A review of a property’s heating plant led to significant energy-efficiency improvements and estimated annual savings of 6–10% per resident.
The district heating company identified an anomaly
In June, CEJ was contacted by a district heating company that had recorded a return temperature above 50 °C from the property over an extended period.
A high return temperature means that the district heating water is not releasing enough energy before being returned to the district heating network. As a rule of thumb, the temperature should be 40 °C or preferably lower. A high return temperature can lead to less efficient use of district heating, higher costs for residents and, ultimately, additional charges from the district heating company.
During the review, we identified an incorrectly installed motorised valve on the hot-water storage tank, which was causing the problem.
Savings of up to 10% on heating bills
After the correct motorised valve was installed, the return temperature fell from 61.7 °C to 38 °C.
This improved the system’s energy efficiency and resulted in estimated annual savings of 6–10% per resident. The review also identified potential to reduce the electricity consumption of the heat pumps through automated control.
Identify anomalies in time
If the property had had an energy management system in place, the unusually high return temperature could have been detected earlier and the fault addressed before the district heating company flagged the anomaly.
Through energy management, CEJ monitors the property’s consumption of electricity, water and heating and responds promptly, preventing waste and leaks from escalating.
Read also: Is your heating system ready for the future of district heating?