil, Gas & Heating

Begin your compliance journey:

Meters - Water, Oil, Gas & Heating Energy Monitoring & Targeting

Lighting Controls

Control & Automation To find out more about promoting your business to over

12,000* readers ring Sharon on 01889 577 222 or email classified@eibi.co.uk *12,179 ABC circulation January-December 2018

TURNKEYaM&T Meter and monitoring any utility. In house designed hardware and software.

SME’s, City Wide Projects, Large Organisations. Pulse, Modbus, Mbus. www.energymeteringtechnology.com enquiries@energymeteringtechnology.com Tel: 01628 664056

Controls & Inverters

Temperature Sensors

Meters Heat Networks

METERING DOCTORS LET US SOLVE YOUR METERING PROBLEMS

EMT resolve issues with meters and aM&T systems that have been badly fitted and are inappropriate or wrongly installed, systems that have never functioned properly and unsuitable or wrongly configured software.

We have considerable knowledge and can help assess, recommission or replace any aM&T system to render them as useful tools for your utility management needs.

Call Sharon to discuss your advertising on 01889 577222 Or email classified@eibi.co.uk

For more information on how we can help, Tel: 01628 664056 Email: enquiries@meteringtech.com www.energymeteringtechnology.com

APRIL 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 41

TALKING HEADS David Hall

David Hall is vice president power systems at Schneider Electric

This the age of the prosumer David Hall believes utilities must take the lead in helping householders to become prosumers through not only financial incentives but also the latest connected technology

T

he UK has made enormous strides in lowering carbon emissions and improving efficiency across its major industries. Yet, the elephant in the room is getting harder to ignore. The latest UK Environmental Accounts show that British consumers are now the country’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG).

Overtaking the UK energy supply sector, they created a quarter of the UK’s GHG emissions in 2016.

More troubling, however, is that few British consumers are planning to change their ways. Schneider Electric research revealed that 16 per cent of respondents – equivalent to about 10.2m UK residents – have no intention of curbing their energy consumption.

In a time of decentralisation and decommissioning, where powerplants are being shut down and the UK grid network is becoming more localised, utilities and operators will need all the help and insight they can get to keep their networks balanced and running smoothly. If we are serious about conserving energy and improving our national efficiency, then utilities need to help their customers take greater responsibility for their energy usage.

Helping balance supply and demand It is in the interest of energy providers and operators to encourage the growing prosumer movement in the UK. Through financial incentives and the latest connected technology, everyday consumers can be turned into ’smarter’, more sustainable prosumers who can help balance supply and demand on the country’s networks.

Reducing consumption does not need to be a tiresome inconvenience. All that is needed is that consumers make more efficient use of energy and explore wellestablished, increasingly affordable alternatives, such as LED lights and smart meters. Schneider Electric research suggests that 77m lights, devices and appliances are left on or on standby every day in households across the UK. An impact can clearly be had in encouraging consumers to be savvier and 42 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2019

Hall: 'few British consumers are planning to change their ways''

them from passive into active participants embedded within the energy infrastructure.

However, consumers must first be encouraged and empowered by energy suppliers and given the right information and tools. This includes the provision of advanced metering infrastructure, smart metering technology, and the implementation of automated demand response services.

First point of engagement

‘ The impact of the average consumer is too often ignored or overshadowed’ reduce the waste energy they expend.

Part of the solution lies with the country’s growing ‘prosumer’ movement. The term prosumer describes a growing number of energy users who are more proactive about how they measure, use and even generate the energy they consume. Modern energy prosumers want the reliable availability of power and technologies that give them more control over their energy - how it is produced, how much they need and how much they use, with many producing their own and selling it back to the grid.

City districts, community associations, businesses and residential homes alike are becoming proactive energy consumers, enabled by new, widely available technologies. By 2050, 44 per cent of UK energy is projected to be generated by these prosumers. Sustaining and encouraging the movement should be a top priority for utilities.

Utilities have been very successful at incentivising homeowners to reduce energy consumption and generate their own. As part of smart grid modernisations, programmes have been launched or expanded that encourage energy customers to adjust their consumption in response to pricing signals, penalties, or curtailment requests.

Due to this potential flexibility, a customer’s energy consuming loads and any on-site energy generation capabilities are now considered important distributed energy resources. At peak times, these are critical to helping balance the grid.

By adding an energy storage system, energy prosumers can further maximise the self-consumption of this energy. It will extend their energy flexibility by gaining more control over when they are able to use it.

For consumers, new, interconnected technologies can satisfy the desire for greater control over their energy usage. It can also turn

Smart meters serve as the first point of engagement for consumers and the utility, providing them with more information on their energy consumption across various interconnected devices. They also provide an easy way to participate in demand response programmes. Demand response occurs when a grid operator identifies a consumer who is using a large amount of energy and asks them to limit their consumption – often through an automated process and usually in exchange for an incentive such as discounted prices.

Taken together, these tools and services allow utilities to help their customers identify and implement energy-efficient projects to reduce their energy consumption and bills. This can provide utilities with a competitive edge, increasing customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention, reducing delayed repayments and creating new markets for potential services.

Yet, they also enable providers to orchestrate and manage energy consumption, increasing or decreasing demand where needed through lower pricing structures and automated DR and shifting loads to mitigate peak power.

Ultimately, they allow utilities to provide more reliable power where and when it is most needed.

The impact of the average, everyday consumer is too often ignored or overshadowed. Individual action, whether motivated out of concern or a desire to make things better, can make a huge difference.

There are many paths to greater energy efficiency, but one thing is clear: saving the planet must begin at home. 

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