Air Quality Innovation Network

Are your heating systems prepared for what is to come?

2011-11-28T16:15:00.001Z

The mild autumn is sadly coming to an end and inevitably cold winter weather on its way. Well that’s fairly easy to predict as for most winters the likelihood of freezing temperatures, cold winds and a few inches of snow are what you would expect.

Here in the UK we don’t seem to have learnt enough from past experiences and always appear to be caught out by the first snowfall. The predictability that the weather is likely to get cold over winter and how our transport systems fail to deal with winter weather effectively always amaze me. Other countries manage to keep running in winter without it being a major crisis so why can’t we?

In these times of austerity I don’t suppose I can influence the government much to take the threat of bad weather more seriously but perhaps I can influence readers of my blog to look seriously at the heating systems you have in place at both home and at work.

The autumn is a good time to get boilers serviced and check that all pipe and cylinder lagging is in good order and adequate for the conditions. Check that radiators are bled and are warm from the top to the bottom. If the top of a radiator is cold when your system is running this is usually a sign that you have some air trapped. This can be vented by using a radiator key by opening the bleed valve and holding a cloth to catch the water (carefully as this may be hot) when all the air has been released. If when you have bled the radiator the bottom doesn’t warm up you may have a build up of sediment which would require your heating engineer to conduct a power flush to clean the sediment from your system.

Check that any Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV’s) are working correctly by fully opening and shutting. This helps release the mechanisms which sometimes get stuck during the summer off periods.

If this doesn’t free it you can unscrew the top part of the TRV to expose the pin valve which you can ease up gently with a pair of pliers adding a bit of lubricant like WD40 and ease the pin up and down a few times (if in doubt call a professional).

Make sure to check all TRV’s are set correctly and try turning each valve down a notch to save some energy. In rooms which have less frequent use or require lower heating loads try turning down even further. This will help to allow more heat to be available for other more demanding areas.

Air handling equipment should always be professionally serviced. It makes good sense to have a regular Air conditioning inspection and is a legal requirement to do so if your system has a cooling load over 12kW. The inspection may recommend some remedial work to bring it up to the regulatory standards but it can also be a good idea to have your Air Handling Units (AHU’s) refurbished and updated to make use of the latest energy efficient technologies available.

The other often forgotten part of a commercial heating system to keep maintained and working at peak performance and is often left until the first blast of arctic weather are the door curtains or air barriers protecting the buildings entrances. These are a special interest to me as I have spent nearly 30 years in this industry.

Door curtains often get mistaken for over door heaters. They are not used to heat your building but are there to help protect your conditioned environment from the outside elements. A correctly sized, correctly installed, well maintained and effectively controlled air curtain will be an energy saving device. (Please see previous blog posts) So please make sure that this underrated energy saving product gets some TLC.

If you require any more information or would like some help with your air conditioning systems please contact me stevebrown@envirotec.co.uk .

Heat Pump Air Curtains now in scoping study for inclusion in ECA scheme.

2011-09-29T13:10:00.001+01:00

There is a significant move in the HVAC industry towards renewable heat source schemes. With the inclusion of air source heat pumps in the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) next year the interest in products that can benefit from using this medium as its heat source has increased dramatically.

The Carbon trust are currently conducting a scoping study to see if heat pump air curtains should be included into their Technology Listing. Steve Brown Envirotec’s Development Director says “If heat pump air curtains are to be included in the Carbon Trusts technology listing as an approved product and receive enhanced capital allowances (ECA) this will give a real boost to the industry.

Not only will the end client benefit from having an air curtain installed - an energy efficient device in its own respect, but to have a air source heat pump as well will be a winning formula”.

You don’t have to have an understanding of how a heat pump works but you do need to know that why they are such a good way forward, for example a heat pump system with a coefficient of performance (COP) of say 3.0 would in simple terms mean that for every 1kW of electrical energy required to run the unit an output 3.0kW of heat could be generated.

For more information or to make an enquiry about Envirotec’s range of heat pump air curtains please contact Envirotec

Indoor Air Quality and Asbestos Exposure

2011-08-25T22:38:00.001+01:00

Indoor Air Quality and Asbestos Exposure

Toxic chemicals can be found everywhere we look. Whether they are in your home, or the ground underneath, it is important to be aware of chemicals with which you and your family may come in contact.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was incorporated into more than 5,000 products in the 1980’s. This mineral has excellent insulating and fireproofing characteristics which is why it was commonly used for commercial purposes. This toxic mineral can be found in various deposits throughout the world; the environmental hazard surrounding asbestos still exists today.

Where has it been used?

As previously mentioned, asbestos has been used in thousands of products. Some of these products include household items, paper goods, automobiles, heating and cooling systems, and even in the construction materials used to possibly build your house. A few products are listed below; please look at the complete list of products containing asbestos.

Some household products are

· Adhesives
· Asbestos ceiling and floor tiles
· Vinyl products
· Cook pots, popcorn poppers, stove mats and pads
· Baby powder and hair dryers

Some construction products are

· Cement
· Insulation
· Roofing materials
· Floor backing and dry wall taping compounds

The majority of these materials are commonly found in construction materials used to in buildings and homes. Asbestos has such a high resistance to heat it was used in many heating systems and insulation. High concentrations of airborne asbestos can occur after these materials are disturbed by improperly trying to remove the materials or a remodeling project.

Why is it toxic?

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Due to a severe latency period of symptoms ranging between 20 and 50 years from the time of exposure, mesothelioma cancer is often diagnosed in a late stage of development.

This tendency for late diagnosis often complicates mesothelioma treatment options; as a result, the average mesothelioma life expectancy is 4 to 18 months. There is no cure for this cancer; but, some patients who were diagnosed early enough have survived mesothelioma. For this reason, it is important for anyone exposed to asbestos to seek regular medical exams to check for signs of asbestos disease.

The best way to prevent exposure to asbestos is to learn about it, however regardless of the knowledge that is now available, not everyone takes the proper precautions that are needed to prevent exposure. Prevention in the workplace can be as simple as wearing protective gear or breathing devices. Since so many homes were built with asbestos containing products, the majority of household exposure comes from renovations, or do-it-yourself home projects. Once the asbestos is disturbed you are at risk for exposure, so it is important to have professionals involved, or the areas tested for asbestos in advance.

The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com was created to assist patients affected by asbestos-related disease.

Visit www.asbestos.com for more information regarding asbestos exposure.

You can “like” us on Face book and “Follow” us on Twitter for daily updates and news articles surrounding asbestos and asbestos related diseases.

This article has been kindly written by guest blogger Rachel Gilner from The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com

Marketing Assistant to be based in our High Wycombe Office

2011-07-07T11:58:00.001+01:00

Company Overview

A market leader for over 30 years with a blue chip client base, Envirotec is a manufacturer of high quality air movement equipment including air curtains, air handling units and extract fans.

Position Overview

We are looking to recruit a Marketing Assistant to be based in our High Wycombe office.

The successful candidate will work within the development department, assisting in all aspects of product improvement and new product development. This will include identifying new product opportunities from concept to prototyping and launch into the market.

The successful candidate will be an energetic, enthusiastic and resourceful team player with Photoshop experience. You will be a multi-skilled individual capable of working on own initiative and be able to interact at all levels and also be a key team player.

Other duties will include gathering and reporting market intelligence, the design of marketing collateral, technical literature and operating manuals, maintenance and the regular updating of the company’s web site.

Your contribution to this role will help us to increase product development capacity, improve marketing and enhance technical product information.

