2 minute read
Zeroth zero
Comfortable “zero energy” living with Dimplex Zeroth system
For those who aspire to live in a modern city apartment, an unfortunate by-product of the desire for acres of glass and the need to reduce urban noise and exclude pollution are hot, stuffy living spaces.
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The complexity and cost of incorporating both heating and cooling into a building’s design will typically result in a premium price tag for an apartment’s owner or tenant. Keeping a living space comfortable, warm or pleasantly cool should not be seen as a luxury, but as a basic requirement for living in any modern building.
With the inclusion of a Zeroth Energy System, making clever, cost-effective use of lower temperature water throughout the building, there is the assurance of a well-balanced and comfortably controlled temperature within each apartment and the communal areas. It also means the building is more environmentally friendly as it uses, and loses, less energy.
What is Zeroth?
The Zeroth Energy System provides heating, cooling and hot water services to residential or commercial spaces using a network of water-water heat pumps. The heat pumps are connected to an energy loop, which is a water circuit maintained at between 15°C and 25°C. The energy loop is maintained within operating parameters using centralised heating and a cooling plant. Apartment heat pumps are connected to a range of emitters, including fan coils, radiators, underfloor heating or fan convectors. Hot water is provided by a localised cylinder, charged by the heat pump.
How does Zeroth work?
The Zeroth Energy System offers an innovative approach to heating and cooling city apartments which is set to change the way we heat multi-occupancy residential buildings. By creating a series of “energy loops“ within a new building, Zeroth replaces conventional high-temperature systems with a cool, low-pressure system, maintained by the building’s central plant room.
Low-temperature water flows around the building’s main loop to each apartment, all of which have their own “miniloop” where an individual heat pump produces heated or chilled water to the occupier’s desired temperature. The water can then be passed to fan coils which deliver warm or cold air into a room through vents in the ceiling or wall, or to underfloor heating, or smart electrical, fan-assisted radiators. It means more comfortable temperatures within apartments and reduced overheating in communal areas.
What is more, the cost of heating system losses is no longer spread across all residents, meaning each one only pays for the heating or cooling they use.
For more information on the Zeroth Energy System, or any of the Dimplex products, contact: Glen Dimplex Ireland. T: 01 - 842 4833; e: salesireland@glendimplex.com
