Mini-CHP is put through its paces in Victorian home

Baxi-SenerTec, CHP
With the load provided by an indoor swimming pool a miniCHP unit in this Victorian home can run 24 h a day.

With an indoor swimming pool in the extension to a Victorian house in London proving a constant demand for heat, a Dachs mini-CHP unit form Baxi-SenerTec is expected to achieve fuel-cost savings of over £2000 a year. The gas-fired units have an electrical output of 5.5 kW and a minimum heat output of up to 12.5 kW or up to 15.5 kW using a condenser — as in this project. The installation also serves the central heating system and is supported by two condensing boilers.

The heating system for this substantial Victorian detached house was designed by consulting engineers Michael Popper Associates. To avoid any visual impact, the Dachs unit, a condenser and a 750 l buffer vessel are installed in the garage at high level on a specially designed platform so that there is space for a car to be parked underneath.

The heating system was newly installed, and work involving the Dachs unit and ancillaries was overseen by technical-support staff from Baxi-SenerTec UK. Particularly important for this project is its extremely quiet operation.

After an initial bedding-in period, Baxi-SenerTec carried out a number of tweaks to the system, taking its operational hours up to 24 a day. Over seven months from October, the unit generate 143 257 kWh of heat and 26 265 kWh of electricity.

Paul Brookes, technical manager, explains, ‘Calculating cost savings hasn’t been entirely straightforward due to a rise in fuel costs and a change in running conditions since the system was installed.

‘However, based on the original fuel prices and with the unit running on average for around 18 h per day, net annual savings would have been in the region of £1042. Now that the unit is running 24 h per day and based on the latest fuel tariff, net annual savings are projected to be in the region of £2048 — a figure which can only increase year on year, given the constant upward movement in fuel prices.’

For more information on this story, click here: December 2012, 128
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