The candidate:

Will ideally have a technical/engineering background with an understanding of the HVAC marketplace.
Will be motivated, articulate, creative and able to present ideas and reports in a clear, well thought through manner.
Will possess the drive to ensure that projects are completed to a high standard and within agreed deadlines.
Will ideally have a recognised marketing qualification although candidates with a minimum of two years relevant marketing experience will be considered.

Extensive training on the company’s products will be provided as part of an on-going training programme.

Typical work activities can include:

Coordinate PR, ensuring our new products and news reach the media.
Responsible for literature / written material. Liaising with Engineering and Sales departments for the technical content and enabling the distribution of material to the relevant media
Communicates with the sales team and distributors, ensuring they have the most relevant information
Maintain CRM database. Including removal of old contacts, missing email addresses, along with adding new contacts and unsubscribing existing ones.
Assists with the maintenance of the Company website, handling the written material and product updates
Administrative support to the development team

Qualifications

Marketing, CIM Certificate or Diploma, Design or HNC/HND Engineering related degree or caliber, marketing or technical experience preferred but not essential.

Excellent communication (verbal and written), organisation skills and have creative flair

Proficient in the use of MS Office suite and Photoshop.

To express interest or more information contact Steve Brown

Trainee Sales Engineers and Marketing Assistant at Envirotec

2011-06-18T08:41:00.000+01:00

Envirotec is recruiting for a number of newly created roles, due to investment in a programme of innovation, combined with ambitious growth plans.

Trainee External Sales Engineers

We are looking to recruit an additional five external sales engineers to work in the Midlands, South West and South East.

The role:

• to sell and promote the company’s expanding range of air curtains, air handling units, trench heating and refurbishment services, into specifiers, contractors and end users.

To present the company in a professional manner at all times and to develop relationships with existing and potential customers.

Extensive training on the company’s products and development of sales skills will be provided as part of an on-going development programme.

The candidate:

• will have experience of working within the HVAC industry, ideally in air movement or air handling, although this is not essential, along with experience of working closely with specifiers, contractors and end users.

• will be self-motivated, results driven, ambitious and looking to develop their skills and knowledge.

• will have either a formal engineering qualification or the ability to demonstrate previous success.

Applications please by email to danwild@envirotec.co.uk

No agencies thank you.

Marketing Assistant

We are looking to recruit a Marketing Assistant to be based in our High Wycombe office.

The role:

• the successful candidate will work within the development department, assisting in all aspects of product improvement and new product development. This will include identifying new product opportunities from concept to prototyping and launch into the market.

• Other duties will include gathering and reporting market intelligence, the design of marketing collateral, technical literature and operating manuals, maintenance and the regular updating of the company’s web site.

The candidate:

• will ideally have a technical/engineering background with an understanding of the HVAC marketplace.

• will be motivated, articulate, creative and able to present ideas and reports in a clear, well thought through manner.

• will possess the drive to ensure that projects are completed to a high standard and within agreed deadlines.

• will ideally have a recognised marketing qualification although candidates with a minimum of two years relevant marketing experience will be considered.

Extensive training on the company’s products will be provided as part of an on-going training programme.

Applications please by email to stevebrown@envirotec.co.uk

No agencies thank you.

Envirotec

High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 3BX

www.envirotec.co.uk

ENV101 Recruit ad 134x190clr.indd 1 17/06/2011 16:21

Envirotec Career Opportunities

2011-06-09T18:50:00.001+01:00

Envirotec are recruiting enthusiastic HVAC engineers for external sales and internal engineering roles. Would you like to be trained in sales?

Would you like a career with one of the HVAC industries leading companies?

A market leader for over 30 years with a blue chip client base, Envirotec is a manufacturer of high quality air movement equipment including air curtains, air handling units and extract fans.

Envirotec’s innovation programme has generated a significant increase in demand for its bespoke products and services. To help deliver the high quality service Envirotec’s customers demand they are looking to recruit a number of high calibre individuals.

External Sales Engineers

Envirotec is known within the building industry for the quality of its products and services. By helping to continue developing and maintaining its great working relationships with its customers (at all levels) you would be a member of Envirotec's external sales team delivering exceptional service to a demanding client base.

These challenging and rewarding sales roles will only be offered to exceptional people.

Is that you?

If you are qualified to degree standard in an engineering discipline and would like an opportunity to be trained to become an external sales engineer then please contact peterfaruqi@envirotec.co.uk and enclose your current CV and contact details.

Internal Development Engineer

Our markets constantly demand new, non-standard and special products.

Reporting to the Marketing Manager as a member of the Product Development Engineering team you will be involved in all aspects of product development. You will possess the initiative to liaise with clients and work closely to customer requirements. The successful candidate will be an energetic, enthusiastic and resourceful team player with CAD experience and a comprehensive knowledge of sheet metal work. You will be a multi-skilled individual capable of working on own initiative and be able to interact at all levels and also be a key team player.

Your contribution to this role will help us to increase product development capacity, reduce lead times, reduce costs, and enhance technical information systems

If you have an Engineering or Design related degree or you are HNC calibre and have product development experience and would like to be considered then please contact anguscreighton@envirotec.co.uk and enclose your current CV and contact details.

Development and Marketing Administrator

Reporting to the Marketing Manager as a member of the Product Development team you will be involved in all aspects of product development. Our markets constantly demand new, non-standard and special products. You will possess the initiative to liaise with clients and work closely to customer requirements. The successful candidate will be an energetic, enthusiastic and resourceful team player with Photoshop experience. You will be a multi-skilled individual capable of working on own initiative and be able to interact at all levels and also be a key team player.

Your contribution to this role will help us to increase product development capacity, improve marketing and enhance technical product information.

If you enjoy creative and original thinking, have a marketing, design or engineering related degree or are of HNC calibre with marketing or technical experience with good communication skills both written and oral and would like a career with a progressive company then please contact anguscreighton@envirotec.co.uk and enclose your current CV and contact details.

Envirotec

It’s curtains for energy wastage

2011-05-23T17:16:00.000+01:00

Air curtains have the potential to save energy, but they need to be designed properly to address end clients’ environmental concerns. *Steve Brown discusses the key criteria.

The principle of using air curtains to prevent heated or cooled air escaping through open doorways has been established for many years. Indeed, the use of air curtains is now commonplace in many premises where the volume of traffic passing through the doorway makes it impractical to keep the doors closed.

Now that building operators are so focused on energy efficiency, however, concerns have been expressed as to whether air curtains are the most efficient option for such applications. Inevitably these concerns will feed back from end clients to building services specifiers and installers – so it’s important to understand all of the facts.

Just to recap on the general principles. When doors are left open, the heated air inside the building will spill out of the top of the open doorway and be replaced by cold air coming in at the bottom of the doorway. This situation may be reversed in the summer, where air conditioned air leaves the building to be replaced by warm air from outside.

While most buildings prevent this energy wastage by closing doors, this is not practical in shops where there is a steady flow of customers entering and leaving, as the doors would be open for much of the time. A similar situation is found in loading bays and other areas with a high frequency of deliveries entering and leaving the premises.

Consequently, air curtains are used to maintain comfortable conditions inside the building and save energy in doing so. In retail applications, they also enable ‘open door trading’, making the shop more inviting to customers.

Saving energy

The ability of air curtains to save energy is a key consideration for many building operators and retailers in particular are very sensitive about their sustainability credentials. Tests have shown that a properly designed air curtain will reduce heat loss around a door by up to 80%, so that less energy is used by the space heating system. This more than compensates for the small amount of heat used to temper the air passing through the air curtain. In fact, air curtains with thermostatic control can be configured to contribute to the space heating of the interior of the shop.

In addition, in buildings with high ceilings where warm air stratifies at ceiling level, air curtains can be designed to draw this warm air down from the ceiling and re-introduce it to the room at floor level, so less heat is wasted.

