FC&A May 2014 Supplement

Supplement

Energy Efficiency

May 2014 www.fca-magazine.com

The future of central heating today!

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U K Da i ki n d i s t r i bu t o r f o r ove r 33 ye a r s

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The system can produce temperatures of up to 55˚C on its own!

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Welcome

...to our Energy Efficiency special

I

n this dedicated Energy Efficiency supplement, FC&A rounds up the latest solutions available on the market, designed to provide buildings with greater energy efficiencies. From heating control systems to air conditioning units, inside you will find a number of spotlight articles demonstrating how small or large improvements can be made to create energy savings.

Among the contributors, we hear from Daikin distributor, Space Airconditioning, which highlights the importance of renewing any air conditioning, heat pump and refrigeration equipment. As well as being able to assess the correct product in terms of capacity and needs for maximum efficiency, R22 refrigerant is in short supply since it was illegal to sell back in 2009 – therefore proving very costly. Turn to page 5 to find out more. Elsewhere, on page 10 GI Energy is helping the iconic Siemens Urban Sustainability Centre in London to cut carbon emissions and running costs with a renewable heating and cooling system.

For further enquiries about any of our contributors or if you wish to comment on any issues within this particular area, please do not hesitate to get in touch at the usual address.

Hannah Frackiewicz Hannah Frackiewicz Editor, Future Constructor & Architect

Contents 5 7 8

Front cover:

Replacement support:

If your air conditioning unit is 10 years old or more, it may have to be replaced in 2015. Mike Nankivell, Marketing Director of Space Air explains more.

Maximum effectiveness:

Mark Wozencroft, Managing Director of Minus 7 explains how the Minus 7 hybrid energy harvesting system can make energy efficiency a reality.

The experts’ choice:

Two years ago, Richard Fuell became the first person to own an immerSUN microgen heating control system and was first in the queue for the next model.

10 Going underground:

GI Energy is helping the iconic Siemens Urban Sustainability Centre in London to cut carbon emissions and running costs.

12 Reaping the rewards:

A Norfolk-based developer has invested in the future using the Minus 7 hybrid energy harvesting system on his new housing development.

14 The weakest link:

FC&A profiles a consortium of European businesses that have set out to develop a solution to excessive heat loss and gain through windows.

16 Whole building approach:

To improve efficiencies, heat recovery solutions can provide the answer delivering high levels of comfort, while dramatically lower running costs and carbon emissions.

18 Greater savings:

Rinnai unveils its comprehensive range of products that already go the extra mile in terms of efficiencies.

Reducing energy use reduces energy costs and may result in financial cost savings.

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Energy Efficiency

The race for renewal Air conditioning in the workplace that is 10 years old or more, even if it is still working OK, is very likely to be coming to the end of its serviceable life by law. Mike Nankivell, Marketing Director of Space Air explains more.

R22 refrigerant in short supply From the end of December 2009 it became illegal to sell or use virgin (new) HCFC R22 refrigerant for service and maintenance purposes. Recycled HCFC R22 can be sold and used until December 2014, after which the use of R22 will be completely banned. Recycled R22 is now in desperately short supply

and consequently expensive.

As many service and maintenance procedures necessitate the removal and/or replacement of the refrigerant, from the end of this year, it might prove impossible to carry out a cost effective repair. As a result, owner/operators must consider replacing any air conditioning, heat pump and refrigeration equipment that contains HCFC R22.

Now in its 34th year, Space Airconditioning plc, the Guildford-based distributor of Daikin air conditioning and heat pump equipment has established a dedicated R22 replacement advisory team. The team can assist with the planning process and replacement strategy for existing systems operating with HCFC R22 refrigerant and offer advice on all environmentally acceptable, energy efficient alternatives available from Daikin’s extensive and worldleading range complete with efficiency and running cost comparisons.

There are substantial benefits to be gained from replacing older air conditioning equipment.

