16/08/2013
When the boilers at Holyhead School in Handsworth, Birmingham needed replacing due to age and obsolescence, Baxi Commercial was able to supply an energy efficient alternative: Potterton Commercial condensing boilers which were ideally suited to the installation as they were selected to complement the existing radiator circuits.
Holyhead School is a Business and Enterprise Academy formed in 2011 from the previous comprehensive school situated at the heart of multicultural Handsworth, providing secondary education for up to 1,200 11 - 19 year old students. The roll currently stands at 1,110 including 85 in the relatively new sixth form. Efficient space heating and adequate supplies of domestic hot water are essential in any school, and at Holyhead facilities staff were keen to ensure that these were provided in a manner which reduced both carbon footprint and running costs to a minimum.
The existing boilers were original to the building and certain spare parts were no longer available so refurbishment of the heating system was essential. The three Potterton Commercial Eurocondense 500kW condensing boilers and three 800 litre calorifiers were selected by consulting engineers for Dodd Group with specialist input from the Baxi Commercial Division technical team.
The Eurocondense model was specifically chosen due to the age of the remainder of the system and the required flow and return water temperatures. The boilers and calorifiers were installed in the ground floor plantroom and only pipework within the room was replaced. A spokesman for Dodd Group commented: "It was a nice large plantroom with no access issues. There are classrooms backing onto it but this did not prove to be problematic as the new boilers were much quieter in operation than those they replaced." The three Eurocondense boilers operate with stand alone controls and are not connected to a BMS. The calorifiers provide Domestic Hot Water (DHW) throughout the school, serving wash hand basins, sinks and showers.
"The new boilers were much quieter in operation than those they replaced."
Potterton Commercial's latest Eurocondense floor standing condensing gas boiler offers a range of upgraded features, including a smaller footprint, improved modulation range and reduced operating noise levels. Designed with the customer, installer and specifier in mind and using the very latest heating technology, this new boiler incorporates a heat exchanger made from aluminium/silicon with a 10 year warranty, delivering exceptional energy efficiency as well as advanced ultra low NOx performance of 35mg/kWh (Class 5).
Potterton Commercial has developed the Integrated System Regulator (ISR) control system in conjunction with Siemens for the Eurocondense range of boilers. The user friendly control panel offers display of operation status, built in weather compensation, time control facilities for both heating and DHW, summer/winter change over and fault diagnostics and the ISR control can be used with simple room thermostats or, as in this case, with a fully integrated, site-wide Building Energy Management System.
Remote status facilities are built in for run and fault and the ISR control allows for remote control of set point of temperature or power output. Potterton Commercial also offers optional controls for DHW operation, start/stop optimisation, zone control and modular boiler sequence cascade control.
Potterton Commercial calorifiers are designed with ease of installation and transportation in mind and are available in four capacities from 250 to 800 litres. Manufactured from glass-lined steel, they feature a magnesium anode for additional cathodic protection and this can be easily checked and replaced when necessary. The calorifiers can be installed singly or in modular arrangements of up to four units and they are available in vented or unvented options.