Low carbon heating

Heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular with many retailers because of their low carbon status and the opportunity to receive money from the government through the Renewable Heat Incentive. However, the heat generated by some heat pump systems can sometimes be of ‘low grade’ that might not be suitable for space heating without additional heating.

With air curtains, though, the requirement is only to temper the air, which makes them ideal for use with low temperature hot water, as might be generated by a heat pump. Similarly, they can also be configured to work with water temperatures that maximise the energy performance of condensing boilers.

In addition, more innovative air curtains may also incorporate electric heating to ‘top up’ the heat pump’s output in particularly cold weather.

Maximum efficiency

Clearly, as with any building services plant, it is vital to ensure that the system is designed so that it delivers maximum efficiency. This means that each air curtain needs to be designed in relation to the height and width of the particular doorway it is protecting and should be wide enough to ensure the air barrier overlaps the doorway at the sides. The velocity of the air also needs to be configured to suit the height of the doorway, so that the air reaches down to the floor but does not come into contact with it at high velocity as this will disrupt the laminar flow of the air.

In situations where it is not practical to mount an air curtain above a doorway, a vertical air curtain to the side of the door can be used instead – blowing tempered air horizontally across the doorway. Again, the design is all-important so there are very good reasons for specifiers and installers to call in specialist expertise for all air curtain designs. Using UK-manufactured air curtains also helps to improve the overall sustainability of the project and provides the opportunity for more bespoke solutions.

While extolling the virtues of air curtains, I wouldn’t suggest they are ideal for all shop doorways. In a shop that only receives occasional customers, a closed door will almost certainly be the most cost-effective option. But in busier shops and shopping centres with frequently opened doorways, an air curtain in conjunction with automatic doors will be the best option for reducing energy consumption and maintaining customer comfort.

Further information can be found at www.envirotec.co.uk

What is an air curtain?

2011-04-26T11:44:00.000+01:00

Steve Brown, Development Director with Envirotec, provides some facts on air curtains

What is an air curtain?

Essentially, an air curtain creates a barrier of air across a doorway to prevent an exchange of air between the inside and outside of the building, while enabling the doorway to remain open. Typical applications include the exterior doorways of shops, shopping centres, factories and warehouses.

Why are air curtains used?

For much of the year in the UK the temperature inside buildings is higher than the outside temperature. When doors are left open, the heated air inside the building will spill out of the top of the open doorway and be replaced by cold air coming in at the bottom of the doorway (warm air is more buoyant than cold air). This situation may be reversed in the summer, where air conditioned air leaves the building to be replaced by warm air from outside.

Both situations waste significant amounts of the energy used to heat or cool the inside air, and cold air passing through a doorway at low level also creates uncomfortable draughts.

While most buildings prevent this by closing doors, this is not practical in shops where there is a steady flow of customers entering and leaving, as the doors would be open for much of the time.

Consequently, air curtains are used to maintain comfortable conditions inside the building and save energy in doing so. They also enable ‘open door trading’, making the shop more inviting to customers.

How does it work?

The air barrier may be created by blowing air vertically down from above the doorway to the floor, or from the side of the doorway horizontally across the opening. This flow of air disrupts the inward and outward flows of air described above to prevent the waste of heated or air conditioned air.

Heated air curtains are most commonly used in the UK, and it is common to ‘temper’ the air by heating it slightly, so that people passing through the air barrier do not experience uncomfortable draughts.

How do air curtains save energy?

Tests with air curtains have shown that a properly designed air curtain will reduce heat loss around a door by up to 80%, so that less energy is used by the heating system. This more than compensates for the small amount of heat used to temper the air passing through the air curtain. In fact, air curtains with thermostatic control can be configured to contribute to the heating of the interior of the shop, so the energy consumption of the main heating system can be reduced in proportion to the energy consumed by the air curtain.

In addition, in buildings with high ceilings heat tends to collect at the top of the space (stratification) where it does not contribute to keeping people warm at floor level. Air curtains can be designed to draw this warm air down from the ceiling and re-introduce it to the room at floor level, so less heat is wasted.

Can air curtains be used with low carbon heat sources?

The heat source for air curtains is typically hot water or electric elements – or a combination of both. As the heating requirement is only to temper the air, air curtains are ideal for use with low temperature hot water as might be generated by a heat pump. Similarly, they can also be configured to work with water temperatures that maximise the energy performance of condensing boilers.

Heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular, because of their low energy consumption and carbon emissions. However, the heat generated by some heat pump systems can sometimes be of “low grade”, so more innovative air curtains may also incorporate some electric heating to ‘top up’ the heat pumps output in particularly cold weather.

How is air curtain efficiency maximised?

Each air curtain needs to be designed in relation to the height and width of the particular doorway it is protecting. The air curtain should be wide enough to ensure the air barrier overlaps the doorway at the sides. The velocity of the air also needs to be configured to suit the height of the doorway, so that the air reaches the floor but does not come into contact with floor at high velocity as this will disrupt the laminar flow of the air.

For these reasons, specialist expertise is required to ensure air curtains deliver maximum efficiency.

Are air curtains the best option for all shop doorways?

It really depends on the likely footfall of customers. In a shop that only receives occasional customers a closed door will usually be the most cost-effective option. In busier shops and shopping centres with frequently opened doorways, an air curtain in conjunction with automatic doors will be the best option for reducing energy consumption and maintaining customer comfort.

Optimising air curtain efficiency

2011-04-06T17:22:00.000+01:00

Optimising air curtain efficiency

Any retailer looking to install new air curtains, or upgrade existing ones, needs to ensure they will operate with maximum energy efficiency, warns air curtain specialist Envirotec.

“Extensive trials have shown that a correctly designed air curtain will improve energy efficiency – reducing heat loss by as much as 80% - compared to unprotected doorways,” notes Envirotec Development Director Steve Brown. “However, it’s crucial that the air curtain is correctly specified for the doorway it is protecting. There may also be opportunities to utilise low carbon, low energy heat sources such as heat pumps,” he adds.

Envirotec offers heat pump versions of all of its popular Enviroscreen and EAB Air Barrier air curtains. Sophisticated controls ensure the air curtains are highly responsive to changing conditions, for maximum comfort and efficiency.

For further information visit Envirotec

Out with the new, in with the old

2011-01-17T11:23:00.000Z

It can often be more cost- and energy-effective to refurbish existing building services plant than replace it.

With energy costs in the UK continually increasing, most (if not all) organisations are looking for ways to reduce their energy consumption (and therefore their carbon emissions). Refurbishing existing building services plant – such as air handling units, fan coils, boilers and chillers - can be more cost effective than replacing with new.

Not only does this refurbishment approach reduce the overall raw material consumption and its embedded carbon footprint, it can also effectively upgrade existing plant to the latest standards - enabling reductions in running costs of up to 50% (dependent on design and current condition).

Just as importantly, a refurbishment approach can reduce capital costs. For instance, in the case of air handling units (AHUs), depending on the extent of works required, we have found that refurbishment can cost between 20% and 50% less than the replacement option.

To put that into real financial terms, consider an AHU with an airflow of 7m³/s that incorporates all of the heating, cooling and ventilation functionality one would expect. To supply and deliver this new would cost approximately £12,500 (based on good access and the above specification). To refurbish a similar unit by: replacing all the internal components, treating any corrosion, replacing damaged external panels, re-commissioning and providing a 12 month warranty would cost approx £9,500 – a cost saving of 24%.

However experience shows that when you include additional costs such as removal of the existing AHU and adjacent ductwork, fitting of new ductwork and refitting/adapting all the connections, the savings, compared to buying new, can increase to 50%.