The opportunity to reassess the system capacity and layout to suit current needs will enable optimised design, increase energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. Modern day

If the air conditioning unit is 10 years old or more, it may have to be replaced in 2015.

systems tend to be more reliable, simple to maintain and aesthetically, physically smaller and easier on the eye.

On the flip side, particularly if the old system is still working, the thought of having to invest in new equipment could understandably be a cause of concern.

Space Air’s team of R22 replacement advisors can also assist with information that might ease the financial burden, from special deals and incentives to lease hire or lease purchase schemes and tax breaks.

The team also offers an RIBA assessed CPD presentation on current environmental legislation that impacts on owner/operators of buildings with air conditioning.

â–

A

ll air conditioning, heat pump and refrigeration equipment contains a quantity of refrigerant gas. Popular since the 1940s, the refrigerant gas known as HCFC R22 exists in literally millions of applications throughout the world.

It is safe and effective, however, in the 1990s, it became classified as an ozone depleting substance (if leaked) and made the subject of a phase out programme under the European Community (EC) Regulation No. 2037/2006.

The manufacture of products designed to use HCFC R22 was banned in Europe over a period between 1999 and 2004, therefore, in most cases, particularly if manufacture occurred earlier than 1999, it will now be considered obsolete. Spare parts are already becoming scarce and maintenance more costly, but worse is yet to come.

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Energy Efficiency

The EU aims to get 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Use of renewable energy will enable the EU to cut greenhouse emissions and make it less dependent on imported energy, cutting the risk of energy blackouts. Mark Wozencroft, Managing Director of Minus 7 explains how the Minus 7 hybrid energy harvesting system can make economical, energy saving, heating and hot water an everyday reality.

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he Minus 7 hybrid energy harvesting system is made up of an endothermic roofing system, a solar energy processor and a large thermal store. The system uses endothermic tile planks to form a weather-tight interlocking roofing system, made from a uniform profile, aluminium extrusion, dressed in a powder-coated,

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Reducing environmental impact

to top up the heat store without ever running the heat pump. The system can provide heat and hot water for up to four dwellings from one system which reduces the proportionate capital outlay making it highly suitable for housing developments.

At Minus 7 we pride ourselves on having invented a truly innovative, renewable energy product. It is extremely effective and very efficient, helping to reduce fuel costs whilst making homes look fantastic. It’s our mission to make renewable energy a sensible investment that will be beneficial to customers, provide affordable warmth, cut carbon emissions and reduce negative impact on the environment.

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* info@minus7.co.uk

( 01922 419405 Images: Above left: The system uses endothermic tile planks to form a weather-tight interlocking roofing system Below left: The Minus 7 hybrid energy harvesting system solar energy processor

Top Energy Saving Attributes • Harvests energy 24 hours of the day

hard-wearing finish.

The endothermic tile planks are flooded with a heat transfer fluid which absorbs heat energy and solar thermal energy.

It is classified as a solar-assisted heat pump technology, within the National Calculation Method (Standard Assessment Procedure). The identifier for this product is Minus 7 SEP3G10 1/2/3.

The Minus 7 system is incredibly effective. We have run tests and discovered that, with our system, for an average 50m2 apartment operating at a constant temperature of 23.5°C during the winter months, with hot water as well, heating bills would cost as little as £6 a week throughout the year.

The system is at its most effective in spring and autumn – the weather might only be partially sunny but (as a solar collector) the system can harvest between 8.0kWh – 10.0kWh, and over a four hour period for example this would be enough

• Insensitive to orientation • System sized to give maximum efficiency, even in worst case scenario of midnight in mid winter • Thermal store gives consistent supply of heat and hot water – reducing peaks and troughs • Thermal store has 200mm of insulation, minimising heat loss to just 2.5kWh per 24 hours • Pumps that run the system are ultra efficient – just 70W • The operation of the heat pump is decoupled from the heat demand of the building • It does not suffer from the UK’s winter humidity issues – no need to defrost • No unsightly bolt-on panels • ‘Smart grid’ ready

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Energy Efficiency

Images:

immerSUN – the experts’ first choice Two years ago, Richard Fuell became the first person to own an immerSUN microgen heating control system. Up until then his 2.5kW solar PV system, installed on to his Devon home had been automatically shipping back into the grid all of the excess clean energy it created during daylight hours. He then found himself having to buy back energy from the grid in the evenings in order to heat hot water power to his household heating systems.

