Sun 1 Jul 2007
Hot topic
Despite global warming, most housing in Britain still needs heating most months of the year, however, due to global warming the systems need to be more efficient than ever. Natalia Gameson looks at some of the latest developments.It goes without saying that the future of heating is green rather than rosy, and indeed some forms of it may be facing extinction as the housebuilder brings ventilation and insulation to greater heights following the introduction of Part L, not to mention the Code for Sustainable Homes.
"In the future, homes will be so well insulated that they won't need heating at all," says Jonathan Kingerlee, chairman of eco-building firm Kingerlee Homes, a conviction shared by housebuilders throughout the industry.
But until it becomes possible to cross this milestone, underfloor heating particularly, popularised aeons ago by the Romans as the home's most efficient and safest heating option, is making a comeback centuries later in the market, wooing buyers with its all-over radiant heating power, says BBC journalist Andrea Dean: "The invisibility of underfloor heating still makes it big news for the market. Creating a focal point within the interior with a flame-effect gas fire which looks just like the real thing will also go down a treat with buyers."
Indeed, consumer taste doesn't yet seem to have caught up with the market's momentum, and remains with its feet firmly grounded in traditional tastes for radiators and gas heating, says Sue Fisher, Preston Bennett's new homes director. "Gas heating remains the most popular option in the areas in which we work - namely Middlesex and Hertfordshire," Fisher comments. "But underfloor heating is becoming increasingly popular as it leaves more floor space visible, although housebuilders should be warned that installing this will not affect sales revenues." So, what method is best for your new scheme?
Pumps in plenty
As the current darling of the market, underfloor heating manufacturers are in an enviable position as housebuilders get set to snap up their products. It will certainly be playing a key role at Millgate Homes' luxury eight-mansion development at Ide Hill Park in Kent, says Adrian Dyer, Millgate's sales manager: "Underfloor heating is provided for buyers on the lower, ground and first-floor levels. This has many benefits - as radiators are eliminated, there is more floor space, heat is evenly distributed to a greater extent and dust isn't circulated. It's also proven to be more environmentally friendly, and uses 15 per cent less energy than a conventional heating system."
Nu-Heat's new range of heat pumps are designed to make the process easier for housebuilders, and the company also recently invented the ClippaPlate, a steel-heating device, which has been devised specifically for use in suspended timber floors, which can be tricky and awkward at the best of times. "Why spend time installing a timber sub-deck between joists?" asks Andrew Grimsley, Nu-Heat's technical director. "Our heat diffuser is self-supporting - all that's required are a couple of screws and tacks, and then the plate is fixed.
Working on the same principle as fridges, Nu-Heat's air-source and ground-source heat pumps generate warmth inside and cold outside, and provide hot water and are designed to work with any type of heating boiler. Capable of lowering a household's heating bills by between 25 and 40 per cent, Nu-Heat has made its products simple to install, although it can provide experienced installers from its installer network if necessary.
Also hitting the market is Sirrus Systems' RKA100 condensing boiler, which can store up to 100 litres of hot water. Operated by the firm's patented Duopass system, the model uses a plate heat exchanger to utilise the residual heat to pre-heat incoming cold water before it enters the internal storage cylinder, as well as an electronic flow switch that senses hot water demand on use and ignites the boiler burner accordingly. Suitable for both underfloor heating and hot water provision, the RKA100 has flueing options of up to 50 metres, allowing installers to fit it anywhere in the property.
The firm's other big boiler model, the RKA25, is another option, which can deliver 786 litres of hot water per hour and features a stainless steel microflame burner to radiate heat throughout the product and to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
Viessmann has also recently launched the Vitocal 343 heat pump system, a package containing a heat pump, controls, solar heating connections and a storage cylinder in a case the size of a freezer. "Heat pumps are best suited to new construction, as the building, the site, the heating regime and the budget have to be looked at as a whole," says Stewart Purchase, Viessmann UK's managing director.