Also, when longer lead-in times and the potential disruption of delivery and onsite fitting are taken into account, AHU refurbishment starts to look even more appealing.

Understanding the processes involved

In all such cases, the first stage is an initial inspection to assess the current condition, the potential for refurbishment and the cost implications of the options available. Remaining with the AHU example, clearly all components will suffer some age deterioration, but this will have affected some more than others.

Cooling coils, for example, may have suffered a corrosive oxidation effect, especially in areas of high air pollution. There will also be considerable wear and tear on moving parts in fans and motors, while static components may have years of life left in them.

In addition, refurbishment options should include mechanisms for reducing energy consumption, perhaps by using newer, more efficient designs of component that comply with modern standards and specifications. The efficiency of fans, fan motors, heating and cooling coils, insulation and direct expansion equipment can all be improved in this way. With larger items of equipment there are also access considerations, which may make it very disruptive to install new plant.

Once the evaluation has been completed, a method statement and risk assessment can be produced, along with detailed costings to facilitate the decision making process.

Clearly, these same principles can also be applied to other building services plant, including fan coils, air curtains, chillers and boilers. The key is the application of specialist expertise to assess the situation and arrive at the best solution for those responsible for the effective running of the plant.

For more information please contact Envirotec

Ends

Comment on energy efficiency of air curtains

2010-11-30T11:14:00.001Z

By Steve Brown, Development Director, Envirotec

A common misconception regarding the use of door curtains in retail environments is that they always use large amounts of energy. This does not have to be the case.

The most important aspect of an air curtain is the barrier of air it creates between the external and internal environments and not its heat output. I will explain why this is important.

No Air Curtain

Warm air naturally rises and when a heated space is subjected to a lower temperature, such as when a door is opened, the warm internal air rushes to escape out of the top of the doorway. This escape of warm air is made up by cold air rushing in at the bottom of the entrance effectively lowering the temperature of the heated space.

The main aim of an air curtain is to reduce this effect by forcing the escaping warm air downwards and back in to the heated space thus reducing the cooling effect of cold air ingress.

A correctly specified air curtain will help improve energy efficiency, compared to doors that are continually opening and exposing the interior of the shop to outside temperatures.

An air curtain creates a barrier that helps prevent the cold outside air from mixing with the warm indoor air. Air curtains with intelligent controls can be configured to contribute to the heating of the interior of the shop, so the energy consumption of the main heating system could be reduced in proportion to the energy consumed by the air curtain.

Air Curtain Fitted

A crucial factor here is that the air curtain should be correctly specified for the doorway it is protecting, with the span of the warm air jet being wider than the doorway. It is also worth noting that many air curtains now use low carbon, low energy heat sources such as heat pumps, thus improving energy efficiency even more.

Air Curtain with heat pump

The same principles apply to shops that are air conditioned in the summer, as an air curtain will prevent the cooled air from inside the shop being wasted through the doorway.

Closed doors, with no additional protection, which are constantly being opened during periods of high footfall, actually reduce energy efficiency due to the conditioned air leaving the building as explained above.

Therefore, the ideal solution for balancing the requirements of access and energy efficiency is to operate a closed door policy with an integrated correctly specified air curtain, using an efficient heat source, which becomes active when the door is opened.

Sales Engineers and Sales Agents Opportunities in High Wycombe, Bucks

2010-11-18T15:46:00.000Z

HVAC Sales Engineers and Sales Agents required by leading HVAC equipment and services provider.

Envirotec’s Energy efficient Air Curtains and bespoke design Air Handlers have been industry benchmark products for over 40 years.

Increased demand for sales support for Envirotec’s existing products, services and exiting new products has led to the following position being created:

Sales positions include:

2 Internal Trainee Sales Support Engineers based in Envirotec’s head office in High Wycombe, Bucks.
Sales Engineer to cover London area
Sales Engineer to cover East Midlands area
Sales Engineer to cover Manchester area
Sales Agent to cover Newcastle and North East area

To express your interest or to find out more information please contact:

Peter Faruqi - Sales Manager peterfaruqi@envirotec.co.uk M: 07795 494 884 or

Steve Brown – Development Director stevebrown@envirotec.co.uk M: 07917 185 630

How a Good Control Strategy Saves Energy and Money

2010-11-12T16:40:00.000Z

Enetec Energy Saving Intelligent Controllers

Envirotec have been supplying quality heating and ventilation related products to the HVAC trade for over thirty-five years. During that time the company has developed into one of the market leaders as a manufacturer and innovator of warm air door curtains. Supplying products for a wide variety of commercial applications Envirotec have produced around 100,000 door curtains since it entered the market-place in the late sixties.

“A door curtain as part of a heating system is an energy efficient device”.

The principle of a door curtain in its most powerful form is to separate the internal and external environments. This is achieved by creating a barrier of air across a doorway or entrance.

Door curtains create an invisible screen helping to prevent the ingress of flying insects, pollen and fumes. Conditions inside buildings are improved and cold zones adjacent to entrances can be minimised.

Less powerful door curtains or over door heaters, help condition air that enters through entrance doorways.

An added benefit to the building occupiers is the saving in energy required to heat or cool the building because less of the conditioned air leaks out of the building.

Enetec is a purpose built designed control system which maintains tight control of space temperature. The heating elements are burst fired with electricity to optimise their power consumption allowing the output to be proportionally controlled, supplying the exact amount of energy required to maintain space temperature

Building management system or stand alone control

The Enetec family of energy efficient door curtain controllers are configured either as a “stand alone system” or for control via a “Building management System” (BMS).

The on board computer can be configured to achieve optimum energy efficiency whilst maintaining comfort conditions. This allows facility engineers and M&E engineers the flexibility required to run today’s modern buildings.

The “plug-n-play” style of Enetec should be appreciated by facility engineers as it arrives factory set. All that is required are BMS enable and analog signals to give a high degree of controllability.

Master and Slave options save additional site wiring - negating the need to supply BMS interface connections to multiple banks of door curtains. One master unit can control up to sixteen slave units via a communication interface (RS485). Connection cables supplied (2m long supplied as standard) make for easy site connections.

Each slave unit is pre programmed to run with default settings so that in the event of a BMS or master unit failure the slave unit continue to run.

Benefits

· Accurate temperature control using a closed loop control process.

· Energy saving by maximising usage of latent heat stored in the elements reducing energy consumption by up to 60% when compared to a traditional thermostat control system.

· Does away with the need to have energy hungry auto opening or revolving doors.

· Allows the premises doors to be permanently open during opening hours.

· Integration with Building Management Systems (BMS) allowing optimum efficient control.

· Can be retro fitted to other electric/water heaters.

· Buildings without a BMS or time clock system can use the features to accurately control the on and off periods of the warm air heaters, helping to avoid unnecessary operation.

· Additional control equipment not required.

· Master and slave options for multiple banks of door curtains.

Features

· Up to a maximum of 28 time settings can be programmed.

· Fan speeds automatically controlled for optimum efficiency.

· Fan speeds can be pre-set to a fixed speed if site conditions require.

· BMS on/off control/fire interlinks.

· BMS set point control via 0-10V/4-20mA input.

· BMS duty cycle control via 0-10V/4-20mA input.

· BMS fan speed control via 0-10V/4-20mA input.

· Pre-programmable set point parameters.

· Optional IR receiver for infrared remote control.

· RS485 port for easy connection to a wall mounted control switch reducing the amount of time and materials required for site installation which also can be used for slaving other units.

· RS232 communication port for direct connection to a PC to modify or reset parameters.

· Real time clock and configuration data stored in non-volatile memory with long life (10 years) lithium manganese battery backup.

