The original heating plant was installed when the building was constructed 25 years ago in the 1970s. The two 1000 kW boilers were originally oil fired and subsequently converted to gas. They had reached the end of their operational life.
Consulting building-services engineers Taylor Associates assessed occupancy patterns in the building. It operates 24 hours a day but has widely different manning levels.
Consequently, a modular boiler system was specified, utilising 12 condensing boilers with a 12:1 turndown ratio for periods of low demand and to maximise energy efficiency.
The chimney had to be able to cope with moisture and the slight positive pressure generated by the fan that assists the flue gases through the secondary heat exchanger. JRF Chimney Specialists, SFL’s principal distributor in Scotland, was approached by the consultant to provide a solution.
A Europa twin-wall stainless-steel chimney was selected with an internal diameter of 450 mm to achieve the most efficient and cost-effective solution.
The new heating system is expected to achieve energy savings of around 30%. Other energy-saving measures include the installation of CP plant and variable-speed drives on pumps and air-handling units.
