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Beaumont High School

Radiant Heating- The perfect fit

In the UK, educational establishments spend more than £400 million every year on heating costs alone. The most challenging, and often most costly, area to heat is the sports hall. However, with the correct heating system in place, even the most complex requirements can be met at a cost that won't break the bank.

AmbiRad's Nick Winton explains why radiant heating is so far ahead of the competition.

In schools, colleges and universities, the sports hall is used for a number of purposes from examinations to events and performances. When heating the modern sports hall, the system must address the needs of stationary users as well as those involved in sporting activity. This is where many conventional heating systems come up short.

Fundamentally very different to all other rooms within the facility, the vast open space proves a challenge to heat adequately whilst ensuring sufficient heat coverage. To achieve the universal comfort required and deliver low energy consumption, the heating system must:

rapidly respond to changing conditions
offer energy economy
provide ‘zonal' heating for areas in use
operate at low noise levels
complement, and not compromise, the fabric of the building

Traditional boiler and radiator systems do not offer the flexibility or speed of response needed for use in contemporary sports halls. In these large cavernous spaces the possibility of waste is also much higher. So the need for an efficient, economical heating solution is even more evident.

Efficiency and economy doesn't have to mean a reduction in performance or comfort levels however. The ideal solution would be to strike the perfect balance between cost cutting and providing optimum conditions for every circumstance. With EU and UK legislation becoming more stringent, modern heating systems also need to deliver outstanding fuel efficiency and greatly reduced gas emissions.

So what is the solution?

For energy efficiency, radiant tube heating meets the challenge. Working in the same way as the sun, the emitted infrared rays will heat only people and objects – not space – to ensure no energy is wasted. This is ideal for providing a comfortable environment for active and stationary occupants, whilst delivering exceptional fuel economy.

By burning fuel at the point of use, radiant tube heaters also prevent heat distribution losses and remove the need for a separate plant area. Radiant tubes are effective shortly after being switched on, providing a warm and welcoming environment in just a few minutes so as well as reduced energy losses, time wasted is also kept to a minimum.

As they are mounted at height, the heaters are kept away from the use of sports equipment and are kept a suitable distance from physical contact. For additional peace of mind, they can be fitted with protective grilles to prevent any damage caused by balls or other flying objects.

Sports halls, or any halls of a large scale, can greatly reduce energy consumption without negatively affecting comfort with the simple addition of a radiant tube heating system. As well as the short term benefit, the system also represents significant savings in both fuel and cost savings.

Sport halls champion radiant heating

Students are taking advantage of the £2 million state of the art sports centre at St. John's Beaumont School in Old Windsor, equipped with a Nor-Ray-Vac continuous radiant tube heating system from AmbiRad. The system is proving extremely successful at educational facilities and has now been installed in more than 800 sports facilities throughout the UK.

For multi-purpose sports halls, such as those in schools and colleges, the Nor-Ray-Vac system is the ideal solution. In fact, the advanced system can warm different areas according to need; keeping spectators warm and sports teams cool during athletic fixtures.

To control the heating provision so accurately, the system relies on a SmartCom3 controller. The specialised microprocessor lets users control heating provision precisely, ensuring that the sports hall can be flexibly heated to meet any need, from sporting events to concerts and school balls.

The heating at St John's Beaumont was based around two radiant branches of the Nor-Ray-Vac system. Each branch comprised a 32LR and 24LR burner. Capable of delivering excellent fuel savings of up to 60% on alternative methods, they burn the fuel at point of use to eliminate wasteful heat distribution.

The radiant tube heating has met the challenge of heating the large sports hall and provides the school with an energy efficient, cost effective and highly usable climate control system that is proving to be the top choice with specifiers across the UK.

Radiant tube heating, is not just taking schools by storm, but is also proving very effective in terms of warehouse heating where they too fall short with standard heating technologies.

About the Author

Jade webster is a digital marketer researching warehouse heating.