· Analogue inputs providing calibrated range (-10 to +30°C) thermistor inputs to enable accurate temperature zone measurement

· Digital inputs, six opto-isolated, suitable for volts free contacts, thermal cut outs, pulse inputs energy monitoring etc.

· Fan failure sensing enables automatic shutdown of electric elements in the event of a fan failure. Volts free contact relay linked to fan failure for fault indication.

· Heater failure sensing via current transducers with a volts free contact relay linked to heater failure for fault indication.

· Simple to use menu for configuring the controller.

· Single phase or three-phase control of heating elements using zero voltage switching burst fired triacs.

· Heating load outputs up to 90kW

Temperature control explained:

Enetec is a closed loop control system. It can also be configured as an on/off open loop control if required.

A process control loop consists of a sensor to measure the temperature variable, a controller and a control device e.g. Contactor or thyrister drive.

A temperature controlled system is composed of four essential elements which all affect its performance:

The Load – the air that needs to be at determined temperature.

The Heat Source – the heater that provides heat to the load.

The Sensor – measuring the temperature of the load and feeding back the information to the controller.

The Controller - A device which controls the heat flow to the load by adjusting power output from the heat source according to the information received from the sensor.

The Enetec controller will compare the temperature measured by the sensor with the desired load temperature (the Set-Point) and increase heater power if the sensed temperature is too low, or decrease power if the sensed temperature is too high. The heat source, the sensor and the controller form the control loop and together act upon the load.

The load temperature (or process temperature) is compared by the controller with the required value or set-point, set by the user. The enetec controller automatically adjusts the power to the heat source to achieve no error between process temperature and set-point.

The type of control action affects the performance achieved.

· On/Off control - This is a simple form of control it takes little account of thermal time constants and simply switches the heater off or on as the process temperature passes through the set-point. This will usually result in continual oscillation around the set-point (hunting) due to the switching hysteresis. It is used where high accuracy isn’t needed, or for when a constant heat output is required.

· Proportional plus Integral gain control - is used for high accuracy and energy efficient control of load. Proportioning control means that the controller recognises the size of the deviation from the set-point and adjusts the power output accordingly. This prevents oscillation around the set-point, and the integral parameter adds extra accuracy, with little or no offset or overshoot. The proportional and integral gain parameters can be adjusted (or tuned) by Envirotec engineers to give the optimum control for the particular conditions of the system.

With on/off control, the controlled heater can only be on or off, there is no setting in between and the size of the corrective action is unrelated to the temperature deviation. This leads to the oscillation described above.

In proportional control, the control action can be varied between 0 and 100% of the available heat source tailored to the size of the temperature deviation measured by the sensor. Where, for example, large amounts of cold air cool the system down (so that it needs rapid heat-up) a large injection of heat would lead to huge overshoot without proportioning action.

The width of the proportioning band is be set to just exceed the limits of any normal high or low temperature excursions in the system. If the proportional band is too narrow, oscillations resembling on/off control will occur; if too wide, control will be stable but sluggish, probably with an offset at equilibrium. The offset is corrected by biasing the proportional band so that the band is in the correct place once tuned.

An offset in the control temperature can be compensated by incorporating an integral parameter, which positions the proportional band for the correct power output to achieve equilibrium at set-point. (Proportional plus Integral control (PI)).

Setting the Proportional and Integral Gains

With the integral gain set to zero, the proportional gain is set to give the response shown in the diagram below. If the gain is set too low, the response of the heating system to changes in air temperature will be very slow. If the gain is set too high, an oscillatory response will occur which could take hours to stabilise. Once the optimum response has been achieved, then the integral gain setting is increased to minimise the offset that occurs with proportional action only.

Electric heater output control

The controller output is interfaced to the heat source by a switching device which contains Solid State Relay (triac) complete with a zero voltage crossover or synchronising drive circuit; it takes the form of a triac board and heat sink assembly having no moving parts to wear out.

Where continuously variable control is needed, a BMS linear voltage or current output can be used (0-10V or 4 - 20mA) this can be toggled between setpoint control and on/off duty cycle control via a digital input.

Water coil heater output control

When low temperature hot water (LTHW) is used as the heat source medium the Enetec controller can be programmed to control either a 24V raise/lower or 0 -10V type valve actuators.

The raise lower type valve will be driven to the correct position to allow only the precise amount of LTHW to flow to reach the required setpoint.

The amount of time required to drive the valve fully open/shut will be programmed into the controller and this will be used to calculate the amount of travel time required to reach the flow rate needed to maintain the setpoint. Every 24 hours the onboard software automatically checks the valve position and will drives it fully open and shut. This is to make sure that no drift has taken place during the control period therefore maintaining accuracy.

The 0 -10V controlled valve actuator will be driven to the required position in a similar way to which the electric units are controlled by determining the duty cycle needed and converting the 0 -100% output into a 0 -10V signal on a linier scale. The valve will be opened and shut according to the demand therefore only allowing the required flow of LTHW.

If multiple door curtains are required to protect an entrance one Enetec controller could be used to control a shared valve saving time and money on installation and giving energy saving benefits.

Burst firing (Electric elements only)

This method provides variable electrical output power for the control of temperature. It is achieved by triggering the device on and off in multiples of complete mains cycles. The power to the heating load is switched on and off only as the mains cycle passes through zero Volts. This minimises the electrical noise sometimes associated with switching heating loads and greatly extending element life. The Enetec’s duty cycle is achieved by burst firing the heating load over a two second time cycle e.g. a 50% duty cycle equates to the elements being powered on for 1 second and then off for 1 second.

Thermistor Sensor

Thermistors (derived from thermally sensitive resistors) are solid state devices that exhibit a high coefficient of resistivity, used to measure temperature, their resistance changes proportionally to changes in temperature.

Energy Saving

A project partnering Envirotec, a leading high street retailer and BSRIA compared methods of controlling an Envirotec air curtain at the entrance of a supermarket for a six week period resulted in significant energy savings being achieved.

The results showed that the Enetec control used significantly less power maintaining a return air of temperature of 24°C compared to traditional control methods.

Energy savings of between 30 – 60% are anticipated over a 12 month period resulting in a return on investment of between 12 and 24 months depending on usage, heating load size and the cost of a unit of energy.

For more information on energy saving contact Envirotec

Air Handling Units (AHU's) Refurbish?

2010-11-03T16:10:00.000Z

When to refurbish?

There are many situations where refurbishing existing air handling plant is a more cost-effective option than replacing with new.

When it comes to establishing a sustainable policy and minimising environmental impact, energy efficiency generally dominates the headlines. And while this is clearly an important consideration there are other factors to consider as well.

In existing buildings, for example, there are often opportunities to refurbish major items of plant such as air handling units (AHUs), even those 20-30 years old, instead of replacing them. Not only does this reduce material consumption and embodied carbon, it also creates an opportunity to upgrade the performance of the plant while reducing costs and disruption.

To put this into perspective, consider a 2m x 2m x 6m AHU with an airflow of 7m3/s. It incorporates a volume control damper, bare tube frost coil (LPHW), panel filters to F4 efficiency, bag filters to G6, CHW cooling coil, LPHW reheat coil, fan and motors - and would cost £12,500 to supply and install, based on good access.

To refurbish a similar unit, replacing all internal components, treating any corrosion, replacing damaged external panels, re-commissioning and providing a 12 month warranty would cost £9,125 – a saving of 27%.

In fact, depending on circumstances and the level of experience and expertise applied to the project, the savings achieved by refurbishing will typically range from 20% to 50%. Furthermore, there will be additional life cycle cost savings through reduced maintenance costs and improved energy efficiency, all providing a fast return on investment. A recommissioned system and updated Operation & Maintenance manuals will also contribute to reduced cost of ownership.

