When selecting a heating system for a commercial building, it is important that the most appropriate boilers are decided upon to meet the needs of the space. We’ve compiled some helpful tips to make sure you get it right on a commercial site.

Firstly, consider the use of the building, talk to the building manager if possible, ask questions, “did the old boilers adequately heat the building?” The use may have changed since the previous boiler was installed and there may now be further requirements for the new system to fulfil. The required kW output should be cross referenced allowing for thermal losses, bad weather (worse scenarios), factoring in the number of radiators/underfloor/convector heaters and whether the building has a domestic hot water demand, commercial/industrial spaces require an output several times that of the average home. The ErP directive is law, so clients requesting like-for-like installations may find (regardless of whether usage has changed or not) that their previous model no longer meets criterion with recent legislation regarding kW output and efficiency so simply won’t be available as a like for like replacement.

Spatial availability and the building’s accessibility may also affect the options available. The location of the boiler room needs to be considered as, due to the requirements of the Clean Air Act, flues may be required to terminate above the roofline which can complicate installation. While many older school buildings have basement boiler rooms, modern supermarkets and office blocks often choose to have a higher-level plant room to save complication. Accessibility may also be an issue in older or smaller buildings; however, manufactures site surveys pre-installation can often highlight any issues and provide an appropriate solution to a tight space.

Footprint is another area to consider. If a large output is required from a smaller space then a cascade system might be the most suitable solution, with multiple wall hung or floor standing boilers working together to produce up to 600kW (wall hung) or 7MW (floor standing), ensuring maximum kW output per square foot. Sequencing boilers at correct times and temperatures will allow cost-effective and precise heat distribution, useful in buildings like libraries, town halls and sports centres where boilers are constantly in use and temperatures are consistently fluctuating. Where large heating requirements are needed, Alpha’s ARES Tec would be the best choice. Ranging from 200kW up to 900kW the ARES Tec can be connected in a cascade of up to eight boilers to collectively create up to 7MW.

Finally, whilst Alpha’s commercial customers want reliable products, the flexible warranty our products come with guarantees that, in the unlikely event of any issues, problems can be resolved quickly and with zero down time to disrupt the running of a business or building. Ongoing training ensures that all our engineers are well equipped to deal with any issues quickly and efficiently.

Considering all of these factors will ensure that the very best heating system is selected for new developments and retrofit projects.