Heating decentralisation
© adrian_ilie825, image #101731955, 2017, source: Fotolia.com
Information
Impacts:
Energy
Sector:
Cross-cutting
Investment cost:
Low cost
Cost savings:
Annual: € 96 907 (£ 88 906)
Investment cost:
€ 163.5 per kW (£ 150); costs may drop with increasing project scale; assuming that planning permits can be avoided, asbestos surveys for plant items and coring, flue condition assessment, piping condition assessment (pipework might be old and pressurisation poor); typical boiler maintenance required as per schedule; fewer breakdowns expected for new plant
Cost:
Low cost
Resource savings: Energy:
Annual: higher energy efficiency, better boiler modulation; 2 963 520 kWh or up to 35 % decrease in kg CO2 equivalent
Large, centralised, hot-water systems can often be inefficient. At times when demand for hot water decreases, a large system can waste energy and money. Equally, with decentralised systems it is likely that heat is being lost from long pipe runs. Installing individual heaters closer to where the hot water is needed can lead to significant savings.
Two main types of decentralised hot-water systems:
- Storage systems: provide high hot-water flow, useful for multiple sinks; should ideally be equipped with time controls, so water is only heated when needed
- Instant hot-water systems: ideal for smaller areas where demand for hot water is low or irregular; the energy use is proportional to how much hot water is used; choosing units with water-saving outlets (e.g. aerating taps) can save even more energy when the water is used directly for hand washing
EAUC-Scotland and Resource Efficient Scotland (RES), Energy Efficiency Technologies Catalogue, http://www.sustainabilityexchange.ac.uk/energy_efficiency_technologies_…
Carbon Trust, how to implement decentralised hot water systems, https://www.carbontrust.com/media/147163/j8053_ctl146_how_to_implement_…