Energy consumption for hot water: calculate, simulate, optimize
The discussion about energy efficiency and climate protection has barely focused on energy consumption for producing hot water in buildings, until now. Today, more energy is often needed to produce hot water than for heating in a well-insulated building. High time, then, to target this area for increasing energy efficiency as well. The new online "Hot Water Energy Calculator" from GF Piping Systems makes it easy to calculate energy consumption. It is also possible to simulate the savings potential – depending on the technical optimization measures selected.
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GF Piping Systems, together with scientists from the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, has developed an online calculator that can be used to easily and quickly calculate the amount of energy needed to provide hot water in buildings.
The easy-to-use online "Hot Water Energy Calculator" is the result of extensive development work by GF Piping Systems and the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences. The calculations are based on the currently valid DIN standards and further assumptions, which are shown. A first reference project, during which the results were simulated before optimization, demonstrates that the results of the calculations are realistic. The data evaluation is being continuously refined and verified on real buildings. The tool provides valuable input for deciding when the investment to optimize a hot water system in a building will start to pay off.
In principle, three technical measures can be employed to cut energy consumption for producing hot water – apart from reducing hot water consumption itself:
It should be noted that maintaining safe minimum temperatures to control legionella bacteria is fundamentally more important than saving energy.
Faultless hydraulic balancing reduces the amount of circulating hot water. Lower system temperatures are made possible by reducing the thermal losses. The poorer the hydraulic balancing and the greater the thermal losses, the higher the amount of energy needed to maintain hot water temperatures. The required pump capacity is also correspondingly higher. In addition, the increased temperatures result in a larger DeltaT to the ambient temperature, which in turn increases the cooling losses in the circulation system and storage tank.
The Hycleen Automation System ensures the optimum operating point is set by continuously monitoring the installation's condition. Consequently, a smaller quantity of hot water circulates at lower temperatures, maintaining temperatures within the specified control limits, of course. Unnecessarily high temperatures and flow rates caused by a non-existent, poorly adjusted or unmaintained hydraulic balancing system are a thing of the past. Piping sections that suffer high thermal losses can be identified and upgraded to improve energy efficiency by repairing deficient insulation.
