FEATURE
DOMESTIC BOILERS
& RENEWABLES
“In response to both government regulations
and a growing demand from homeowners,
manufacturers continuously explore ways to make
their products more environmentally friendly”
Efficiency the key to
future sustainability
Manufacturers are making great strides in product
design, especially when it comes to improving efficiency
and product emissions, explains Anna Wakefield, head of
marketing and data protection for Grant UK.
The launch of the government’s
Clean Growth Strategy in late 2017
has been a catalyst for a renewed
focus on how sustainability in the
UK will be delivered in the years ahead.
While solid legislation is yet to be
developed directly from the Strategy, boiler
manufacturers have worked hard to further
reduce emissions from their appliances,
often in advance of any national or
international legislation.
As many are aware, the next phase of
the EU’s Energy-related Products Directive
has recently come into effect for domestic
boilers. This new legislation has set
maximum nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission
levels that space heaters will need to
meet, reducing the overall NOx emissions
produced from heating.
One of the main objectives of the new
legislation is to help improve the air
quality by reducing pollution. For oilfired
boilers, the NOx emissions target
is set at a maximum of 120mg/kWh and
all oil boilers placed on the market by a
manufacturer on or after September 26,
2018, must be compliant.
GROWING DEMAND
In response to both government
regulations and a growing demand from
homeowners, manufacturers continuously
explore ways to make their products more
environmentally friendly.
It is fair to say that the majority of oil
boilers can still tick the box and they
probably will do for some time to come,
but that does not mean manufacturers are
not looking at new ways to provide greener
solutions. That is especially true when you
think of hybrid systems.
Providing a bridge between renewables
and traditional heating methods, Hybrid
models, such as the Grant VortexAir,
unlock the benefits of green energy to offgas
households.
A Hybrid system provides engineers with
The Grant VortexAir unlocks the benefits of green energy to
off-gas households
flexibility when it comes to installation.
The oil boiler and heat pump can either be
installed at the same time or in two-stages,
with the oil boiler installed first to quickly
restore a home’s heat and hot water and the
heat pump installed at a later date.
Furthermore, the Hybrid’s oil boiler can
either be sited internally as a stand-alone
unit or externally alongside the heat pump
depending on the availability of space.
For the installation highlighted in
this article, both components were fitted
at the same time with the oil boiler
being installed next to the heat pump
to create a single unit. This Hybrid
utilises an advanced control system
which automatically monitors the system
temperatures, seamlessly switching the unit
to the most effective heating mode (heat
pump, oil, or a combination of both).
BETTER EFFICIENCY
Manufacturers haven’t stopped there,
with renewable products like heat pumps
also being improved to provide better
efficiency.
The 2014 EU Fluorinated Greenhouse
Gas (F-Gas) Regulations is legislation
designed to phase out the use of
hydrofluorocarbons, with the introduction
of a series of targets designed to limit
the use of gases with the highest Global
Warming Potential (GWP).
R32 refrigerant has a GWP which is
considerably lower than other typical heat
pump refrigerants such as R410, thus
complying with the upcoming legislative
targets.
In addition to having a lower GWP
figure of 675, R32 is a single-component
refrigerant which means it has no
temperature glide. Refrigerant blends
that have two or more
components exhibit
temperature glide, but
as R32 only has one
molecule in its formation,
its saturated liquid and
vapor temperatures are the
same. By removing the risk
of the refrigerant suffering
from glide, the system can
recharge and recycle with
greater ease, making it
more efficient.
I have focused primarily
on main heat sources,
but we must not forget
the importance of overall
system efficiency and the
role that ancillary products
like controls and heat emitters play. These
components can often be overlooked but
are yet another offering being added to
many boiler manufacturers’ portfolios for
good reason.
Heating controls hugely affect system
performance and efficiency and the
correct control not only makes it easier to
maintain a more comfortable temperature
within the property, but keeps fuel bills
and emissions to a minimum. With such an
array of smart controls available today, this
is an element that must not be ignored.
Heat emitters like fan convectors can
also be of benefit, especially with low
temperature technologies like heat pumps.
Fan convectors are designed to emit heat
quickly, while their surface temperature
never reaches dangerous levels regardless
of the water temperature making these
units safer, especially for children and the
elderly.
There is little doubt that the Clean
Growth Strategy will lead to new
legislation, but in the meantime, heating
manufacturers, such as Grant, continue to
produce reliable, efficient solutions with a
focus on low environmental impact.
ENQUIRY NUMBER 117
46 Heating & Plumbing Monthly | OCTOBER 2018 | www.hpmmag.com
/www.hpmmag.com