Why refurbish?

There are many reasons to consider refurbishment, ranging from deterioration of components and casework through to a desire for higher performance and/or improved efficiency.

Clearly, all AHU components will suffer some age deterioration. Condensate mixed with airborne pollutants may cause corrosive oxidation of cooling coils, for example, There will also be wear and tear on moving parts in fans and motors, while static components may have years left in them.

For these reasons, an initial inspection to identify opportunities for refurbishment is the first stage in any such project; followed by a method statement, risk assessment and detailed costings.

Very often, it will also make sense to take the opportunity to improve performance. In such cases, existing components can be replaced with newer designs that comply with modern standards and specifications, while also offering improved efficiency. For example, it may be possible to replace original standard fans driven by AC motors with more efficient backward-curved fans and DC motors. Similarly, heat transfer across heating and cooling coils has improved in recent years, as has the efficiency of filters and the thermal and acoustic insulation of replacement AHU panels. The same principles are true of any direct expansion refrigeration equipment installed in the AHU.

Where a major upgrade to performance is required, or where major deterioration has occurred, it is also possible to replace whole sections or, indeed, introduce new sections. In such cases, if access is restricted, these may be taken to site and assembled in situ.

In fact, this highlights another major benefit of refurbishment, as there are many buildings where access to the AHU plant is very difficult, so that refurbishment becomes a much more sensible option. When planned properly, refurbishment is also less disruptive compared to a new installation as the work can be carried out in phases outside normal working areas. Also, units serving critical areas can be isolated so the work is phased to suit the needs of the building’s occupants.

Clearly, then, there are many good reasons to consider AHU refurbishment as an alternative to replacement. The key is to harness the expertise of specialist companies that have extensive practical experience of AHU refurbishment and can deliver a complete turnkey solution.

Energy Efficient Building Entrances

2010-10-11T13:13:00.001+01:00

Energy saving is high up on the agenda for most building owners but not enough people involved in running buildings understand the benefits that could be achieved by improving building efficiency if their entrances had more thought put into their design.

A closed well insulated draft protected double glazed closed door is a great way of helping keeping heat inside the building but keeping doors closed is not the best way of getting people traffic in and out of the building. When foot fall is high automatic doors can be permanently open and rotary doors slow traffic down and can cause problems for people with disabilities.

Fitting a well specified door curtain or air barrier can be a very efficient way of reducing space heating costs and should be considered in building design.

Retro fitting a door curtain can also be a very effective solution to help manage the entrances of building.

There are many factors that will effective the energy performance of a building and the effectiveness that an air curtain can have.

The HEVAC - FETA Association Air Curtain Industry Group has produce an air curtain guide which looks at many of the factors involved in specifying and installing air curtains and is available as a free download from the FETA website

An energy efficient way to protect an entrance would be to fit a product like the Enviroscreen door curtain from Envirotec.

Envirotec have introduced a heat pump version to the popular Enviroscreen range.

Enviroscreen's are optimised for use with Toshiba digital inverter heat pumps to deliver high seasonal efficiencies with average co-efficient of performance (COP) 3.5+. This means for every 1kW of electrical energy used by the heat pump 3.5+ kW of heat is output by the air curtain.

The units have been introduced to address the growing demand for environmentally friendly, green, low-carbon heat sources in many applications.

The systems are configured so that the refrigerant in the heat pump module extracts heat from ambient air; the refrigerant then condenses in the air curtain module to release heat to the air curtain. Sophisticated controls ensure the air curtains are highly responsive to changing conditions, for maximum comfort and efficiency.

The stylish all new Enviroscreen door curtain models are ideal for applications where there is little or no bulkhead, so that the units are visible and complement the aesthetics of the space. EAB Air Barriers offer a very high air output and can be recessed or ‘on view’. Envirotec’s UK manufacturing facility also has the capability to produce bespoke heat pump air curtains to suit individual projects.

Toshiba digital inverter heat pumps feature an advanced inverter-controlled condenser, combining high performance and efficiency with low noise. They have been optimised for use the HFC refrigerant R410A.

More information can be found on the Envirotec website

Design Focused Trench Heating from Envirotec

2010-10-04T14:33:00.001+01:00

Designing tailored heating solutions to suit the use of a building taking into account architectural features such as large expanses of glass will be a more efficient solution than taking an “off the shelf” product.

Envirotec has now extended its product portfolio to include trench heating, working in partnership with leading European manufacturer Verco. The trench heating range complements Envirotec’s air curtain and air handling unit ranges as it also shares the company’s commitment to high quality tailored solutions.

The new partnership will also facilitate the creation of optimised heating solutions through the integration and control of different products. For example, air curtains and trench heating in the reception/lobby area of a commercial building could be supplied as a harmonised package complete with controls, from a single source.

“Verco provides a perfect fit for our products and our expertise in providing bespoke solutions. Furthermore, we share a culture that emphasises solutions rather than problems,” explained Envirotec’s Peter Faruqi.

The Verco trench heating range includes low profile and standard depth trench heating units, fan-assisted or using natural convection. A wide choice of floor grilles is also available.

For more information www.envirotec.co.uk

Renewable Heat Incentive is not just hot air it still may happen!

2010-09-19T21:11:00.000+01:00

Coalition Government Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has provided some assurance on the government's plans for Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

Huhne tells select committee heat measures are essential to hitting 2020 renewable targets.

“The HVAC industry needs the boost that a sensible incentive scheme could bring about” says Envirotec’s Development Director Steve Brown.

Talking about investment in off shore wind development Huhne alluded to the £60 million ports infrastructure competition going ahead, along with some form of renewable heat subsidy, although he stated that "nothing would be safe" until after the Spending Review due in October.

During the select committee's oral evidence session on September 15 Mr Huhne stressed: "I can't say it is safe in the Spending Review, because nothing is safe”.

Huhne stated that: "There are ring-fenced amounts of money for some departments, such as health, but nothing is ring-fenced for DECC."

During the discussion on to the need for a secure investment environment for businesses Mr Huhne, was told that a lot of SMEs felt that they didn't have the certainty to start investing to get involved in the ‘green economy', due to uncertainties over incentive schemes.

Mr Huhne claimed that he accepted government must try to reduce uncertainty as much as possible. And, he went on to take some responsibility for the delay with an announcement on the proposed RHI.

He said: "I have to take the blame for some of the delay on that. It was extremely rushed when doing the Coalition Agreement and we forgot to put the RHI in there.
Chris Huhne is also reported as saying: “It was only by accident that the RHI had been given less attention than it deserved. I have said as plainly as I can to the industry, ‘Hang on in there, the cavalry is coming.’”

"I have tried to make clear that we see heat as being key to meeting the target, so there will be a heat part of our renewable strategy, but again it is subject to the Spending Review."

Huhne strongly backed the RHI, or a programme of similar scope, in his appearance before the select committee.

“Make no mistake we see heat as essential to meeting the 15 per cent renewables targets by 2020,” he said. "I don’t think it will be possible to meet them without heat measures."

But he reiterated the current ministerial mantra that the detailed future of any government programme – the RHI included – is dependent on the CSR, which will be announced on 10 October.

Another important issue discussed at the meeting was whether the 2020 renewable energy target, currently standing at 15%, should be changed. This comes after the Committee on Climate Change wrote to Mr Huhne last week advising him to leave it.

Mr Huhne claimed that he agreed with the committee's recommendation, given that the 15% target is already very demanding with the UK coming from a current position of 3% renewable energy - one of the lowest rates in Europe.

He said: "We have a lot of catching up to do. I am determined to make sure we are hitting that target.

"There are risks with that seeing as we are so far behind. It is better to be more certain about meeting what is already a demanding target."

