Electrical Contracting News (ECN) June 2017 | Page 55

ENERGY MANAGEMENT
UK trial
Stiebel Eltron is currently trialling
this system at various sites in the UK,
building up on site information which will
demonstrate its strong viability.
Working with AT Green, one of our
installer partners, we calculated the costs
of installing 400V supply to an actual block
of apartments in Salford, Manchester.
The block is made up of 60 flats, with 12
flats per floor over five floors.
We found that the additional cost to
each apartment to install 400V would
be approximately £323 against a stored
water solution.
However, when we then compared this
against overall product, installation and
maintenance costs, the instantaneous hot
water solution was around £330 cheaper.
As expected, as a smaller and easier
to fit product, the instantaneous hot water
heater comes in cheaper to buy and install
than a cylinder, while it also negates an
annual service cost – a necessary part of
maintenance for the cylinder.
This results in a cost neutral solution,
with further long term benefits against
stored heating:
• Saving space: The space that would have
been taken by a cylinder can be used for
storage, or a developer could even use
the total square footage saved to add
more units.
• C
 onstant hot water: There will always
be hot water available at all times of
day. Even in a dwelling with multiple
occupants, hot water will not run out
as it would eventually with a stored
heating cylinder.
• Lower running costs: The instantaneous
hot water heater doesn’t incur standing
heat loss in the same way as a cylinder
would when the apartment is unoccupied.
• Maintenance free: There is no
requirement or obligation for annual
testing or review of the system. This
saves on manual labour costs and
also the potential issue of accessing
an apartment when the tenant or
homeowner may be away.
SPECIAL
FEATURE
‘Instantaneous
hot water
(IHW) heaters
would offer
a range of
benefits
against
stored water
heating.’
The instantaneous
hot water heater
doesn’t incur
standing heat loss
in the same way as
a cylinder would
when the apartment
is unoccupied.
In the pilot UK projects we are using the
Stiebel Eltron DHE electric heater – a tried
and tested product, which is easy to install
and due to its size can fit almost anywhere.
Other benefits of a modern
instantaneous hot water solution include
robust controls with fully adjustable
temperature settings, allowing adults to
child proof a system and prevent scolding.
Aspirational market
There is certainly a demand, particularly
within the aspirational market of new build
apartments. Young professionals alike are
requiring quality appliances and facilities
that meet their busy lifestyles, and they do
not wish to wait for water to reheat or run
out if their partner or flatmate has used the
stored hot water before them.
The same issue applies in the student
living sector, where – due to the rapidly
increasing costs of attending university
– accommodation is having to improve to
meet demand.
We