FUSION Packaged Electric Water Heaters

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  • Expanded range of pre-sized, low-carbon electric water heaters (Fusion-E) and packaged renewable water heaters (FUSION-T)
  • A compact form factor that is quicker and easier to install and maintain
  • Rugged and highly resilient for use in both hard and soft water conditions
  • Up to 71% carbon emissions savings compared to equivalent gas systems

June 2022

Commercial hot water specialist Adveco, announces the arrival of the next generation of FUSION packaged electric water heating for commercial projects. FUSION-E is a tough, high-efficiency electric water heater. FUSION-T extends the system with the addition of a system-integrated heat pump and advanced controls. Both ranges can be further expanded with the addition of an electric immersion for greater resilience (FUSION-Eplus and FUSION-Tplus).

Bill Sinclair, technical director, Adveco says: “FUSION is the perfect response for commercial building projects with small to medium basin and sink-led hot water demands. Taller buildings with basement plant rooms and businesses that depend on 24/7 hot water provision for continuity of service all gain advantages from FUSION as well as reducing carbon emissions and controlling costs.”

FUSION packaged systems start with all new specially designed single- (ATSI) or twin-coil (ATST) corrosion-resistant stainless steel high-pressure indirect cylinders. Offering capacities from 200 to 500 litres, the cylinders feature dedicated mounting points for Adveco’s ARDENT electric boiler. By mounting the electric boiler directly to the cylinder FUSION is a more compact, space-saving option. Supplied with pre-built pipework the latest generation of FUSION is now faster and easier to install.

The electric boiler, with multiple immersions inside its sealed storage tank, provides automatically balanced usage to prolong system life and immediate resilience for the boiler.  Used in a sealed ‘primary’ loop, the electric boiler heats the same water continuously effectively eliminating limescale issues typically found in electric systems used in hard water areas.

For the FUSION-T renewable variants, the monobloc air-to-water FPi-32 heat pump (ASHP) is used as a source for system preheat. Contribution from the ASHP is maximised via the bespoke FUSION Control Box. These controls smartly balance the two heat sources, enabling the water in the cylinder to be heated in the most efficient way. As the electric boiler is not required to work as hard to raise flow temperatures to the 65°C demanded by commercial applications. Electrical demand on the boiler is reduced by as much as 30%, delivering operational savings and reducing carbon emissions by up to 71%.

Bill Sinclair, technical director, Adveco said: “This variant is perfect for organisations seeking to invest in a water heating application as part of a decarbonisation strategy without losing sight of higher operational costs associated with all-electric systems compared to equivalent gas-fired water heating.”

Where hot water demands become a business-critical service, FUSION packaged systems will also support the addition of an Adveco backup immersion providing additional resilience. Fitted into the front-facing clean-out access, the immersion ensures there is no single point of failure for assured service provision. When only used as an emergency heating source, or during periods of unplanned excess demand, the inclusion of an electric immersion can be extremely advantageous. For FUSION systems incorporating the additional backup immersion (FUSION FPH-Eplus & FPH-Tplus) controls are further extended to incorporate remote alerts to advise building managers of a fault scenario and automated engagement of the immersion back-up to guarantee business-critical hot water supply.

“For commercial organisations seeking a hot water system for new buildings faced with the regulatory changes on new gas connections or planning to move from existing gas-fired systems to electrical alternatives, FUSION provides an impressive range of choices,” says Bill. “Whether cost, sustainability or business security are the driving factors for specification, FUSION offers a comprehensive response that can be quickly matched to the requirements of your project.”

Key features

FUSION-E 

  • High-quality ATSI single coil stainless steel vessel with mounting points & brackets
  • Available with 200, 300 or 400-litre capacities
  • Cylinder pressure 10 bar as standard
  • 9, 12 or 24 kW electric boiler
  • Pre-built pipework (left or right)
  • Thermostat and overheat thermostat
  • Compact space-saving form factor
  • Nine pre-sized variants from 9 to 24 kW

FUSION-Eplus

  • 6 or 12 kW electric immersion
  • FUSION Control Box & remote alerts
  • Nine pre-sized variants from 9 to 24 kW

FUSION-T

  • High-quality ATST twin coil stainless steel vessel with mounting points & brackets
  • Available with 300, 400 or 500-litre capacities
  • Cylinder pressure 10 bar as standard
  • 9, 12 or 24 kW electric boiler
  • 6 or 10 kW air source heat pump
  • Pre-built pipework (left or right)
  • Thermostat, overheat thermostat & FUSION Control Box
  • Compact space-saving form factor
  • 15 pre-sized variants from 15 to 34 kW

FUSION-Tplus

  • 6 or 12 kW electric immersion
  • Immersion controls with remote alerts
  • 15 pre-sized variants from 15 to 34 kW
Choosing a hot water cylinder for commercial projects

Choosing a hot water cylinder for commercial projects

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Choosing a hot water cylinder

Choosing a hot water cylinder for a commercial project can be a daunting task. There are many factors to consider, starting with the size of the building, the number of occupants, and the type of activities that will be taking place.

In this blog post, we will discuss what to look for when choosing a hot water cylinder for a commercial project. We will also provide some tips on how to choose the right cylinder for your needs.