The energy secretary was quizzed on the development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in the UK and his thoughts on how important the technology will be in moving to a low carbon economy.

On this, Mr Huhne stressed that the UK has a potential lead on CCS and claimed he sees it as a very exciting technology.

"CCS is genuinely an area where the UK has an industrial advantage.

"It has the role of balancing intermittent renewable energy such as wind. We need something which can compensate for that and the only thing that is on the table economically is coal and gas with CCS", said Mr Huhne.

Raw materials are not Renewable Resources

2010-08-06T15:42:00.000+01:00

Refurbishing items of HVAC plant, rather than buying new equipment, can not only save on capital and running costs, it also contributes to sustainability policies by reducing the use of raw materials.

Raw materials are not renewable resources. There is already a world shortage of fresh water so technologies related to water conservation, reduction elimination etc are going to become more significant.

As the whole world becomes more consumer focused the demand for materials like copper will become significant.

To find enough raw materials to produce consumer goods like washing machines for the growing economies of the underdeveloped countries of the world is going to become a massive issue. There is not enough copper on the planet to meet these demands.

Using fewer raw materials and more renewables is going to become more important but until that trend is forced upon our materialistic approach to life recycling as much as we can efficiently has to be one of the most important trends for the future.

As our understanding of sustainability matures it’s becoming increasingly important to take a holistic view of our activities and consider all environmental impacts. In the context of improving plant performance this includes considering the embodied carbon of new items and the potential environmental and cost benefits of choosing the refurbishment route.

Refurbishing existing air handling units, fan coils, chillers etc uses fewer new materials and results in fewer old materials being consigned to the waste stream.

Envirotec offer a refurbishment service for Air Handling Units (AHU’s) which can enable their clients to get better value from the plant that they have installed in their buildings. Not only is this cost effective but also carbon frugal making the most from the Earth’s scarce resources.

For more information visit www.envirotec.co.uk or call contact sales@envirotec.co.uk

What is the Renewable Heat Incentive going to do for the HVAC Industry?

2010-07-23T17:21:00.001+01:00

The introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) next April could allow building owners to make significant savings when looking to invest in their own renewable heat generation technology.

Developed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) the RHI will offer fixed annual payments, to those installing the technology. The DECC state that this will result in a 12% rate of return and last for 10-23 years depending on the technology. Some of the eligible technologies include biomass boilers, ground and air source heat pumps, solar thermal, bio-diesel and bio-methane.

Fitting an air curtain with a heat pump energy source could be a way of benefitting from the RHI?

A correctly installed air curtain on its own merit is an energy saving device. Many people think that the small over door heaters often found in small retail outlets are air curtain but they are not. An air curtain creates a stream of air that will help reduce the ingress of cold air into a building but more importantly help keep the warm conditioned air inside the building.

COP – Coefficient of Performance

The coefficient of performance is calculated by the ratio of power output divided by the power input. The highly efficient systems offered by a winning partnership between Toshiba and Envirotec would typically have a COP of around 3.5. For every kW of power you put in you would get 3.5kW of power out.

Combining the energy savings achievable with COP’s of 3.5+ installing an air source heat pump air curtain to help protect the internal building environment and the RHI is a “no brainer” if you want to reduce your heating bills.

Envirotec is launching a new range of over 20 new heat pump air curtain products utilising the unique Toshiba Twin Rotary Compressor Technology of the Toshiba’s Digital Inverter outdoor units

For more information or advice on selection and installation of air curtains to protect your property contact Envirotec

Sustaining HVAC Performance

2010-06-29T16:02:00.000+01:00

Sustaining HVAC Performance

Looking at some of the key considerations:

Many operators of processing, manufacturing and logistics operations are faced with improving their sustainability performance while also reducing overheads. To some extent these imperatives are driven by initiatives such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme, and there are often parallel aspirations that come from the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.

In this respect, it’s important to consider the wider sustainability picture, which goes beyond the high profile issues of energy consumption to encompass environmental impact through the life cycle of equipment and buildings. These include issues such as embodied carbon and maintenance requirements.

However, it’s certainly true that, in many cases, one of the first areas that comes under scrutiny is energy efficiency - and the HVAC plant in many such facilities certainly makes a contribution to overall energy consumption. Consequently, investing in measures that will improve HVAC efficiency are certainly worth considering, but that doesn’t necessarily mean making a major capital investment in new plant.

There are many situations where refurbishment of air handling units, space heaters, fan coils, chillers, boilers and all manner of other plant items can significantly improve performance and efficiency at a fraction of the cost of buying new.

Furthermore, not only does refurbishment consume fewer materials and their associated embedded carbon, it also reduces ongoing life cycle costs - and the cost savings can be substantial. For instance, in the case of air handling units (AHUs), depending on the extent of works required, we have found that refurbishment can cost between 20% and 50% less than the replacement option.

Looking at a specific example of an AHU refurbishment, we can compare the costs related to a 2m x 2m x 6m AHU with an airflow of 7m³/s. It incorporates a volume control damper, bare tube frost coil (LPHW), panel filters to F4 efficiency, bag filters to G6, CHW cooling coil, LPHW reheat coil, fan and motors. Supply and installation of such a unit, based on good access, would cost in the order of £12,500. To refurbish a similar unit, replacing all internal components, treating any corrosion, replacing damaged external panels, re-commissioning and providing a 12 month warranty would cost £9,125 – a saving of 27%.

As mentioned earlier, the overall life cycles costs – including energy consumption and maintenance - are also an important consideration and in this respect there are additional benefits. For instance, the newer components within a recommissioned system will reduce maintenance costs while also increasing energy efficiency, so the cost of ownership is lowered and the payback is faster. The Operation & Maintenance manuals will also be updated or, as with many older buildings, supplied for the first time in the life of the plant.

In the case of AHUs, fan coils and other items of equipment, general wear and tear through the life of the plant will lead to deterioration of components and casework. Very often, though, the equipment continues to perform rather than breaking down completely, so the gradual fall-off in performance can go unnoticed for many years. This is where expert input can be of great value.

In such cases, the inherent flexibility of the refurbishment approach is a real advantage because it focuses just on the aspects of performance that need to improve, making it a more elegant and precise solution. For example, age deterioration will affect some components more than others and moving parts in fans and motors will clearly experience more wear and tear than static components. In AHUs, cooling coils may also have suffered from the effects of corrosive oxidation, caused by condensate mixing with airborne pollutants. So there may also be geographic variation in line with air pollution levels.

As a result, the extent of the refurbishment can be tailored very precisely to the condition of individual items, so an initial inspection of the plant to identify opportunities for refurbishment is the first stage in any such project. Here, it often makes sense to bring in specialists in this field to carry out the inspection, produce a method statement, risk assessment and detailed costings.

This is also an ideal opportunity to identify ways of improving both energy and comfort performance, as it’s almost certain that the building’s usage will have changed since the plant was specified. We often encounter situations where heat gains have increased through higher occupancy densities and/or increased use of electrical equipment, so the plant may already have been struggling to cope with the higher cooling demands. Improvements to building fabric may also change the dynamic of the internal environment.

Using newer designs of components that comply with modern standards and specifications can help to boost performance – and do so more efficiently. For example, the original fans and AC motors in an AHU may be replaced with backward-curved fans and DC motors to achieve higher efficiencies through reduced fan power consumption, while newer direct expansion refrigeration equipment will offer higher efficiency than older designs. Similarly, heating and cooling coils now deliver more efficient heat transfer than used to be the case, filters are more efficient and AHU panels with much improved thermal and acoustic insulation can be supplied.