A

fter installing an immerSUN from 4Eco, Richard found that his PV system was transformed.

By diverting the surplus power generated by his panels to his immersion heater, the immerSUN cuts his utility bills and allows him to save energy too.

Since then he’s helped hundreds of homeowners and businesses in the South West do the same through his work with Rudge Renewables, a microgen provider that installs the power control units.

He was so pleased with the results from his own home that when he heard 4Eco were developing a new, nextgeneration immerSUN at the end of 2013, he was first in the queue.

“I was surprised at how much of the

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electricity I was generating was simply being exported back to the grid. I’d always been impressed with just how much money the first immerSUN saved me, so I was really keen to get my hands on the new model.

“When it arrived the first thing that struck me was the way it looks. The screen, the functions, the buttons, they all look great and that’s before you get to the additional functions like the wireless sensor and the daisy chain option of linking multiple units together for larger microgen systems. It’s been put together really well.

“Underneath the cover the components look impressive too.

Installing it was straightforward for

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Above left: By diverting the surplus power generated by the panels to the immersion heater, the immerSUN can cut utility bills and save energy too Above: immerSUN helps users to significantly reduce utility bills, lower mains reliance and improve the eco credentials of their property Right: 4Eco – immerSUN is passionate about making a positive difference and creating a more sustainable future Below: The immerSUN monitors the electricity which is about to be exported to the grid and diverts it to the immersion heater Below right: The immerSUN meets aesthetic demands with a sleek screen and buttons

someone like me who has reasonable electrical knowledge and setting up the customised personal settings was easy.

“Now not only am I using more of my own excess generated power but I can see how much electricity I’m using day

Energy Efficiency

or night. I’ve got the ability to change all of the settings and timings to suit my lifestyle.

“I like being able to do my bit for the environment, but the best thing about the immerSUN for me is that it makes having solar PV so much more profitable.

“It’s only once customers have one installed that they realise just how much of the energy they generate gets exported. In my opinion, an average person with a 4kW system would only be using 20% of their self-generated power without an immerSUN. “Every time we do a PV installation at Rudge Renewables we mention the immerSUN as a product with benefits

that make it worth serious consideration.

Anyone with a PV system should definitely look into having one.

“When customers ask me how much the immerSUN can save them I tell them it runs into hundreds of pounds every year, which helps to reduce the payback time for their PV system and helps to prolong the life of their boiler too, because they’re using it less often.

“Other control systems are better hidden away but I keep the immerSUN in full view. When people walk into my kitchen now and see it on the wall they often ask about it, and I’m proud to explain. It’s saving me money, it’s cutting my carbon footprint and it looks great too.”

Jodi Huggett, Director at 4Eco, said: “We’re so pleased to hear about the positive impact the immerSUN continues to have on Richard’s home energy use. As a happy customer and an expert member of one of our most trusted installation partners, his endorsement and the praise for the product from the team at Rudge Renewables speaks volumes.”

“It’s fitting that the first customer to receive the original immerSUN should also be the first to have the nextgeneration unit installed and experience the benefits.

“The new unit, with improved usability functions and an LED display, is more user-friendly than any other microgen heating controller on the market. It looks great, has more custom functions and, most importantly, it helps owners get

even more efficiency out of their solar PV and wind systems – allowing them to use as much as 100% of self-generated power themselves.

“Self-consumption success stories like Richard’s are something we’re hearing about more and more – which is good news for us and even better news for immerSUN owners.”

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Energy Efficiency

Exceeding expectations underground

T

he eye-catching glass building at Royal Victoria Docks in London is designed to be a flagship centre of sustainability and in keeping with the building’s green credentials, the Ground Source Energy System installed in it by GI Energy is extremely energy efficient.

