Adveco hot water metering for gas replacement
The most consistent issue we see in commercial hot water systems is oversizing, whether through lack of understanding of application design or concerns over providing suitable back up to ensure system continuity. The result of oversizing is however always the same, unnecessary capital costs for system supply and installation, and ongoing excess operational costs associated with higher energy demands and therefore greater carbon emissions.
As companies seek to adopt greener building operations, replacing old gas-fired systems with like-for-like electric is another guaranteed way to gain an oversized system, but can also lead to undersizing if storage is not large enough to account for low, slow heating associated with heat pump based electric systems. Getting that balance right is critical as per kW price of electricity remains much higher than that of gas. More importantly, if the new electric system is oversized the required amperage could exceed a building’s available electrical supply. Bringing new supply in means excavating, possibly as far as the substation, which will see cost soar, or even stall the project. This can best be avoided by understanding your actual hot water demands and designing the replacement so that it is optimised to meet the specific needs of the building, this is why accurate data is so valuable.
To support commercial organisations intending to replace legacy gas systems with more sustainable electric applications Adveco has created a Live Metering service for domestic hot water (DHW) systems. Adveco Live Metering is a simple to install, non-invasive onsite process that generates consistent 24/7 data on existing hot water systems to accurately understand actual usage, including critical peak demands. Adveco’s specialist engineers will visit the site, providing an overall visual assessment, fit the meters and monitor for an agreed period, typically a month before returning to remove them. The data will then be processed, and a report generated with design recommendations for a replacement system that meets the exact needs of the building.
Data collected with Adveco’s Live Metering Service has already enabled organisations to avoid excess capital costs whilst reducing emissions in line with decarbonisation strategies. It has demonstrated, for example, that a gas-fired hot water systems operating at 60 kW can be directly replaced by a system based around a smaller 12 kW ARDENT electric boiler and a cylinder optimised to meet storage requirements reducing carbon emissions by 2800 kg per annum. The demands of a system operating two 50kW gas-fired water heaters could be replaced with a 24kW electric water heater and heat pump supplying the preheat, reducing emissions by 5100 kg per annum. With both replacement designs rated at 120% they provide more than enough storage capacity to meet unexpected peak demands and carbon emissions are expected to continue to fall as grid electricity supplies continue to decarbonise in the future.
By optimising the use of air source heat pumps, electric boiler and hot water cylinders, not only are capital investments reduced, but so too is the system size and complexity, making for easier installation and potential to recover valuable plantroom space.
Should a business opt to purchase the recommended replacement system from Adveco they will receive a 50% refund on the cost of implementing the initial Live Metering service. Talk to Adveco or your regional sales representative about pricing and booking metering at your property.