How to get the right heating mix for your school

Budgets are getting tighter and tighter for schools across the country so making sure your energy performance is as good as it can be will make sure funds are freed up to spend elsewhere on site.

But which technologies should you be considering?

All hail the condensing boiler

We know that a heating system breakdown is a nightmare for any school, particularly in colder months, but instead of attempting to repair legacy boilers, you should consider replacing any inefficient boilers with modern, efficient alternatives. The condensing boiler has several benefits for schools:

They can be made to work efficiently for educational buildings through weather compensation and effective control.

Systems can be rebalanced to 80°C flow and 60°C return for further savings.

• They can modulate down to as little as 20% to match the demand for heat, reducing fuel consumption and improving efficiency (this is ideal for summer holidays when there may not be much demand).
• A cascade system can help future proof a school to cater for increased heating demand if your school is likely to increase in size in the future.
• Plate heat exchangers can be used to provide two elements of protection by separating old and new systems so they can work well together.
• Their compact dimensions are ideal for tricky plant rooms in older schools which can help to reduce installation time and more importantly, reduce disruption to your staff and students.

Cope with fluctuating demand

With schools shut for around 12 weeks of the year, it’s no wonder it can be tricky to cater for fluctuating demand for hot water while the school is open as well as for a big drop in demand outside of term time. A continuous flow hot water system is ideal for coping with these peaks and troughs, providing instant hot water at a set temperature and only using energy when hot water is used. Here are some of the benefits:

• They’re perfect for schools with cafeterias, bathrooms and showers, which can all demand large amounts of hot water at the same time.
• There’s no need for a storage cylinder which saves space, reduces energy loss and lowers the risk of Legionella.
• They can provide energy efficiency of up to 105%.
• They can be installed on their own or in a cascade to cope with surges in demand.

Whilst energy saving is becoming a key objective for schools, pressure on budgets is also increasing. Condensing boilers and a continuous flow hot water system could be the ultimate partnership to ensure you can cater to demand, improve your energy efficiency credentials, and ultimately, stay open.

‘Out of sight, out of mind? A report on the heating and hot water challenge in UK schools’ is available to download via the link on the right.