South Ayrshire Council has achieved outstanding annual gas savings of £35K since refurbishing the heating system at County Buildings in Ayr with high-efficiency Remeha Gas 310/610 Eco Pro condensing boilers.
Data from the Council reveals a fall in gas consumption of 1.2GW when comparing its usage in 2015 with 2016 and taking into account degree days. This equates to an impressive carbon emissions reduction of around 217 tonnes per annum.
The historic County Buildings, a Category B (Grade II) listed building, has served as the Council’s headquarters since the beginning of the 20th century. For the last 25 years, it has relied on cast iron sectional boilers for its heating provision. When the old boilers came to the end of their operational life, the decision was taken to replace them with three Remeha Gas 610 Eco Pro boilers to improve heating reliability and efficiency.
With Remeha boilers already installed across its estates, the Council was familiar with the brand. Ease of maintenance combined with the quality of training and service support provided were additional influencing factors leading to the specification.
Achieving high-performance heating provision was a key requirement of the Council, which was met by the higher-than-average efficiencies of the Remeha 310/610 Eco Pro boilers. Overcoming the challenge of restricted access to the basement plantroom was an additional concern, as a South Ayrshire Council spokesperson explained:
“The boilers needed to be craned over the top of the building and through skylights into the basement plant room, so it was essential to select a boiler model that could be easily handled. It was a major feat of logistics, with Road Traffic having to close the area before the crane lift could take place.”
The design of the fully-assembled, lightweight Remeha boilers played a crucial part in the success of the project, enabling them to be lifted safely as a complete unit. Their compact dimensions provided an additional benefit, helping overcome the space limitations and ensuring access through the narrow skylight. Once inside the plantroom, the integral castors on the new Remeha boilers enabled them to be positioned quickly and easily.
The Remeha boilers are designed for optimum operation, with the ability to modulate from between 100% down to 18% using their own on-board control system to maximise heating efficiency. To enable improved system control, contractors ECG also upgraded the building’s Building Management System as part of the refurbishment.
Upgrading older boilers to newer, more energy-efficient equipment is one of the key initiatives adopted by South Ayrshire Council to improve the energy performance of its buildings.
The Remeha Gas 310/610 Eco Pro series is available in a range of models with single boiler output from 51kW to 1303kW. Available in five to ten sections, its compact design means it fits through any standard doorway. The Gas 310/610 Eco Pro is able to be installed side by side, providing greater flexibility in plant room design. With higher than average gross efficiencies of up to 96.6% and minimal CO2 and NOx emissions, the Gas 310/610 Eco Pro provides an affordable solution to clean, reliable, energy-efficient heating.