Similarly, Range Cylinders, part of the Kingspan group, is offering the Range Senator Electric Flow Boiler, which is designed to heat recirculated water used in wet central heating systems. The water is heated when it is passed over electric immersion elements, which are contained in a Duplex stainless steel chamber. The temperature of the water is monitored and controlled by a modulation technique switching on the immersion elements. The switching of the elements is carried out by solid-state technology under the control of a microcomputer contained within the control section of the boiler.
Radiators
"Sculptural radiators, which are as decorative as they are practical, are very now; especially shapely designs that are mounted on walls like works of art," says Andrea Dean. Indeed, designer radiators are becoming a common fixture in the new homes, although it's important to remember that the right model needs to be found for each room. Radiators that double up as towel rails, shelves or even benches, are strictly for bathrooms, en suites or cloak rooms, while elsewhere in the house, radiators need to be sized correctly to ensure each room gets the right heat output for its space.
MHS Radiators has always offered a variety of innovative products, and its new Raven model aims to work both as a central interior feature where it's installed, while belting out 2,200 watts worth of heat. Meanwhile, the firm's Eurus vertical model features a row of stainless steel inset on its left side designed to reflect light like a mirror. "Designers are constantly coming up with imaginative and dramatic ways to maximise on space in the home, and our wall-hung radiators are a great and innovative answer to this problem," says Ian Bradley, MHS' managing director. "Additionally, we see our Raven model not only as an impressive display of engineering, but as a piece of art in its own right."
Similarly, Newcastle-based firm Purmo, part of the Rettig ICC Group, one of the world's biggest radiator manufacturers, has recently issued the Delta Column Bench. Available in horizontal heights of 422, 472, 522 and 572 millimetres and vertical heights of 690 and 730 millimetres, this model comes in the colours available from Purmo's palette.
Bristan's new Harmonia towel rail design gives the product a more traditional design. "It won't be long before this luxury item becomes as essential to a bathroom refit as a WC," says Judith Gibbons, Bristan's head of marketing. "According to AMA Research, around 65 per cent of new homes are fitted with at least one towel radiator, with most larger homes incorporating an extra radiator in the en suite bathroom."
Glass radiators are also becoming popular. The Glass Radiator Co. makes a range of vertical radiators that are operated by SGG Thermovit Elegance technology with thermostatic control, which allows users to programme their radiator by remote control via a box houses on the rear of the radiator. Offering an output of 1,000 watts and a thickness of 13 millimetres, the radiators themselves are made in Germany by Saint-Gobain Glass.
Home comforts
Fires remain a favourite with buyers weaned on cosy nights by the fireside. Dimplex's range of trade Optiflame fire suites come in 11 designs, ranging from the chrome Elba type to a classic Presada design, and require no specialist installation.
The fires are all electric, eliminating the need for chimneys, flues or gas maintenance programmes, while a number of the models feature low-energy, 14-watt LED bulbs, that can be switched on without heating to brighten up the living room, costing the user the same price as to run a lightbulb. The Presada model even features a remote to give its user armchair control of heat output and flame effect light levels.
Woodburning stoves are also gaining a higher profile in the wake of carbon-zero legislation, as many of them can claim energy efficiency of up to 90 per cent, a vast improvement on oil and gas. Wamsler has recently launched the 500 central heating boiler, which can produce up to 16 kilowatts of water for radiators and hot water, and also features a built-in hob in case power supplies fail. Similarly, Stovax's Austroflamm collection of stoves, available in steel and ceramic finishes, is made up of a laser-profiled Austrian steel construction with a clean-burning secondary combustion system to provide greater efficiency in both wood and fuel burning.
