LTHW insulation optimisation
ENG08
Many organisations waste significant amounts of heat and energy through poorly insulated boiler plant rooms, low temperature hot water pipework and other technical components – leading to unnecessary costs and avoidable carbon emissions.
Pipework insulation has long been recognised as a fundamental component of a buildings installation, however for many years consideration was not given to the insulation of valves and other fittings, such as plate heat exchangers. Many people will be familiar with the feeling of walking into an invisible wall of heat as they enter a plant room, all of this heat is waste, you are not expending energy to heat the plant room, you are producing heat to provide a function within your building. The heat that you feel is an absolute indicator of heat loss or energy waste. A rule of thumb used is that each uninsulated valve wasting energy costing in the region of £30 per year, making the benefits of effective insulation obvious.
Technical insulation vendors who can support you
A number of variables affect the rate of heat loss from the valve body, such as the pipe diameter and thickness, valve material and the temperature difference between the piped fluid and the ambient air temperature. The source of the heat is also a consideration in determining the return on investment, with electric and gas powered water heating each having different costs per kW of heat. Further indirect energy savings can be gained from not having to cool the fugitive heat emissions to maintain a suitable working environment.
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Bespoke manufactured valve insulation is typically constructed from silicon or foil glass cloth and have inbuilt velcro fastening, with an insulation filling such as rockwool or ceramic fibre. Insulation for valves does not need to be removed to allow valve operation and are typically suitable for internal or external applications. A typical return on investment of less than two years can be achieved. While some vendors will simply measure up and supply the custom valve jackets others will fully calculate the energy and carbon impacts of the retrofit, allowing you to evidence the impact of this conservation measure.