Heating Ventilation

heating & ventilation UNDERSTANDING HEAT MANAGEMENT IN MODERN HEARTH DESIGN

With their timeless appeal and dancing flames, fireplaces have the potential to transform a space, regardless of design aesthetic. But that remarkable design dexterity comes with another, sometimes unwelcome, sensory effect: heat.

Fortunately, architects and interior designers can modulate heat in a project. John Shimek, a researchand-development team leader for the Lakeville, Minn.–based fireplace manufacturer Heat & Glo, is an expert in heat science. Over the years, Shimek and his team have made advances in the form and function of gas and electric fireplaces, including developments in heat mitigation.

Weighing Electric or Gas

LED flames from an electric fireplace virtually eliminate heat issues. “Think of the heat from an electric fireplace as roughly equivalent to a small space heater,” Shimek says. Electric hearths play especially well in net-zero energy projects and all-electric communities. The on-demand control of an LED flame is a logical extension of the digital lifestyle, and its non-structural design affords designers and installers wide latitude to confidently create hearth effects anywhere in a residential or commercial structure.

For gas-fueled hearth applications, Shimek says heat management takes one of two forms: active and passive. Both approaches can be engineered to create an abovehearth wall environment that is friendly to heat-sensitive electronics or furnishings:

• Active. This mechanical, fanassisted technology actively draws heat from the fireplace, transferring it through ducts to another room or out of the building. “Removing up to 70% of the heat is comparatively easy,” Shimek advises. Some gas hearths are capable of extracting close to 90% of the heat. “You can put your hand on the glass and it’s just slightly warm to the touch, even after it’s been operational for an hour,” he says.

• Passive. This increasingly common approach disperses heat without mechanical intervention and cost. Instead, passive applies thermodynamic principles to heat transfer through pre-planned ducts that efficiently channel heat above or to the side of the hearth.

“Passive is definitely gaining marketplace traction,” Shimek says. A corollary to both strategies is right-sizing the hearth to the space. “Most of our appliances, for example, can be throttled back roughly 50% of their maximum BTU output,” Shimek says. “A calculation using room height and square feet can determine the optimum BTUs per cubic feet. That’s why we offer two or three versions of each fireplace model. Each represents the same footprint and design. The only difference is BTU output.”

Plan Early

Shimek hints more heat control innovation is on the way, uniting “the best of active and passive systems for an even better user experience.”

Today, modern hearth technology frees architects and designers from constraints that once limited specification, including the question of unwanted or excessive heat. The key to any heat mitigation strategy is early engagement with the manufacturer or a fireplace distributor. “Heat is easily managed,” Shimek says. “It’s just a question of anticipating it early in the design.”

The Ecostore Storage Heater is a German engineered heater designed to operate quietly and cleanly. It is the ideal solutionz for living rooms, larger bedrooms, corridors and offices.

EHC recognise the benefit to electric radiators being manufactured in Germany and the Storage Heater is simply German engineering at its finest.

The unique ecostore Storage Heaters are designed to store heat overnight within internal heat retention blocks constructed from highgrade ferolite without any loss of energy and enable you to take advantage of cheap night tariff electricity. This stored heat will be cycled throughout the room by a patented venting system at a time and temperature of your choice.

The ecostore Smart Storage heater’s German engineered patented vented system warms the whole room evenly by utilising natural convection. Efficiently placed air vents have been fitted to the bottom and lower sides of the heater which draws cold air in from floor level and cycles the air through the Storage Heater’s intelligently designed internal structure. This eliminates costly hot spots at ceiling heights and an enhanced temperature and floor level.

The ecostore Smart storage heater is fitted with an intuitive smart controller for 24/7 Input and Output control, Geo-Location technology, and a precision thermostat accurate to 0.1°C. The eco•14•

store is fitted with an open window sensor which will cut power to the storage heater if a temperature drop of 2.4°C is detected, saving energy that would otherwise be wasted.

The State of the Art easy to use DSR Controller, located at the top of the Radiator for ease of use, can be controlled for both time and temperature either manually or wirelessly when using the optional EHC Smart APP Gateway.

The ecostore Storage Heater is available in 400W, 850W, 1300W and 1700W outputs.

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE

HUDSON VALLEY LIGHTING GROUP INTRODUCES STUNNING NEW FIXTURES FOR AUTUMN 2021

Launched in Europe in 2019, Hudson Valley Lighting Group (HVLG) has been a dominant force in the American Lighting market for more than thirty years. Its creative approach of blending classic design with trend-led pieces has ensured that it is the US lighting brand that interior designers and style-conscious consumers turn to for elegant designs which span a multitude of styles. HVLG is comprised of four brands: Hudson Valley Lighting, Mitzi, Troy Lighting, and Corbett Lighting with each brand featuring its own unique style.

The Autumn launch features new lighting families including sconces, pendants, chandeliers, and portable lamps. Each design has been beautifully crafted and designed to be the star of the interior scheme.

Highlights include:

Barron: In the first half of the twentieth century, Danish architects attempted to address the issue of glare inherent in electric light. In the Barron family, HVLG applied the solution they came up with - layered curved shades - to diffuse the light. Barron features a finely textured black exterior, a burnished gold interior, and opal-etched diffusers nested in pairs that further soften and diffuse the light. Barron is available in a single elegant pendant and a wall sconce.

Saturn line: With a beautifully balanced sense of asymmetry, Saturn’s rings branch out from moveable arms along an axis. Each ring-shaped shade has an LEDlined interior creating cosmic orbits of bright, even light. Available as a sconce, and chandelier in aged brass, Saturn can find a home in any space.

Zara line: A classic reimagined, this white, Belgian linen drum shade with black trim has an overlapping design that marches to its own beat. A metal finial in aged brass finishes off the clean look. Zara is available as a one or three-light pendant and five-light linear.

Jervis: A beautifully curved design with stunning circles featuring white alabaster that contrasts beautifully against the gold lines of the fixture. Each piece of alabaster used is unique, containing its own character with natural veining patterns. Available as a pendant with either three or two arms and as a matching wall sconce Jervis playfully references the art deco period yet also feels totally modern

About Hudson Valley Lighting Group: Hudson Valley Lighting Group is comprised of four industry-recognized brands: Hudson Valley Lighting, Mitzi, Troy Lighting, and Corbett Lighting. Each brand is united by a few common principles: the pursuit of excellence, a design-driven culture, attention to everchanging environmental considerations, and a commitment to the highest possible quality. For more information, please visit www.intl.hvlgroup.com.