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The Hotline Newsletter
Summer 2007
"Go Green with Cambridge"
High performance Blow-Thru® Space Heaters are very energy efficient and improve indoor air quality by heating with 100% fresh air.
These characteristics make Cambridge the perfect choice for green warehouses, distribution centers and other green building projects. Using Genuine Cambridge® Heaters can be part of the LEED certification process.
The basic goals for a green building include finding ways to reduce energy use, improve indoor air quality and provide more comfortable working conditions. Developers and contractors are now emphasizing the benefits of going green by using the term "high performance" buildings because they have lower operating costs and the building's occupants are more productive. Selecting a cost effective, high performance heating/ventilating system is a crucial part of achieving these goals.
The nice thing about using direct gas-fired Blow-Thru® Heaters is that contractors and building owners are dealing with a proven heating technology. It is easy to install and cost effective for both green and non-green building projects. In fact the total equipment and installation cost for this technology is typically the same or less than other industrial heating systems that are less energy efficient. Over a billion square feet has been heated in recent years with high performance, energy efficient Cambridge® Heaters.
More Heat, When and Where You Need It
Sure, a green building design will reduce the overall heat load. Night set back and intermittent operation help save energy by not providing heat when it is not needed. However, an energy efficient green building does not mean sacrificing the ability to provide enough space heat when and where you do need it. Studies show making this mistake will ultimately result in more energy use and lower employee productivity. Examples include cold dock door areas, heat stratification for high bay areas, ineffective spot heating with infrared heaters or an undersized air turnover system that can't heat the building on a cold day.
These problems can be solved with high temperature rise, Blow-Thru® Space Heaters. They have the highest dual temperature rise/outlet temperature ratings of 160° F. These crucial maximum ratings result in smaller but more powerful heating units and the highest BTU/CFM ratings for high performance. This technology is also more energy efficient because the high temperature rise capability allows it to heat just the right amount of fresh outside air required to address the building's combined air infiltration, make-up air and space heating needs without over pressurization. That means more heat, when and where you need it.
Use Less Energy
Most high-level green projects want at least 35% improved energy efficiency, versus a conventional building using an indirect gas-fired heating system. Properly applied Blow-Thru® Space Heaters can meet and exceed that requirement for the heating/ventilating system. Our direct gas-fired heating equipment has a 100% combustion efficiency (Ec) rating because there are no flue or heat exchanger losses. 100% of the available heat is delivered to the heated/ventilated space. The equivalent AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating, or thermal efficiency (Et) of Cambridge heaters is 92% because this rating only accounts for the sensible heat component of the combustion process.
The actual total amount of energy used to heat a building is a function of many variables. Obviously the heater's combustion and thermal efficiencies are an important factor but of equal importance is how the heating equipment is installed and used. For most commercial/industrial buildings, it must provide both space heat and temper the building's air infiltration and/or outside make-up air used to ventilate the facility. For example, an infrared (radiant) heater is considered an energy efficient way to spot heat people in a small workspace. Published heater efficiencies range from 80% to 92% with perhaps 85% being the most typical. However, mounting heights above 20 feet, dirty reflectors, air stratification, not dealing with negative air pressure problems and cranking up the thermostat to compensate for cold drafts could reduce the actual energy efficiency for an infrared heater to less than 60%.
Cambridge Engineering has conducted hundreds of building studies that document 40% to 70 % energy savings versus all other types of indirect and direct gas-fired heating systems for warehouses and other large commercial or industrial buildings as shown in TABLE 1.
| Other Industrial Heating Systems |
Energy Savings with Blow Thru Space Heaters® |
Comparison Building Studies (click on links below) |
| Indirect Gas Fired Systems | ||
| Boilers | 40% to 70% |
Cambridge vs. Boiler |
| Unit Heaters | 30% to 50% |
Cambridge vs. Unit Heater |
| Air Turnover Systems | 25% to 70% |
Cambridge vs. Air Turnover |
| Infrared (Radiant) | 15% to 40% |
Cambridge vs. Infrared |
| Direct Gas-Fired Systems | ||
| Make-Up Air (MUA) | 20% to 50% |
Cambridge vs. Make-Up Air |
| Recirculation (pressurization) | 20% to 50% |
Cambridge vs. Recirculation |
Better Indoor Air Quality
A primary goal of green building design is to prevent indoor air quality (IAQ) problems. Lack of adequate ventilation in a warehouse, auto service bay area or manufacturing facility can cause IAQ problems by not purging fumes and odors from the space. On the other hand, utilizing exhaust fans to remove fumes and odors without providing a corresponding supply of tempered make-up air adds to the infiltration load on the building. During the winter, this creates cold areas throughout the facility related to air infiltration at dock doors and other areas. This is a common occurrence in buildings heated with infrared (radiant) units, unit heaters and air turnover systems. This means cold, uncomfortable employees and higher energy costs.
The solution for a green building, or any other project with these IAQ problems, is the use of Blow-Thru® Space Heaters that will efficiently heat just the right amount of fresh outside air required to address the building's combined air infiltration, ventilation, make-up air and space heating needs. Blow-Thru® heaters are certified to the latest revision of ANSI Standard Z83.4/CSA3.7 for non-recirculating direct gas-fired heaters. They can be used in green buildings and other projects in both the U.S. and Canada.
Cambridge, the USGBC
and LEED
You cannot specify or buy any type of heating equipment that is certified as being "green." The USGBC (U.S Green Building Council) and their point based LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification program does not permit product certification for HVAC equipment. That includes Cambridge heaters, even though our company is an active member of the USGBC. However, specifying Genuine Cambridge® Heaters, and using our industrial heating/ventilating expertise, can help earn LEED points in the two important categories of Energy Efficiency (EA) and Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ).
Energy efficient Cambridge direct gas-fired heating equipment can also comply
with the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 90.1.
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