James Smurthwaite of  Mitsubishi Electric looks at helping the UK meet its net zero ambitions through eco alternatives in commercial heating

As countries throughout Europe work to reach aggressive environmental goals in the next decade, many organisations are looking for new technologies to help them become carbon neutral.

Chris Goggin looks front and back to the task of decarbonising the UK’s energy market with reference to converting the domestic housing stock from carbon-based fuels to the leaner, greener Hydrogen blends of gases for the mass market.

Mitsubishi Electric welcomes the latest recommendations from the Climate Change Committee on the need to rapidly scale up heat pump supply chains in its latest report.

How can the building services industry can play its part in the UK's economic recovery?

Baxi Heating’s Technical Director Andy Green discusses the importance of implementing a robust winter maintenance programme to protect a building’s heating system and ensure its smooth running

The focus on air quality and ventilation in school classrooms has been intensified as buildings reopen for the new term. But what impact will this have on the heating system? Andy Green, Technical Director at Baxi Heating, discusses

Electrification is the only realistic way to decarbonise heat at the moment, says Barny Evans of WSP

A Yorkshire based boiler manufacturer is pleased to announce that its Murelle Revolution 30 hybrid boiler is now recognised in SAP.

Zehnder Group UK has launched the Zehnder ZFP, a new generation of radiant ceiling panels.

As we work towards full decarbonisation of heat, we mustn’t neglect the current opportunities to improve and optimise the efficiency of the heating and hot water provision in buildings. Baxi Heating’s Dan Martindale explains.

Viessman launches the new new Vitocal 100-A heat pump

Indoor climate solutions specialist Zehnder UK has increased its cooling portfolio with the launch of the ComfoPost range. 

Rinnai continuous flow hot water delivery units and systems offer unlimited amounts of hot water for hand washing and hygiene in all applications and sites

Rinnai remote monitoring system gives sites total control of hot water delivery

Resolving issues with legacy heating systems is often not straightforward.

As lockdown eases, heating technicians are returning to their tools but most are concerned about a lack of work.

New coatings on surfaces can make the healthcare environment a safer one, says David Simoes

Rinnai is offering free energy audits on all sites.  

In the world of commercial boilers, the traditional rules of engagement are well documented: Manufacture a highly efficient unit that meets the expectations of the market, remove the old product from the range and sing the virtues of the new model’s features. It has been a successful strategy for many years, with incremental improvements delivering major developments over a decade.

With 2018 temperatures dipping to a stark -15oC and peaking at 35.5oC, building owners need to ensure they have sophisticated measures in place to manage the comfort of their employees, especially as there is currently no upper temperature limit for workers.

In the building services world, use of offsite fabrication equipment and techniques is gaining traction as a means of achieving improved quality and on-site safety through greater efficiency.

The government is investing £320 million in district heat networks. For some, this may be a new technology so it can in many cases be misunderstood and this lack of understanding means that some potentially efficient systems are delivering under par performance figures.

For any installer in the heating and ventilation industries, keeping up with the latest trends can be the difference between the business being successful or not. Quite often, these trends are based upon legislative regulations or guidance from government or industry bodies – it might be amends to Part L of the Building Regulations, initiatives such as the Renewable Heat Incentive, or health and safety updates from OFTEC.

Whether it is a school, hotel, library, gym, small office or even a large domestic property, space is a valuable commodity. Commercial property owners cannot afford to lose the space a bulky heating system or plant room takes up in their building. Owners and operators of these building are looking to get the maximum from the space they have available.

As businesses and organisations look to improve their building’s energy performance and cut costs and emissions, heating is a frequent starting place for efficiency measures.

The UK’s total gas consumption has fallen by 20% since 2000. In some parts of the country, more than 50% of electricity supplies are now being generated by renewables; and last year saw the first day since the industrial revolution when none of our electricity came from coal.

Recycling our rubbish has become second nature in the UK. But we are missing an opportunity to recycle our heat.

Currently supplying about 11% of global space and water heating needs, most heat networks today are fuelled by either coal or natural gas, while the national renewable energy share can range from 1% in China to 42% in Denmark.