Electrifying
Since the release of the Energy White Paper in 2003, followed in 2004 by the Energy Act, electric heating and hot water has been seen as integral to reducing carbon emissions and improving energy security in the home. While it may prove expensive to the buyer in the short-term, a well-insulated property will only need heating on very cold days, says Kingerlee Homes' chairman Jonathan Kingerlee. "At present, it's more economical for the housebuilder to install electric heating. This does wind up being expensive for the buyer, but if they're only using their heating sporadically, it will make little difference to their annual energy bills."
Creda has recently launched an Eco-Response panel heater, a Part-L compliant model designed to help boost a property's SAP ratings. Similarly, Creda's new range of panel heaters, available from Applied Energy, come with seven-day digital programming so its users can set different 'on' and 'off' periods for each day of the week, depending on how much energy they require throughout. Currently popular with hotels, leisure facilities and in additional room or loft conversions, the panels can also be installed in bathrooms under the product's IPX4 accreditation. "As the UK moves towards low- to zero-carbon electricity generation from renewable energy, only electric heaters like ours can produce low-carbon space heating generated from sustainable sources," says the company.
Wireless controls systems are another heating home automation option well worth exploring. Honeywell's CM Zone central heating control system, designed for homes and small commercial units, groups rooms in heating zones, each featuring a maximum of six time or temperature changes per day according to user requirements. Easy to install, wireless signals are sent from a central unit to a controller on each radiator valve to ensure each room gets the correct temperature, while the radiator controllers also transmit wireless 'demand' signals to a boiler controller, which aims to optimise firing the prolong the life of the boiler and save more energy with one fell swoop.
Equally, Warmworld's Dataterm IHC central heating control system aims to save its users 25 per cent on fuel costs per annum by knocking 15 per cent off annual usage. "The product's success in the marketplace is undoubtedly down to its flexibility," says Gary Belgium, Warmworld's director. "The Dataterm will literally pay for itself in as little as 12 to 18 months in allowing users to set their heating requirements each day so that energy is only used when it's needed."
Insulation
Approximately half a home's heating is lost through its walls and/or loft, says the Energy Saving Trust (EST), so it makes sense to address the issue at the point of construction, something that new legislation has quickly caught onto.
Suffolk-based company Celotex produces insulation boards that aim to improve energy efficiency in the home and tackle the property's carbon emissions. "Large and small building and construction companies nationwide use Celotex products to insulate their buildings," says Richard Pemberton, Celotex's chief executive. "We're predicting significant growth in our business as the pressure for housebuilders to become more environmentally conscious grows and new legislation takes effect."
Natural Building Technologies (NBT) has recently launched a range of natural hemp batt insulation, which aims to be more thermally efficient that its synthetic counterparts. Manufactured using natural fibre insulation, which is made from good quality hemp fibres that are bound together using a thermoplastic binder, the batts are made to be stronger and more durable than other similar market products to prevent slumping. Suitable for use in loft spaces, between rafters and within walls and floors, the high density of the batts makes them good performers in terms of regulating acoustic control in both partitions and external walls, in addition to offering high levels of fire protection as the fibres are coated with salt compounds.
"Healthy and sustainable insulation products have been proven to outperform synthetic alternatives when it comes to durability, specific heat capacity and thermal mass," says Neil May, NBT's managing director. "Subsequently, hemp batts are increasingly being used to improve the design, performance and life expectancy of homes and buildings, while creating healthy and comfortable living environments that are both highly sustainable and energy efficient."
Available in standard 1.2-metre lengths and thicknesses of 50, 75 and 100 millimetres, the hemp batts boast full life-cycle environmental certification under the 'Natureplus' method.
First published in Show House Magazine July 2007.
The greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy but some information contained within this article may have changed since it was first published.
Posted by Natalia Gameson
in Celotex, Creda, Dimplex, Energy Saving Trust, Inside Out, MHS Radiators, Natural Building Technologies, Purmo, Range, Sirrus Systems, Stovax, The Glass Radiator Co., Viessmann, Wamsler Cookers on Sun 1 Jul 2007
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