Evans Easyspace
| Renewable energy heating products are right at the forefront of the Government’s green energy revolution. With heating responsible for 70% of UK energy use – and Carbon emissions – finding green alternatives to oil and gas heating is critical. The pressure to achieve this is ramped up by the UK’s target to generate 20% of UK energy coming from renewable sources by 2020. Stiebel Eltron is one of the world’s leading renewable energy heating product manufacturers. |
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The German firm works across the public, private and domestic sectors helping families, businesses and organisations go green. A recent project in Shropshire, at Ludlow’s acclaimed Eco Business Park, saw a new build office fitted with state of the art green heating products. This is exactly the kind of project the Government is so keen to encourage. Here Mark McManus, Stiebel Eltron’s UK managing director, explains what was installed, what the benefits are and how it works.
Evans Easyspace, The Eco Business Park, Street Road, Ludlow, Shropshire
Revolution Power Installers were asked by KPP Architects of Leeds to do a feasibility study on the best possible Renewable Heat Source for one of Evans Easy space buildings at Ludlow’s Eco Business Park in Shropshire. Ludlow Eco Business Park is a partnership scheme involving South Shropshire District Council, regional development agency Advantage West Midlands and the Rural Regeneration Zone. The project has also received funding from the European Regional Development Fund. The new office units, which vary in size from 100 to 6000 sq ft, are being built to BREEAM Excellent standards – the building industry’s highest rating for environmental excellence in construction. All buildings on the site were targeted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% compared to conventional structures. For Evan’s Easy Space Buildings Revolution Power recommended the best solution was a Stiebel Eltron Ground Source Heat Pump to provide under floor heating and hot water requirements for offices and a workshop. The Stiebel Eltron Ground Source Heat Pump was a key element in achieving a BREAM Excellent Standard. By installing the GSHP a 20%+ CO² carbon saving has been achieved.
In this installation, Revolution Power drilled boreholes to insert the ground probes for the heat pump. Revolution Power contracted a specialist firm to install the under floor heating system using Uponors PEX20 system. They also used Uponors district heating system to link to the UFH for an office the other end of the building. After the boreholes and under floor heating were completed the Stiebel Eltron ground source heat pump was installed with a 700 litre buffer tank for the UFH integration and a 400 litre domestic hot water cylinder.
The main benefits of the installation are:
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Reduced heating overheads 20% + CO² carbon saving Mobile controlled with GSM Box Easy maintenance Flow temperature of up to 60 degrees Extremely quiet operation Achieves BREAM Excellent Standard |
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How does the Stiebel Eltron GSHP work in this installation?
The earth stores an enormous amount of solar energy from both solar radiation and rainfall. To extract this energy, ground collectors consisting of flexible polyethylene pipes are buried in the earth, either horizontally or vertically. A mixture of water and anti-freeze is then circulated through the pipe loops, attracting the heat energy and transferring it to the heat pump. The Ground Source Heat Pump is a 32KW Stiebel Eltron and the Ground Probe Pipes were laid in four separate boreholes 80 metres in depth to take heat from the ground. The pump works like a refrigerator but it is the heat that is harnessed rather than the cooling effect. Some heat pumps can also be used in the summer for comfort cooling in a building. The heat pump then uses this energy to heat up water in the under floor heating/ radiators and domestic hot water in the cylinder. If land space is limited the ground collectors can be installed vertically in a borehole, drilled up to 100m deep in the ground. Multiple boreholes are commonly used in large installations where very high levels of heat extraction are required.
Stiebel Eltron background
STIEBEL ELTRON provides convenient technical solutions for every aspect of renewable energies, hot water, air-conditioning and central heating. Founded in Germany in 1924 by Dr. Theodor Stiebel today it is one of the world’s leading specialists in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and systems technologies. It has a worldwide turnover of 400m Euros and employs 3000 staff. Stiebel Eltron opened its new UK office on Wirral International Business Park, Merseyside in February 2008 having previously been based in Northampton.