The heat network industry is beginning to make a much-needed cultural shift from keeping the heat on at any cost to one that focuses on increasing whole system reliability and efficiency. This is part of a more holistic approach to maintenance and operation. 

Communal heating systems and district heat networks are considered by the UK Government as one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing carbon emissions from heating, especially as their efficiency and carbon-saving potential increases as they grow and connect to each other. They also provide a unique opportunity to exploit larger-scale, and often lower-cost, renewable and recovered heat sources that otherwise cannot be used.

Over the course of two years, Danny Bulch, director at Cedar Green Projects, replaced the boilers, gas fired water heaters and calorifiers in the Welcombe hotel, spa and golf club with new equipment. The main challenges of the project were carrying out refurbishment during peak heat requirements in winter; overcoming access issues to the plant room; and accommodating different fuel options.

Renewable technologies are becoming more commonly applied in UK homes, with more householders installing solar panels than ever before. But when it comes to sources of heat, most houses are still fitted with ‘traditional’ boilers, and many homeowners are unaware of the alternatives available. However, 2018 looks to be a turning point, with heat pump applications increasing because of the benefits they offer.

The Victoria Hotel in Sidmouth, part of the Brend Hotel Group, promises its guests that: “From the moment you step through the original carriage portico, you will be surrounded by warmth and refinement.” Where the exquisite décor and four-star service provides the refinement, a new A-rated efficient boiler from Potterton Commercial is now providing the warmth.

While district heating systems may have had something of a chequered history in the UK, the last few years have seen a considerable resurgence in their popularity. This is in line with the move to central energy centres, which make it easier to deploy both traditional and low carbon heat sources together.

According to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), offsite construction currently accounts for at least 3% to 4% of the UK construction sector. However, the cost and time savings and quality control benefits associated with this method will no doubt see it grow exponentially in the next decade.

Most MBS readers will be familiar with the phenomenon of thermal stratification, a frequent occurrence in high-roofed buildings where the natural buoyancy of warm air results in its accumulation at high level. Heating this unoccupied area of the space is clearly inefficient, exacerbated by colder air at high level being pushed downwards into the occupied zone by the warm air, increasing the demand for heating.

For commercial buildings, such as offices, hotels and leisure centres, a consistent hot water supply is a business-critical service. If a system fails, it can quickly force a business to shut its doors until a solution is found. Even more critically, you only have to look at the recent spate of legionella outbreaks in hotels around the UK to see the devastating impact a failure in water maintenance can have on a business. However, despite this there are still a large number of business owners who do not have a programme in place that meets the demands of their site.

One of the key recommendations to come out of the Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety was for a clearer, more transparent and more effective specification process to put an end to cost-cutting compromises.

In the last few years, the energy management landscape has changed considerably and will undoubtedly change again in the future.

September traditionally hails the start of heating season, where thermostats click in, BMS systems relay information and commercial boilers fire into action to warm occupants feeling the first chilly morning of the autumn.

The UK has so far been successful in achieving interim targets for carbon reduction. But now the low hanging fruit is scarce, it’s time to tackle the big challenge head on - decarbonising our heat. Karen Fletcher looks at the options and the hurdles ahead.

As the HS2 project takes shape, heating the rail sheds along the route is a significant challenge. Here Nick Winton explains why engineers need to get to grips with the knowledge of how to apply radiant heating for efficiency.

As our other experts focus on heating, Dr Chris Ward considers the wider aspects of today’s building services that affect our health  and wellbeing

One of the options for achieving low NOx emissions is to use premix burner technology. Bernard Dawson explains how this differs from traditional pressure jet burner technology.

Stuart Doggrell highlights the growing popularity of unvented internal expansion heaters and their impact on the UK’s changing property landscape.

As the steel vs aluminium heat exchanger debate continues, Steven Evans argues that perhaps it’s time to look beyond the materials to focus on design and maintenance

Paul Martin highlights the important role of flue design in ensuring condensing boilers operate at maximum efficiency

Steve Lalyk explains why the growing use of mixed heat sources means the control strategy is increasingly important.

Space heating systems for workshops need to address a number of criteria that may not apply to other applications. Brett Smith reviews the most important considerations.