Boiler Technologies
Boilers are very much a part of our everyday lives in that they convert fossil fuels into useful energy to heat our homes, schools, hospitals and places of work. They also provide heat for process in our factories and they play a key role in providing generating power for electricity production.
Approximately €1.5 billion is spent each year on fuels that are subsequently burned in boilers. The level of technology and sophistication of boilers varies greatly between sectors and even within sectors.
Fuels for boilers vary a lot in cleanliness and ease of use and in Ireland the fuel mix typically includes:
- Gas (Natural Gas and LPG)
- Kerosene - Mainly Domestic Sector
- Gas Oil (Diesel) Domestic/Commercial Sectors
- Residual Fuel Oils (Black oils which require heating before firing, some of which go solid when cold) - Mainly industrial
- Peat - Domestic/Commercial Sector/Power Generation
- Coal - Domestic/Commercial/Industrial/Power Generation
Choice of fuel will vary depending on availability, scale of use and environmental considerations.
Boiler/Burner technology varies greatly between sectors. Approximately 800,000 of our homes have central heating systems which include a boiler. The seasonal efficiency of the systems installed can vary from 55% up to 88% depending on the technology used. Newer systems fired on oil or gas covered by the European Boilers Directive should have efficiencies in the 75% to 88% range.
Some commercial boilers are also covered by the Boilers Directive and have to achieve certain minimum efficiency levels. Overall seasonal efficiency figures would be very similar to those for the domestic sector.
Industrial Boilers vary greatly in terms of size/capacity, fuel used, heating medium (hot water, steam, thermal fluid) and pressure. Generally the level of controls on these boilers will be greater and seasonal efficiencies will be in the range 60% to 80%.
Typical ways to improve efficiency of Boiler Systems
DOMESTIC/COMMERCIAL:
Ensure that they are serviced regularly
Fit proper time and temperature controls to the heating system
Insulate pipework and ensure boiler insulation and cladding is in good order
INDUSTRIAL:
Consider the use of high efficiency motors or variable speed drives on fan motors etc. particularly on larger boilers
Economisers can recover valuable heat from exhaust gasses
Fit improved combustion controls
Overall it is the responsibility of the user of a boiler to ensure that it is maintained and operated in a way such as to maximise efficiency and minimise adverse environmental impact.