Indeed it is now exceeding expectations and its performance is testament to the expertise and knowledge of GI Energy’s dedicated engineers who spent many weeks fine-tuning the operation of the system to optimise its efficiency.

One of the challenges they faced was the fact that the two heat pumps at the heart of the Ground Source Energy System were among the first of their kind and behaved differently from more conventional heat pumps.

These ‘simultaneous heat pumps’ can, as their name suggests, provide both heating and cooling at the same time, unlike conventional pumps that can only perform one of the two functions at a time.

Unsatisfied with the initial performance of the system, GI Energy spent more than eight weeks trouble-shooting and making improvements to the computerised control systems for the heat pumps.The result was that the system not only provided heating and cooling in a very efficient manner, it actually exceeded expectations.

Chris Reilly, Director of GI Managed Services, the consultancy, commissioning and maintenance division of GI Energy, says: “The Siemens Urban Sustainability Centre

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is shining a spotlight on energy efficiency in urban design so we are delighted at how well the Ground Source Energy System there is operating now.

“While there were initial teething problems, the Ground Source Energy System is now so energy efficient that it is exceeding the client’s expectations.

“All of the thousands of visitors – from school children to post graduate students – who will go to the centre to learn about sustainable living will experience this truly renewable form of heating and cooling first-hand.”

Such is the confidence of Siemens in the expertise of GI that GI Managed Services now has the contract to maintain and service the Ground Source Energy System there.

Around 100,000 visitors a year are expected to flock to the stunning glass building with its unusual shape, featuring two interlocking triangles, that lies beside Royal Victoria Dock in view of the O2 dome.

The Ground Source Energy System provides 614kW of heating and 614kW of cooling, which is sufficient to heat the whole building.There are back up electric chillers to provide additional air conditioning if necessary.

Ground Source Energy Systems work by extracting heat from the earth.They comprise a network of underground pipes, called earth loops, which are connected to a series of heat pumps. Liquid pumped

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through the earth loops extracts heat from the surrounding ground. For cooling, the system is used in reverse.

At the Siemens Urban Sustainability Centre some of the earth loops – 160 in total – were buried within the foundations of the building itself. In addition to these Energy Piles there were also 39 boreholes sunk to a depth of 150 metres.

The centre highlights a range of sustainable practices which, besides ground source energy systems, include rainwater harvesting; solar water heating, solar photovoltaic, natural ventilation, sustainable drainage, water-efficient landscaping and high performance glazing.

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GI Energy is helping the iconic Siemens Urban Sustainability Centre in London to cut carbon emissions and running costs with a renewable heating and cooling system that exploits the earth’s ability to store heat underground.

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( 024 7667 3131 Images: Above: The Ground Source Energy System provides 614kW of heating and 614kW of cooling, which is sufficient to heat the whole building Below: Visitors to the centre will experience this truly renewable form of heating and cooling first-hand

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Energy Efficiency

Investing in the future The Minus 7 hybrid energy harvesting system, that provides economical, all year round heating and hot water, has recently been switched on at a new housing development in Norfolk.

Local property developer David Lomax completed the renovation of an 1897-built Victorian school building, creating eight twobedroom apartments and is delighted with the results.

T

he Minus 7 hybrid energy harvesting system is made up of an endothermic roofing system, a solar energy processor and a large thermal store.The system uses endothermic tile planks with bubble and flipper seals to form a weather-tight interlocking roofing system.The tiles are made from a uniform profile, aluminium extrusion, dressed in a powder-coated, hard-wearing finish.The endothermic tile planks are flooded with a heat transfer fluid which absorbs both ambient heat energy and solar thermal energy. It is classified as a solar-assisted heat pump technology within the National Calculation Method (Standard Assessment Procedure).

The identifier for this product is Minus 7

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SEP3G10 1/2/3.

