No surprises in this statement! But how do you take greater control of water heating?
Imagine a ‘smart tank’ with on-board controls, that comes out of the factory fully plumbed and wired, ready for quick and cost-effective connection to electricity and water supplies – making savings before it is even filled!
Think how data gathered from meters that measure hot and cold-water volume, and sensors that monitor temperature, water escape and environmental conditions around the cylinder could be used. And all the information is conveniently available to view on an internet portal. You’d have a clear and comprehensive picture of what is happening, potential issues, and the ability to remotely control your water heating system.
Are we challenging the laws of physics?
A claim of 1.5 times efficiency compared with traditional cylinders could be construed as this.
But it all comes down to control.
Pockets containing sensors, strategically positioned close to the elements, record precise water temperature at the tank’s core. Energy input is administered to maintain optimal levels. Evidence is logged to prove safety criteria is met, but also that tanks aren’t over-heating.
Analysis proves that traditional tanks with a setpoint of 60°C can return average water temperature readings that are hugely variable. A ‘smart’ tank, by comparison, provides much tighter control demonstrating achievement of 60°C + at least once per day.
Data produces reports that present a detailed picture of performance including water use, environmental conditions, temperature, and energy consumption.
A recent trial compared 237 ‘smart’ tanks with 186 standard cylinders at similar student accommodation properties, for the period August 2023 – July 2024.
The result: 33% less energy used on a per bed basis.
But savings aren’t restricted to energy.
Alerts generated by the ‘smart’ tank afford quicker responses by on-site maintenance teams to the ensure issues are identified and located accurately. This speeds up the process, avoids hunting for leaks and failed elements, and pinpoints high users of water.
Tundish monitoring indicates pressure vessel issues which enables pro-active maintenance activity.
Data is analysed to provide accurate reporting of the severity of issues and enables prioritisation and scheduling of workload for maximum efficiency.
Safety
Many standard cylinders can be guilty of over-heating. Besides wasting energy these can also be potentially harmful in respect of scalding risk. Stricter monitoring and control of water temperature means over-heating is not an issue.
With traditional cylinders, physically visiting hot water outlets and taking readings is the only way to be sure that water is heated to the required levels. But it’s essential to register this detail to combat the risk of Legionella.
In most cases the ‘belt and braces’ approach is for the cylinder thermostat to be set at maximum to ensure 60°C is constantly met. Accurate control ensures water is heated to statutory temperature levels and time periods, thus saving energy. But more importantly, automatically logging these values provides evidence that water safety plans have been adhered to. The use of hot-water outlet temperature sentinels, that send data back to the system, can remove the need to visit each tap, eliminating additional labour cost.
The takeaway from the trial
SMART Tank’s capability enables operators to implement efficient practices to safeguard the performance of water heating. Standard cylinders, according to the data sample when comparing the median ‘smart’ tank with the median ‘standard’ cylinder, typically consume 30% more energy per litre of hot water.
Cylinders are usually visited only when issues arise. ‘Smart’ tanks provide visibility even when they are in dark cupboards.
This article appeared in the Nov/Dec 2024 issue of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe here.