Industrial heating

It is impossible to avoid heating costs in an industrial setting, with the necessity to heat the buildings to a comfortable level and provide hot water regardless of your operations. However, regardless of your heating system there are ways of minimising your costs for now and in the future. In fact, it is possible to cut your costs by a third if you make some small changes to your energy use.

Within Commercial buildings the most common methods of heating are radiators, air heater units and electric heaters. In order to cut down the energy costs when using these methods you can:

• Start with turning down the heating; if you have radiators ensure that you get thermostatic radiator valves fitted so that you can set them to the minimum comfort level to save as much energy as possible. By just lowering your thermostat by one degree you can reduce your annual bill by up to 10%.
• Ensure that you regularly service your boilers every year so they will be more efficient and last longer. After each service ask to see the combustion report as if there is a reduction in flue gas and an increase in carbon dioxide the efficiency improvements have worked.
• Make sure to properly manage your fans. You should turn off your air-handling fans when there’s no demand for ventilation and make sure to use locally situated thermostats to have better control.

Within Industrial buildings which are usually warehouses and factories the most commonly used methods of heating is unit or radiant heaters. In order to cut down the energy costs when using these methods you can:

• Remember that not every area has to be heated equally. Generally in areas where people are more active you can set the temperature to the lowest comfort level. Make sure to also take note of areas where it seems especially hot or cold and add temperature timers and controls to minimise energy waste.
• Ensure that radiant heaters especially are not covered or obstructed as they can become very hot. By mounting them at a safe height and using black bulb thermometers you can ensure no energy is wasted and most importantly that it is safe.
• Consider fitting controls which switch off the heating when doors are open to save energy and make sure heat isn’t being wasted.