To gain planning permission David had to commit to using at least 10% renewable energy sources. “I didn’t want to use ugly solar panels as they would have spoiled the look of the property from the roadside,” says David. “I’m very pleased with the Minus 7 roofing system. It looks like any other normal roof and matches with the slates we have used.

“When I saw the Minus 7 system at the 2013 Ecobuild show I liked the idea of an inexpensive form of heating.The benefit of this for a house builder, or landlord such as myself is that I can charge a higher rate of rent for my properties, but include heating and hot water within the costs to the tenants. My running costs are greatly

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Images: Above: The Minus 7 roofing system looks like any other normal roof and matches with the slates used Above right: Each floor has a 9kW solar energy processor designated to it, together with a 4.5m3 thermal store Below right: A new roof, made of endothermic tiles planks, in the process of being installed on the renovated Victorian school building

reduced but the tenants benefit from set rates and increased levels of comfort.

Minus 7 estimates an average weekly cost of £6.00 per week, per apartment, and I’m pleased with that costing,” says David.

The tenants moved into the apartments in February 2014. David categorises his development as something similar to a ‘condensed housing estate’.

Capital expenditure Explains David: “The outlay for the Minus 7 systems including install by the company was £80,000. It’s a large investment but the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme really swayed me to go down that route. Over 20 years the RHI will pay out £100,000 and I’m very happy that this means that the system will pay for itself, which made the decision to use it more simple.”

“When energy savings and the benefits

Energy Efficiency

The heat from the thermal stores is fed to the building through insulated pipes running underground. As it enters the building it is split into two rings: one for the ground floor and one for the first floor. Each apartment is fitted with a heat transfer unit (HTU) that extracts heat from the thermal ring main and distributes it through the underfloor

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to the tenants are factored in the payback period is effectively reduced to 12 to 15 years, as running the Minus 7 system is around 50-60% cheaper than using a gas boiler,” explains Mark Wozencroft, Managing Director of Minus 7.

“The development is now, to an extent, future-proofed against the rising costs of fuel bills.The purpose of the RHI is to support the developer’s capital expenditure on renewable energy systems and make it cost effective to use renewable systems.”

heating circuits. The HTU also has a hot water generator. Incoming water, usually at an average temperature of 10°C from the mains, passes through a UV sterilizer, then through a preheat heat exchanger heating it to around 30°C before it passes through an inline immersion heater which heats it to between 40 and 45°C (settable).

“We have sized the system to cope with the very worst times of the middle of the night and the middle of winter, which will enable to system to perform in really cold conditions,” says Wozencroft.

“The system provides affordable and sustainable heat with low whole-life cost benefits and low maintenance costs. This project demonstrates that renewable energy systems, that can reduce the environmental impact of heating and hot water provision, are economically viable.

“We developed the Minus 7 system as we wanted to create a visually pleasing renewable energy system for developers that was highly efficient and provided low cost heat and hot water for end users. The system is perfect for new developments especially where several dwellings are located in proximity as using the system to service up to four properties at once increases the cost effectiveness for developers.”

8 www.minus7.co.uk * info@minus7.co.uk

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Mini district heating system The property has 100m2 of active Minus 7 endothermic tile planks, plus a 20m2 solar fence that is used to top up the system’s solar and endothermic harvesting capacity in extreme weather conditions.

“We are effectively running two mini district heating systems; each floor has a 9kW solar energy processor designated to it, together with a 4.5m3 thermal store.

The whole development is serviced by a single 3m3 cold store. Each system delivers up to 200kWh/day,” says Wozencroft.

Using the Minus 7 system means that the apartments do not require conventional gas boilers reducing maintenance and service charges.

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Energy Efficiency Images: Left: Project partners undertook two and a half years of scientific research in polymer compounding and multi-layer extrusion techniques Below: The multi-layer film operates in the infra-red region giving control to the amount of heat radiated

Windows have long been identified as a key weak point in building design and energy efficiency. With energy efficiency targets becoming increasingly ambitious, a consortium of European businesses has set out to develop a solution to excessive heat loss and gain through windows.

