As specifiers seek products to help them comply with Part L of the Building Regulations, and tap into renewable energy sources, electric heating is proving increasingly popular explains Karen Trewick, marketing communications manager at Dimplex.

The UK government has signed up to a number of international agreements on reducing greenhouse gases to counteract global warming. As buildings use almost half of the UK’s generated energy and are responsible for 30% of the country’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, its no surprise they’re an obvious target to help reduce the UK’s carbon output. As a result, if you’re involved in the construction industry you will be aware of the increasing legislation, like Part L, which is driving specifiers to use energy efficient and renewable solutions.

PART L – MAIN AIMS

Part L deals with the ‘conservation of energy’ in buildings, and has four main aims:

1. Limit heat loss through the building fabric, and through pipes, ducts vessels used for space heating, space cooling and hot water storage.
2. Limit exposure to excessive solar gains
3. Provide efficient building services, including heating, hot water, fixed lighting, ventilation and cooling – as well as efficient controls
4. Provide the owner information about the building so that they can operate and maintain it to ensure energy efficient operation.

In order for a building to comply with Part L, there are now a number of tests for both domestic and commercial buildings. These include air tightness testing, and certain minimum performance standards for heating, hot water and lighting.

CRITICAL CONTROLS

Part L puts great emphasis on controls and states that ‘all systems should be provided with appropriate controls to allow reasonable levels of energy efficiency to be achieved in use’. Electric heating offers a high degree of controllability from sophisticated central programmers controlling a whole house system down to individual control, which means the system can be designed to fit around the user’s lifestyle – ensuring minimum energy wastage.

IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE

Compliance with Part L is not complex, providing you understand the parameters. Unlike Part L 2002, which based building energy efficiency calculations on the performance of individual elements, Part L 2006 takes a more holistic approach and requires all parts of the building – from fabric to building services – to work in harmony. Installers who understand this can bring valuable insight to a project and may well find themselves with more influence over building services decisions than in the past. The key is to be involved in the project at the design stage, as any installer who tries to substitute a different product at installation, may be compromising the building’s compliance.

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

While Part L does not make a legal requirement that renewables are used, planning requirements such as the Merton/10% rule which require at least 10% of the site’s projected carbon emissions to be off-set by on-site renewables, are driving a growing interest in renewable and sustainable energy sources. In future, installers will find themselves working on buildings using products such as solar hot water systems, heat pumps, wind turbines, or combined heat and power. Grants are now available to householders to install some of these technologies in their homes, and the take-up of these grants has been very rapid, further increasing the demand.

PM Gordon Brown also recently announced that the UK will be increasing its housing stock considerably over the coming years and that these homes will be ‘zero carbon’ wherever possible. Whilst ‘zero carbon’ is still very difficult to achieve, installers will see a lot more work with these new technologies as housebuilders, housing associations and local authorities push forward with building programmes.

It is important to be flexible about product specification and to be ready to work with the most appropriate system for a building’s needs. Electric heating offers a number of generic advantages over other fuels [see box] and as the price of fossil fuels rises and resources dwindle, electricity will become the key power source of the future in the UK. There is no indication yet how far the UK will go down the nuclear power route, but it seems likely since it will be difficult to meet demand with renewables alone. As a result, electric heating - which can also link easily into renewable energy sources - has to be the long term logical choice. The time’s definitely right now for installers to take a fresh look and switch on to the benefits of electric.

THINKING ELECTRIC

• Combining cost effective electric heating with solar as a low carbon water heating solution provides an excellent means of meeting the requirements of Part L, as well as providing low running costs. When recommending and installing solar hot water systems, look for manufacturers who offer pre-packaged kits which make specification simple and installation.
• Products such as the Dimplex DuoHeat radiator which has a unique heat management system to automatically control the energy, can reduce total energy used by up to 10% when compared with a traditional storage heater – a figure recognised in SAP2005.
• Electricity is 100 per cent efficient at point of use – no wastage, no emissions.
• Electric heating appliances can be installed virtually anywhere with a power supply, giving freedom of choice not only over location within a room but also with the design of the building.
• Electric heating systems can be controlled from one central point, just like gas, but intelligent controls mean increased flexibility and responsiveness.
• Electric heating can be controlled on a room-by-room basis, reducing energy waste.

