A walk down memory lane

Martyn Bridges, Director of Technical Communication and Product Management at Worcester Bosch, takes a look back at the history of the Greenstar i and what made it one of the best-selling boilers to date.

It may seem crazy now, but back in 2000, condensing boilers were not really a thing. People were selling them but in very small numbers as the industry and homeowners were still used to open vent, non-condensing designs.

Grants were even offered to help sell condensing boilers. You could claim £200 back from the Energy Saving Trust to make up the cost difference between a condensing and non-condensing boiler. However a change was required to move away from older models and convert the UK to a more efficient way of heating. In 2002/2003 it was confirmed that from the 1st of April 2005 only condensing boilers would be available for installation.

At Worcester Bosch we had about three or four years to design a range of boilers to meet this deadline. Most condensing boilers at the time were fairly large and heavy items, which would be disruptive for homeowners as well as taking a toll on installers. We knew it would make more sense to design something small yet efficient.

Building design in

The first thing we did was design a boiler where you could pre-plumb every single pipe that was required on the wall-mounted jig – something that was rather unusual at the time. The jig was designed to screw to the wall so every pipe you needed – including the pressure relief valve, discharge pipe and the condensate discharge pipe – could be piped up. This is still not a method used by many in the industry to this day. On top of this we had our heat exchanger from our colleagues at the wider Bosch Group across the channel. Using both the jig and heat exchanger as the starting point we designed this new, smaller boiler named the Greenstar i Junior. Our first condensing boiler and one that was in a lovely, portable size! From launch, it rapidly gained popularity thanks to how easy it was to install. Over time, various alterations and upgrades were made to it, but the jig and heat exchanger always remained at its heart.

We only decided to drop ‘Junior’ from the name when we changed the outputs to 25kW and 30kW to reflect the changing market. But that was the most radical change over the 15 odd years the Greenstar i has been on sale, which is a testament to its popularity. Over the years it has undoubtedly grown to be the best-selling boiler that we at Worcester Bosch have made and possibly one of the most popular condensing boilers on the UK market, with over three million homes being warmed by one!

Time for evolution

However, after 15 years it’s time for the next step. It may feel like this is goodbye to the Greenstar i. But it’s not really. The Greenstar 4000 series builds upon everything people love about Greenstar i with improvements to make it more accessible and attractive to installers and homeowners alike. It has a new, modern design and a high-tech control system to boot. However, that heat exchanger and pre-plumbing arrangement, which was at the heart of the Greenstar i, is still very much a part of the new range. We all learn from our history and predecessors and this is no different. The Greenstar i will never be forgotten by us and no doubt you, and that memory lives on in the Greenstar 4000. ■

The Greenstar 4000 series builds upon everything you love about the Greenstar i.