W

hile there are some solutions currently available on the market which have proved to be effective, the consortium wanted to address some key limitations.These included the tendency for filaments to radiate heat and the high cost of some of the technologies.

The project partners – which included Eurofilms Extrusions,Wells Plastics, Hanita Coatings, Hermaos Del Pino Espinosa and the UK Materials Technology Research Institute (UK-MatRI), a Pera Technology company – undertook two and a half years of scientific research and technological development in polymer compounding and multi-layer extrusion techniques in a bid to solve these issues.

The solution they identified is a lowcost, organically-based, readily available multi-layer polymeric switchable reflective SHGC film coating.The multi-layer film operates in the infra-red region giving control to the amount of heat radiated whilst retaining a constant level of visible light transmission.The number of films in the multi-layer stack are minimised to ensure that the SolarGain technology is cost competitive and large areas of film can be controlled from one source.The

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technology requires a small voltage to ‘switch’ the film and can be supplied as part of a window unit or retro-fitted onto existing windows.

Speaking about the project Nick Smith, Managing Director, at EuroFilms, says: “Buildings are a major drain on European energy resources.They represent over 40% of energy consumption in the EU, which is equivalent to over 1800 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. If Europe is to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments, improving the energy efficiency of buildings is a priority objective.

“A building’s windows – whilst attractive,

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( 01664 501501

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Improved window efficiency

desirable and essential to the comfort of the occupiers – are also acknowledged to be a key weak point in terms of the building’s energy use. Due to their inferior insulating properties, they lose heat during the winter months.Thanks to excessive heat gain from the sun during the summer months, they also require expensive energy-intensive air conditioning to cool the building down.

“With such window-related losses representing 10% of a building’s energy consumption – 4% of Europe’s total energy use – it’s clearly a serious problem, and one that the SolarGain project has taken huge steps forward in addressing.”

Tim Beaver, Project Manager for the UK Materials Technology Research Institute, adds: “SolarGain technology represents a step-change in the energy efficiency capabilities of windows.This was only made possible by the unique combination of skills and technologies represented within the consortium.

“We believe that this technology is likely to generate significant demand once launched and will go a long way in helping home owners and businesses reduce energy consumption.”

The SolarGain technology is now undergoing optimisation ahead of being released to the market.

Energy Efficiency

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With its easy-to-navigate format, users can benefit from a variety of useful tools, such as the magazine’s latest issue, digital archive, suppliers and newsbank. The App is also synced with SBP Library (www.sustainable-buildingproducts.com) providing an essential specification portal. | Bespoke, reader-friendly features tailored to professionals on the move | | Timely industry news delivered at the touch of a button | | Manage print & digital subscriptions | For a faster response visit www.fca-magazine.com or use the free reader enquiry card

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Energy Efficiency

The recovery position Heat recovery systems, delivering excellent levels of comfort with lower energy costs and CO2 emissions, can make buildings far more energy efficient, says Martin Passingham, Product Manager, DX at Daikin UK.

T

he energy needs of modern buildings are complex, with multiple requirements for lighting, internal climate control, hot water and refrigeration. However, these systems often operate separately, which can mean a huge amount of energy is wasted.

This year’s changes to Part L of the Building Regulations will impact building design further as it demands a 9% increase in efficiency for non-domestic buildings, compared with the 2010 Regulations. This, combined with a 33% rise in the cost of carbon ‘allowances’ for 2014-15 under the Government’s CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (which affects all organisations in the UK except state-funded schools), provides an extra imperative for energy efficiency to be improved.

Set against a context of rising energy prices, the case for reappraising wholebuilding energy strategies for efficiency savings is clearly growing.

Fully integrated climate control systems incorporating heat recovery can improve energy efficiencies. These systems integrate heating, cooling, ventilation, air curtains and hot water, recovering “free” heat from areas requiring cooling and using it to heat others and to provide hot

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water to bathrooms and kitchens.

Heat recovery solutions can deliver high levels of comfort, while dramatically lower running costs and carbon emissions in both new and refurbished buildings, driving savings on energy bills and surrendered carbon allowances.