Press Source : Dimplex press feature

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Dimplex Stove

There’s nothing quite like the effect of a Dimplex stove fire. It creates a wonderful feeling of comfort and cosiness. But open fires can be inconvenient and messy. Likewise if installing a gas fire you need to consider flue and gas connection constraints, the permanency and cost of installation and the need for annual servicing.

This is why so many people around the world appreciate the benefits of using a Dimplex Optiflame® electric fire.

Indeed, there have been significant increases in the price of fuel in recent years, and whilst electricity prices have gone up, the increases are not as significant as gas.

All Dimplex stove fires are 100% efficient at point of use, so no heat is wasted. The ‘flames’ can also be used independently of the heating, so you can enjoy the cosiness of the flames on those dark but mild spring and autumn evenings.

Dimplex electric Club stove fires also require no maintenance or cleaning unlike conventional open fires, and are very simple to install; virtually all fires come complete with a fitted plug and many don’t even require a fireplace! However, if your preference is for a complete fireplace, Dimplex can offer this too with a choice of suites and ready-to-fit surrounds.

Whatever your taste – ultra modern, traditional or classic, Dimplex has a fire to suit your décor and lifestyle.

Dimplex fires are designed with saving energy in mind. All Dimplex Optiflame® fires are 100% efficient at point of use, so no heat is wasted. The ‘flames’ can also be used independently of the heating, so you can enjoy the cosiness of the flames on those dark but mild spring and autumn evenings without using any more electricity than you would do running two light bulbs. Many Dimplex fires also feature a room-sensing thermostat, which constantly measures the ambient temperature of the room, allowing you to set a room temperature for the fire to maintain. This not only means that your room will be kept at an optimum temperature with minimum effort, but also means that no unnecessary heat is produced – saving you money!

Furthermore, by choosing an electric fire, you are choosing a heat source that is fully “renewables-ready”. At present, only 2% of Britain’s energy comes from renewable sources such as solar power or wind turbines. However, the Government has set a target of increasing that figure to 10% by 2010. Unlike a gas fire, a Dimplex electric fire will actually become ‘greener’ to run as Britain’s energy supply becomes more renewable dependent. Indeed, electric heating is the only form of heating that has the potential to be truly ‘zero-carbon’

For more information on Dimplex products and the environment, please visit www.dimplex-resource.co.uk

Dimplex Safety

It’s only Dimplex that brings you the internationally recognized BEAB approval on all electric fires* giving you the extra guarantee of safety.

The BEAB approval mark is an electrical safety mark. It demonstrates to everyone that the UK’s leading independent approval specialists have evaluated our products to the highest European and International standards.

BEAB approval means that the product has been rigorously tested in an independent accredited lab to provide reassurance of safety in the areas of mechanical injury, burns and electric shock, as well as compliance with specified European and International standards.

The stringent safety approval process is policed not only through independent testing but also on-going factory and market surveillance. BEAB approval is infinitely more significant than the CE Mark.

The CE Mark is only a manufacturer’s self-declaration that the product meets the essential requirements of the EU directives. The only way to have real peace of mind is to insist that the products you buy are BEAB approved – you’re safe every time

Dimplex - Benefits of using electric

Electric heating has a number of generic benefits over other fuels and detailed information on these benefits can be found in the left hand menus for each of the 7 product categories shown in the navigation bar above.

Low capital & installation costs

Electric heating is very easy to install, ensuring installation costs are kept to a minimum. It doesn't’t require any pipe-work, simply a connection to the electrical circuit[s], so it can frequently be installed in a matter of minutes. For new build properties this means it can go in at the second fix wiring stage. And for refurbishments and replacements, it means minimal disruption for the household. What’s more, because the heaters can work as stand-alone units or as a system, it is easy and cheap to add heaters to a system at anytime as budgets permit.

