New Heating Only Range Hits Renewable Energy Targets

Mitsubishi Electric has launched a new range of commercial heating products that will help the majority of buildings achieve renewable energy targets with more ease, reliability and flexibility than any other alternative renewable technology including biomass boilers.

The heating-only range uses advanced heat pumps to provide radiant heating, warm air, domestic hot water, or a combination of all three. In addition to helping new buildings achieve planning permission, the range can be retro-fitted to existing buildings, and will work independently or alongside other heating systems.

Air, water and ground source heat pump versions of the system are available in individual modules offering capacities from 25kW to 200kW, multiples of which can be used for larger buildings.

“Other renewable systems such as solar thermal, wind turbines, photovoltaic, MicroCHP, and biofuels each face limits to their use for one reason or another,” explained Philip Ord, Mitsubishi Electric’s Product Marketing Manager. “For the majority of situations, install costs, or the limits in renewable capacity restrict where they can be used.

“Even biomass boilers, which are often touted as the solution, are not without limits as many people don’t appreciate how much space is required for secure fuel storage and regular fuel delivery, or how often they need maintenance to keep them working efficiently,” he added.

Mitsubishi Electric has designed its new range of heat pump systems to suit a wide variety of heating needs and each unit can supply domestic water at 70ºC, water for radiators and underfloor systems at 45 ºC or warmed air for a ducted supply system.

Installation is straightforward with the entire commercial heating system covered by a five year warranty and incorporating proven technology to offer consistent, reliable heating with unparalleled design flexibility.

“There are a vast number of situations where heating now needs to demonstrate renewable energy use such as schools and halls of residence, hospitals and offices, and we have made this much easier to achieve with these new systems,” added Ord.

Heat pumps are classified as renewable technology by both the European Union and the UK Government because they harvest free, renewable energy from the air or ground to maximise efficiency and minimise energy consumption. This means that for every 1kW of electricity they consume, at least 3.5 – 5kW of usable heating energy is supplied to the building.

Recent figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (*) show that 55% of the energy used in the average commercial property goes on space heating and hot water, so anyone designing or operating a building is under pressure to find more energy efficient ways of delivering this.

The majority of Local Authorities now include a requirement for renewable energy in the planning process, and the approach of the Greater London Authority (GLA), which has declared the long-term aim of a zero-emissions energy policy, points to increasingly tough targets for anyone seeking planning permission.

Larger organisations also face the UK’s first mandatory carbon emissions scheme from this April which will place even more emphasis on energy use. Other things such as building Energy Performance Certificates, mean building designers, owners and operators simply must comply with this ever growing need for renewable energy.

“With over half of the energy in a commercial building going on heating, we saw this as an obvious place to make a dramatic difference and cut energy use,” explains Ord.

“We have built as much flexibility as possible into these systems so that they will work effectively on their own, or alongside other heating systems.

“This makes them ideal for new buildings seeking planning permission, but also means that they can be added to existing buildings to supplement current heating and help achieve high levels of renewable energy use,” he added.

Ord highlights the potential of this final issue by pointing to the Government’s plans for a Renewable Heating Incentive in 2011, which in simple terms will see the energy providers, such as EON, etc. paying energy users for every kW of renewable energy they produce.

“Installing our heating systems will already help a building achieve today’s and tomorrow’s renewable energy targets, reduce emissions, lower running costs and increase control and comfort,” he explains. “In future, building owners also have the real potential to earn money under the RHI scheme.”