In some instances, replacing the components may not be sufficient to achieve the required performance but an AHU refurbishment can also include the replacement of whole sections, or addition of new sections to supplement what’s already there.

The refurbishment approach can also avoid the access problems that are frequently encountered in existing, occupied buildings and often make plant replacement a major challenge. Even when new sections are required these can be assembled on site, so that access is not an issue.

Working in occupied buildings also necessitates minimising disruption to the occupants and flow of work and a well-planned AHU refurbishment can easily overcome this problem as the work can be carried out in phases outside normal working hours. And where the AHUs are serving critical areas these can be isolated so that business-critical services are unaffected and downtime is avoided or minimised.

This isn’t to say that refurbishment is always the best option but it is certainly one that ought to be considered more often, and probably will be as sustainability becomes a more important element of the project planning process. Given the potential financial and environmental benefits it also makes sense to team up with companies that have experience of plant and equipment refurbishment and can provide a comprehensive service from feasibility studies and design through to commissioning.

For enquiries or more information contact Envirotec Ltd

Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)

2010-06-21T17:37:00.000+01:00

Renewable Heat Incentive

To meet the 2020 15% renewable energy target the Government need to develop new ways of generating renewable energy in all sectors including heat energy.

Heat generated by renewable sources accounts for 1% of total heat demand – this may need to rise to 12% to hit the UK’s binding EU targets.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will be a world first to provide financial support for businesses organisations and domestic users who install renewable sources of heating such as Envirotec and Toshibas Air source Heat Pump Air curtains. http://www.envirotec.co.uk/

As an incentive to install renewable heat sources the Government backed scheme will reward users for every kilowatt hour of heat produced by a qualifying heat source.

Renewable heating systems installed after 15 July 2009 should be eligible to claim when the tariff becomes live in April 2011.

For full information on the proposed scheme visit the Government’s website for the Department of Energy & Climate Change.

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en

How heat pumps work

2010-06-09T18:18:00.003+01:00

Heat pumps use the same technology as is used in a refrigerator, exploiting the temperature difference between the refrigerant gas and its surroundings.

Both rely on three key facts:

Heat will move down a ‘temperature gradient’ from a higher temperature to a lower temperature.
When a liquid changes to a gas, heat is extracted from the surrounding to provide the energy for this change (e.g. boiling water to steam).
Refrigerant gases have a boiling point well below 0°C. For example the R410A refrigerant used in Toshiba heat pumps has a boiling point of -48.5°C.

In a refrigerator the refrigerant gas extracts heat from the air inside the refrigerator, thus cooling the air. The extract heat is released into the room through the heat exchanger on the back of the unit.

A heat pump works in the same way, except that heat is removed from the air, the ground or a body of water, so that heat pumps are known as air-source, ground-source or water-source.

In all of these cases, the temperature of the heat source (air, ground, water) is higher than the -48.5°C boiling point of the refrigerant, even in a very cold winter.

So the refrigerant is circulated round the system under pressure to keep it in liquid form until it enters the evaporator. At this point, the pressure is released and the refrigerant turns to gas, extracting heat from its surroundings.

The refrigerant is then re-pressurised and converted back to a liquid in a condenser. At this point the heat that was captured from the air, ground or water is released into the system and can be used to heat water. This is effectively ‘free heating’ because the only energy that has been consumed is that needed to run the heat pump compressor to circulate the refrigerant.

The amount of heat energy that can be extracted is proportional to the temperature difference between the heat source and the refrigerant. This means air source heat pumps are more efficient in the summer but can still yield reasonable amounts of heat in winter.

The temperature of soil and water tend to fluctuate less than air temperature through the year, so ground-source and water-source heat pumps have higher seasonal efficiencies than air-source heat pumps.

Envirotecs New range of Heat Pump Air Curtains

2010-06-08T12:50:00.001+01:00

Envirotec launches heat pump air curtains

Envirotec has launched heat pump versions of its redesigned popular Enviroscreen air curtains and EAB Air Barriers. These are optimised for use with Toshiba digital inverter heat pumps to deliver high seasonal efficiencies (average co-efficient of performance 3.5+). The units have been introduced to address the growing demand for environmentally friendly, green, low-carbon heat sources in many applications.

More information can be found at http://www.envirotec.co.uk

Increased demand for Envirotec’s AHU refurbishment service

2010-04-29T17:40:00.000+01:00

Increased demand for Envirotec’s AHU refurbishment service

Tories give backing to CHP Technology

2010-03-31T09:22:00.002+01:00

Reported today from H&V News website: http://tinyurl.com/yd5xqyp

The Tories have committed to the introduction of feed-in tariffs to promote small-scale renewables and the capture of waste heat in a move the industry says could have a “transformational effect” on combined heat and power technology.
The Conservatives made the commitment as part of a package of measures to tackle the UK energy crisis, outlined in their new policy paper entitled Rebuilding Security.
The long-awaited green paper, which has been billed as the biggest shake-up of energy policy in a generation, also proposed the introduction of a carbon floor price and a green infrastructure bank.
The proposed bank would consolidate the existing sources of public investment, such as the
Carbon Trust and the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund, within a single institution.
Shadow energy and climate change secretary Greg Clark claimed it would provide a clearer focus for prospective investors as to where to go for help, as well as leverage in external investment, and would ensure that public funds deployed are focused and efficiently managed.
But energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband described the Tory policy as “simplistic and not thought through”. “Their much touted ‘green’ bank would be the first bank ever to be set up without any new money in it,” he claimed.
Chancellor Alistair Darling this week announced Labour would set up a similar fund, which would control an initial £2 billion worth of equity. The bank would be half-funded by public sector asset sales, including the Channel Tunnel rail link, with the remaining cash to be put forward by private investors.
Mr Darling added: “The fund will focus first on investing in green transport and sustainable energy, in particular offshore wind power, where Britain is already the world
leader.”
Meanwhile the Tories have also pointed to decentralised energy – including CHP, waste heat capture, biomass, biogas, geothermal and microgeneration technologies – as potentially making an increased contribution to Britain’s production of both electricity and heat.
Mr Clark said: “We are committed to the introduction of feed-in tariffs to promote small-scale renewables and the capture of waste heat.
“We will give local councils the power to identify areas that would be suitable for district energy schemes – such as those adjacent to heat-generating industrial facilities – and allow them to use the planning framework to promote integrated district heating schemes
for those areas.”
Combined Heat and Power Association director Graham Meeks described the green paper as “a
progressive and pragmatic agenda, which we could work with if the Conservatives come to power”.
He said: “The Conservative’s specific commitment to use a feed-in tariff to promote the capture of waste heat could have a transformational effect for CHP and is very welcome.
“The proposals to create a Green Investment Bank could also be instrumental in driving development of integrated district heating infrastructure.
“Taken together these two policy strands are likely to deliver substantial cost, efficiency and environmental benefits for the UK.”

2010-03-22T00:32:00.000Z

Looking forward to visiting Mostra Convegno Expocomfort in Milan on Tuesday. http://www.mcexpocomfort.it/en/

2010-03-22T00:30:00.000Z

Welcome to my blog. Being new to bloging I hope that anyone reading this will help support me to develop this site into a useful resource by giving feedback and joining in the debate to help improve the environment in which we spend most of our time in “buildings”.
I have spent the last 33 years working in the air conditioning industry. I have during that time seen many buildings and I can safely say that most of those have been poorly maintained when it comes to their air conditioning, heating and ventilation plant. I aim to open discussion on the subject of indoor air quality and to help develop ideas on how to improve the environments in which we spend most of our time. As I hold the position of Development Director for Envirotec I have a vested interest in developing new products and services for our clients and look forward to using the voice of the customer to bring about changes that can help many have a better working and living environment.