Daikin’s VRV heat recovery systems, for example, are suitable for any size of building, particularly medium to large commercial spaces. They are regularly installed in offices, hotels, restaurants and bars, leisure centres, healthcare environments, shops and public buildings.

Improved efficiency The latest version,VRV IV, is on average 28% more energy efficient than its previous incarnation. It is based around the VRV IV heat pump, which has a larger and more sophisticated heat exchanger than previous models, so it uses less power, and features innovations that take a significant step forward in improving design efficiency, installation efficiency and operational efficiency. A key contributor to the improvement in operational efficiency is Variable Refrigerant Temperature technology.

A field trial of a VRV IV system operating in Eco mode (with the evaporating and

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condensing temperature varying continuously to maximise efficiency) in a German fashion retail store near Munich consumed much less energy compared with a previous VRV III system – delivering up to 60% savings in cooling and an average of 20% in heating.

The store’s climate control was originally provided by a 20HP VRV III system, comprising two outdoor units.These were replaced by a single Images: Above: VRV IV heat recovery outdoor unit Above right: VRV total solution concept Below: VRV IV heat recovery coil Below left: A key contributor to the improvement in operational efficiency is Variable Refrigerant Temperature technology

Energy Efficiency

Integrating heating, cooling, refrigeration, hot water provision and ventilation is an excellent way to dramatically improve energy efficiency, lower CO2 emissions and save on energy bills. For organisations looking to achieve the highest levels of efficiency, saving money on energy bills and reducing their carbon emissions, while maintaining high levels of comfort for

building users, it is well worth considering a whole building heat recovery solution with intelligent controls.

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18HP VRV IV unit, with the rest of the system retained. As well as the dramatic improvements in efficiency, investment costs were less, because the single-module system is at lower cost. It also occupies a smaller footprint.

As well as efficiency, it is also important to consider how flexible a whole building climate control system is, in coping with changes to internal layout or room use.

Modular systems such as VRV are ideal, as not only can they be scaled to fit the size of building, they can also be adapted to meet future demands. Flexibility is also a prime consideration for retrofit projects – the best systems can be installed floor-byfloor to minimise disruption.

Integrating heat recovery with other building systems, using intelligent controls, can improve overall efficiency and reduce energy use further. In fact, intelligent control of a heat recovery system is crucial, as this allows monitoring zoneby-zone within a building, ensuring that heating, cooling and ventilation levels are optimised.

Energy consumption can be monitored across a range of equipment, including climate control, to pinpoint areas of a building where the most energy savings can be made. Daily and monthly data and energy consumption projections are then provided to monitor performance against targets and previous years. Some of the very latest systems also allow building managers to calculate energy usage on a room-by-room basis.This, in turn, enables individual billing in multi-tenanted buildings.

8 www.daikin.co.uk * solutions@daikin.co.uk

( 0845 641 9000

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Daikin VRV IV heat recovery Daikin’s VRV IV heat recovery system takes a leap forward in improving design efficiency, installation efficiency and operational efficiency; these improvements lead to faster design, quick installation, more free heat with maximum comfort.

Variable Refrigerant Temperature technology allows the system to respond to heating or cooling requirements by monitoring the required capacity and weather conditions. This continual adjustment means that dramatically less power is needed to maintain comfort. As a result, the system is up to 15% more efficient in heat recovery operation and up to 30% more so in full load operation, compared with previous generations of VRV. An added benefit is that higher refrigerant off coil temperatures help prevent cold draughts.

Continuous heating during defrost also improves comfort, avoiding a drop in indoor temperatures during the defrost cycle. Daikin’s VRV IV Heat Recovery system has a number of innovations in this area including the ability to use coils alternately; also the new coil is split into three sections with the low passes always in heating.

VRV configurator software simplifies commissioning, allowing remote configuration of settings, making it much less time-consuming to set up. Ongoing maintenance is easier, too, thanks to an intuitive graphical interface, allowing operational data and errors to be evaluated quickly and accurately.

