Getting the best value from an energy efficient heating system

Heating costs are among the biggest overheads for industrial and commercial premises. Radiant heating from AmbiRad can significantly improve comfort conditions for customers and personnel, while reducing fuel costs and harmful impact on the environment.

Heating industrial premises to comfort temperatures for personnel without wasting energy can be a challenge. AmbiRad energy efficient radiant heating systems can make the task much more straightforward, and reduce the financial burden heating bills often present.

Radiant heating is one of the most efficient and economical forms of space heating available. In many commercial and industry buildings it provides consistent, even heat coverage, regardless of conditions within the building – for example, when doors are in constant use.

AmbiRad, the market leader in the energy efficient radiant heating systems, offers a range of products that are proven to significantly reduce energy consumption. The brand new Vision range, being showcased at Energy 2006, has been developed to drive down fuel usage even further, positively impacting cost reduction measures based on energy efficiency.

RADIANT TUBE HEATING – THE SCIENCE

Radiant heating works best in very large space, open plan buildings where rapid warm-up and heat recovery are required, and for premises where loading bay doors are open frequently or for long periods.

Radiant works like the sun, warming people and solid objects in its path. The heaters are mounted overhead in the roof space, yet the heat generated is felt most at the lowest two metres of the building – that is, where people are working and machinery is sited.

The real benefit of radiant tube heating is that no energy is wasted heating the large volume of air in the building. Fuel consumption – and therefore fuel cost – is dramatically reduced. Energy efficient radiant tube heating from AmbiRad has been shown to reduce costs by up to 70% when used to replace an ageing, inefficient boiler system.

The radiant system produces heat at the point where the fuel is burnt, ensuring optimum fuel efficiency and eliminating distribution losses. Other systems – for example, where heat is distributed around a hot water or steam radiator network – experience considerable loss of heat and therefore wasted fuel.

The efficiency of radiant tube systems can be increased even further by zoning the heaters – that is, enabling each one or group of heaters to be shut off individually.

PROVEN EFFICIENCY

37% fuel reduction Matrix, a large engineering company in Brechin, Scotland, required a new heating system to meet the needs of its expanded production facility. The original 1930s boiler and steam-fed radiator system was unable to cope with the range of heating requirements throughout the factory. The company sought a practical alternative that would provide efficient heating while keeping fuel costs down.

A total of 50 AmbiRad AR radiant tube heaters were installed throughout the production area where roof heights range between five and ten metres. The system is zoned to ensure the heating meets the needs of sedentary and active people within the building.

The system provides even heat coverage and constant comfort temperatures for personnel, at a much lower cost compared with the old system. Fuel consumption has been reduced and in the first year following installation, Matrix reduced its fuel costs by around 37%.

Constant warmth for athletes and spectators The prestigious new K2 sports facility in Crawley, built by Sutton Council, uses AmbiRad’s Nor-Ray-Vac continuous radiant tube heating to maintain even heat coverage and constant comfort temperatures for athletes and spectators in the main indoor athletics track and sports hall areas.

A key requirement for the heating system was that constant temperatures of 16°C should be maintained, ensuring that both those actively participating in sports and seated spectators would feel comfortably warm. Sutton Council also required an economical, energy efficient heating system.

A total of eleven Nor-Ray-Vac gas-fired continuous radiant tube burners were installed in the two areas. Nor-Ray-Vac provides even, low intensity space heating which easily achieves the required comfort temperatures while consuming less fuel than other types of heat and therefore emitting fewer greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

Radiant tube heating systems from AmbiRad offer excellent energy efficiency levels and economical running costs. Switching to an energy efficient heating system could be the small change that makes a big difference to operational costs, as well as significantly reducing impact of harmful emissions on the environment.

Web: www.ambirad.co.uk