modulation benefits burners

The benefits of modulation

According to The Carbon Trust, heating and hot water can account for 60% of the total energy use in commercial buildings in the UK.

A lot of this can be wastage due to inefficient and poorly maintained systems. Therefore, as fuel costs continue to rise and more stringent emission targets are set, it is vital that companies have a highly-efficient and cost effective heating system that will reduce CO2 emissions.

 

Achieving targets

The UK is in a legally binding agreement to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 and buildings have a big part to play in achieving this goal. Therefore, modern heating systems are designed to provide optimum heating comfort whilst consuming the smallest possible amount of energy.

Although energy-efficient buildings are now being built, one way of improving efficiency and minimising running costs in older buildings is to replace inefficient boilers with those powered by fully modulating burners.

 

Fully modulating burners

Unlike traditional single-stage and two-stage varieties, fully modulating burners are designed to safely operate throughout their firing range from high fire to low fire.

Turndown ratio refers to the amount the burner can increase and decrease its power across its range. For example, if a burner is 500KW and has a turndown ratio of 5:1 it can operate from 100KW on low fire and 500KW on high fire. A good modulating gas burner has a turndown ratio of 4:1 or 5:1 which offers excellent responsive and reactive control over heat demand.

A single-stage burner can be compared to stop and go traffic, which is an inefficient use of energy and can be frustrating. On the other hand, a modulating burner is like motorway driving where you are cruising along, only making slight adjustments to speed and achieving maximum efficiency.

Other benefits of modulation include more precise control, increased reliability due to reduced burner cycling and a reduction in fan speed/air noise.

 

Baltur burners

EOGB is the sole UK distributor of fully-modulating Baltur burners for commercial applications and provides on-site surveys free of charge. Click here for more information.

Top