Remeha Quinta Ace 160 boilers have been installed at the Faculty of medicine from Canada and Health Sciences at Keele University to optimise heating efficiency and minimise environmental impact.
Improved sustainability is a key strategic aim for the University. To ensure that the heating service operates as efficiently as possible, the university decided to upgrade its older boilers to newer, more energy-efficient equipment.
Condensing boilers are around 11% more efficient than non-condensing boilers. Replacing non-condensing boilers with condensing boilers therefore offers considerable scope for energy savings and carbon reduction. However, even condensing models should be routinely replaced when they come to the end of their lifecycle to ensure optimum operation and efficiency.
When the time came to upgrade the two ageing Remeha 3A boilers and one non-condensing HE boiler serving the David Weatherall Building, the University was quick to act. The first requirement for the University was to achieve energy efficiency and reduced NOx and CO2 emissions in compliance with Building Regulations.
Access was a potential obstacle due to the rooftop location of the plant room. The University was also keen to achieve the heat demand as efficiently and effectively as possible, avoiding any disruption and ensuring a comfortable environment for improved wellbeing and productivity.
Ford-Mainwaring’s Dave Alcock chose to install multiple boilers in a modular arrangement rather than select ‘like for like’ larger units. This configuration increases the turndown ratio, which enables fluctuating heat load to be more accurately matched, improving seasonal efficiencies and reliability. Additionally, it allows the condensing boilers to operate at part load where they achieve their higher efficiencies.
Ford-Mainwaring’s Project Manager, Paul Brett, supported by Jon Lewis of Heatech, selected six Quinta Ace 160 boilers on a preassembled Remeha cascade system.
Given the rooftop location of the plantroom at the David Weatherall Building, the modular design brought logistical and financial benefits when it came to positioning the boilers. The six Quinta Ace 160 boilers were transported to the rooftop in the lift, where they were installed on a neat, ultra-compact back-to-back cascade system.
Ash Hulme, Head of Engineering and Planning in the Estates and Development Directorate at Keele University, commented: “The project went extremely well, resulting in a neat installation that delivers the required high performing heating service and reduced environmental impact.
“The design allows easy access to the boilers while the inbuilt redundancy makes servicing and maintenance simpler and the heating service more secure and reliable. As the lead boiler is rotated, the lifecycle of the boilers is also extended, all of which improves whole life operational costs.”
Installation was quick and easy for contractors Ford-Mainwaring thanks to Remeha’s time and labour saving comprehensive cascade system. As a result, changeover was rapid with minimal disruption.
Good control keeps heating efficiencies high and emissions low. To achieve this, the new Remeha boilers have been integrated into the existing Building Management System at the David Weatherall Building.