Daikin has also launched a new range of single port and multiport Branch Selector boxes (which link the indoor units to the heat pump) to increase the speed and flexibility of installation. They are light and compact and quieter, so are perfect for noise sensitive areas.

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Energy Efficiency

A boost to peformance

H

ot water produced by a HE Rinnai condensing continuous flow water heater can be utilised as a secondary heat source for a solar or ASHP-boosted hot water delivery system. Providing an ultrahigh efficiency renewables system and minimising fossil fuel usage, a key area for new and existing regulations such as ERP and BREEAM. For all-year round hot water, Rinnai Infinity HDC1500 and HDC 1200 condensing continuous flow water heaters are renewables ready. They can be easily retro-fitted to existing systems – future proofing current installs or supplied as ready to install turnkey packages featuring flat plate or evacuated tube collectors, the units can also act as a booster to preheated water from a heat pump or heat recovery system.

For example, a Rinnai unit used as a solar gas booster maximises solar gain, as it only consumes energy when a boost in temperature is required, as the Infinity systems have technologically advanced internal monitoring controls and a modulation range from 58kw – 2.4kw, the water heaters intelligently read the hot water temperature and only inject the precise amount of gas required to boost the water temperature – providing an

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unrivalled level of gas optimisation.

When the renewable source achieves temperature the unit is inactive. Fossil fuel is only used when the renewable thermal energy store is below its set-point, thus reducing the dependency on fossil fuel and reducing CO2 emissions.

Rinnai UK’s Infinity PLUS renewables range includes solar store vessels and both flat plate and evacuated tube collectors, each with specific benefits to suit the individual application. Either option will provide years of low-

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maintenance, low-cost energy for heating water during the summer months – and beyond.

Rinnai offers assistance with the design, specification and installation of a solar hot water/heating system which can save money on ever increasing fuel bills.

8 www.rinnaiuk.com * info@rinnaiuk.com

( 01928 531870

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Rinnai’s solar water heating solutions are designed to offer a blend of eco-friendly technologies, guaranteed to provide a constant flow of hot water, no matter how many showers or taps are in use at the same time.

Images: Above: Rinnai UK’s Infinity PLUS renewables range includes solar store vessels and both flat plate and evacuated tube collectors Below: Rinnai has a comprehensive range of products that already go the extra mile in terms of efficiencies

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

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sustainable-buildingproducts.com Your essential new reference for sustainable building product information web | mobile | tablet For a faster response visit www.fca-magazine.com or use the free reader enquiry card

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The MCIAT Professional Assessment

– a new qualifying route What is the MCIAT Professional Assessment?

The MCIAT Professional Assessment is a flexible, rigorous, robust and quality assured qualifying process, based on performance and designed to recognise the diversity of Architectural Technology.

Candidates must provide an in-depth critical analysis clearly summarising their professional experience. This should be a reflective report and should refer to challenges and successes encountered whilst working on projects and how any issues were resolved.

Applicants should also undertake a self-evaluation highlighting their strengths and weaknesses in relation to their area(s) of practice.

The Professional Assessment process is based on four core competencies: • Designing • Managing • Practising • Developing (self)

Who can apply for the MCIAT Professional Assessment?

Any applicant working in or on, for example, academia, general practice, component design, refurbishment, small residential projects, large commercial projects etc within Architectural Technology, should be able to apply their own experience to the Professional Assessment process, but they must hold one of the following membership grades: ACIAT, TCIAT or profile candidate.

Each application will be assessed on its merit. However, each applicant will need to demonstrate a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding and professional competence/experience in relation to their sphere/s of practice and demonstrate to the Institute they can meet the expectations of a Chartered Architectural Technologist, MCIAT.

How much does it cost?

To apply for the Professional Assessment, applicants are required to pay £300 for the assessment of the application and the Professional Assessment Interview.

For further information email our Membership Director, James Banks via james@ciat.org.uk or call us on +44(0)20 7278 2206