Low Life Ownership Costs

There is often confusion about the running costs of electric heating compared to other fuels; however the cost of energy for different heating systems is only part of the true running cost equation. The true cost to consider is the lifetime costs of the system, which not only take into account the fuel used, but the hidden maintenance costs – both monetary and time - over its lifetime.

Electric heaters are 100% efficient at the point of use, meaning all the electricity used is converted directly into heat, unlike boiler-based systems where energy is wasted through the flue. In addition, over the last few years there have been many fluctuations in the price of both electricity and gas, with Energy watch – the independent gas and electricity consumer watchdog – reporting in July 2006 that some energy suppliers had increased the cost of gas to their customers by as much as 92% since 2003, while the price of electricity had increased by only 54%.

Because electric heating has virtually no moving parts, most systems can be expected to last for at least 15 years, whereas the gas boiler industry itself quotes a lifetime of only 10 years for a boiler. Because electric heating is cheaper to install, maintain and lasts an average of 50% longer than a gas system, the true ownership costs means that an electric heating system can be a more cost effective solution in many developments. For more information on this subject, please click on the Resource link.

Flexible & Versatile

Electric heating doesn’t require a flue or pipe-work, so there are no restrictions on building layout or design and no regulatory or planning issues associated with positioning of flues to restrict you. Electric heaters can also be installed virtually anywhere in the room, again aiding freedom of design.

The versatility of electric heating can also be a major advantage for home extensions where the existing system may have insufficient capacity to heat extra radiators.

As a fuel source electricity is available right across the country and is also ideal in sensitive areas or in listed buildings where structural alterations are difficult. Only electric heating gives such freedom of design.

Safe, Reliable Systems

Whatever type of heating you specify; safety is always an important consideration. Because electric heaters do not burn fuel internally to generate heat, there are none of the associated safety risks, such as carbon monoxide poisoning or explosions. And as there are no radiators to leak or burst, there is less risk of damage to completed properties, which can be a major concern if properties are empty for a period of time, especially over the winter months. Also with virtually no moving parts to break down or wear out, electric heating is extremely reliable and will normally run satisfactorily for much longer than a conventional gas boiler.

• Environmental Health Benefits

Storage based electric heating systems provide continuous heat throughout the day, maintaining a consistent temperature in the
building fabric. This helps eliminate any long term building maintenance problems associated with condensation, benefiting occupants
with a healthier, more comfortable living environment.

No maintenance and no annual inspection

Maintaining a heating system can, depending on the choice of fuel, add significantly to the overall cost of running the system, so it is very important to consider the likely impact of maintenance costs and any safety checks requirements. With virtually no moving parts to break down or wear out, electric heating is extremely reliable and there is practically nothing to go wrong. Gas boiler based system on the other hand should be regular serviced and, although not a legal requirement in private properties, should be given an annual safety check. However both private and social housing landlords are legally required to have annual safety checks on gas appliances.

Comfort and Control

There have been significant developments in electric heating in the last few years and modern electric heaters incorporate highly sensitive, integral thermostatic controls. The accuracy of electronic controls allows rapid response to sudden changes in room temperature, ensuring that heater outputs are quickly reduced or increased to maintain a consistent room temperature. And Dimplex also offers a variety of control options for our installed heating products.

Benefits of Electric Water Heating

Electric water heating is an efficient method of heating water directly with electric immersion that are in direct contact with the water, reducing energy losses than can be experienced from pipework, and circulating pumps. If you have an off-peak electricity supply it allows the water to be heated during the evening or early morning providing a full tank of hot water ready for each day. The use of a booster immersion allows additional water to be heated during periods where water demands exceed the normal daily usage so that extra baths or showers can be catered for

Fires
We have some of the hottest gas and electric fires and also stoves to be found in the UK. With names such as Baxi, Robinson Willey RW, Trident, Flavel, Valor and Cannon to name but a few, many are live and working and we guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Fireside Accessories
A full range of accessories in our showroom, from different fronts, fire guards, fire screens, grates, inserts, fire dogs, buckets, baskets, shovels and bellows - many on display.

Fireplaces
Many cast iron, wood, antique finish and marble fireplaces are available.