What to look for when choosing a hot water cylinder

When choosing a hot water cylinder for a commercial project, there are a few key factors to consider:

  • Size: The size of the cylinder will depend on the size of the building and the number of occupants. You will need to calculate the hot water demand for the building and be aware of peaks in service demand when choosing a cylinder that is large enough to meet that demand.
  • Type: There are two main types of commercial cylinders, stainless steel and glass-lined. Stainless steel cylinders are stronger and more resistant to the corrosive natures of soft water, with a correctly balanced system they are also applicable to harder water areas. Stainless steel cylinders will be more expensive than the glass-lined variety which will typically be used for hard water areas. The chemical makeup and effects of soft water will vary from geology to geology so it does not necessarily preclude the use of glass-lined cylinders, but it remains important to be aware of water conditions at the project site when requesting a cylinder for a specification and ensure suitable maintenance regimes are enacted to guarantee operational longevity.
  • Features: hot water cylinders can, at the most basic, be a storage or buffer vessel. A large proportion of commercial cylinders will be used for either direct or indirect heating. Direct heating makes use of a heat source, such as an electric immersion inserted directly into the water in the cylinder. These are the simplest systems, but direct heating of water can be energy intensive, expensive and, in hard water areas encourage limescale deposition. It is typically recommended for backup vessels or as part of a wider system. More preferable, especially as organisations seek to move from direct-fired gas heating to electric is the indirect cylinder or calorifier as it is sometimes referred to. The cylinder will feature a single or twin coil through which heated water passes. Though not mixing with the water in the vessel, the coil enables energy to pass between the two fluid bodies exchanging heat. By not mixing mains water feed and that within the closed heat source loop, limescale build-up can be much reduced or even eliminated under the right circumstances, prolonging system life. Multiple coils also enable the application of multiple energy sources such as an electric boiler for primary top-up, and renewables such as air source heat pumps or solar thermal collectors to generate pre-heat. The use of pre-heat reduces the demand on the primary heat source, cutting energy requirements, system carbon emissions and operational costs. As these hot water cylinders form part of a relatively complex system that requires balancing to maintain efficiency additional features, such as built-in thermostats, submetering as well as insulation will all be important decision-making factors. You will need to decide which features are important to you and choose a cylinder that best addresses a system’s requirements.
  • Price: The price of a hot water cylinder will vary depending on the size, type, and features. ‘Off-the-shelf’ cylinders will be packaged and presented in the most popular sizes for commercial projects, typically ranging from 200-500 litres for small to medium basin-led projects. Larger facilities and those with greater service demand and longer peaks, such as gyms, hotels and hospitals, will need greater storage. High-capacity tanks come at a premium cost as do bespoke-sized cylinders, typically very large in size.

Here are a few tips for choosing the right hot water cylinder for your commercial project get professional help: always talk to an Adveco expert. For more than 50 years the company has been designing, supplying and servicing thousands of hot water applications throughout the UK. In fact, there is a very good chance you will have used one of our systems without even realising it. Use that long technical experience and history as a reputable supplier to your advantage.

We constantly see hot water system designs that have been oversized to address potential rather than actual demands. This comes with increased capital and operational costs, so it’s sensible from a project-build perspective as well as being able to hand over an efficient final building where future costs are understood and can be better planned for. Adveco offers metering services, sizing and bespoke application design to ensure you have all the necessary information to make a considered decision.

With the desire for net zero, hot water systems have become increasingly complex and characterised by a range of proven but also new and emerging low-carbon technologies. Choosing the correct hot water cylinder for a commercial project can be a complex task, but it is important to get it right. By following the tips in this blog post and asking the right questions you can choose the right cylinder for your needs and get the best possible value for your project.

To learn more about Adveco’s wide range of hot water cylinders visit our product pages or download the brochures.

Are we heading towards a retrofit crisis?

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A new report warns of a building retrofit crisis in the UK as non-domestic buildings appear to be failing to address necessary alterations to achieve net zero.

Construction consultancy Ridge and Partners LLP carried out independent research questioning 101 property and facilities heads from leading UK organisations. This is a small, but meaningful number of conversations, given that fewer than one in four of the public or private sector organisations questioned were attempting to make their non-domestic premises more environmentally sustainable.

Of greater concern was the finding that just one in ten is assigning any kind of budget to retrofit buildings to reduce their environmental impact suggesting a retrofit crisis is indeed on the cards.

The vast majority (86%) of organisations underestimated the need to retrofit buildings to make them more energy efficient. Over a third mistakenly believe less than 39% of the UK’s current building stock will still be in use by 2050. Whereas in reality, it will be nearer twice this level at 70%.

The research is suggestive, pointing to ‘vast swathes’ of UK organisations sleepwalking towards a building crisis. The consultancy believes that unless major changes are introduced the UK will have failed to reach the government’s net zero target in 2050 due to a large majority of businesses occupying old, inefficient buildings that have failed to receive necessary retrofitting.

According to the report, lack of government action is seen as a key problem, a belief that concurs with our experiences across the country as a key provider of sustainable hot water for commercial building projects. 52% of those questioned believe VAT on refurbishments should be removed. Almost half (49%) observed business rates continue to discourage retrofit. More than half called for financial incentives to encourage retrofitting of buildings.

Beyond government action, the report identifies four things which need to change to improve the situation and help avoid a retrofit crisis:

Critically, the attitude of UK boards, both to their buildings and to those who manage them needs to change. Facilities and property heads need to be more involved by their boards in decisions. The research indicated that despite 76% of organisations working towards net zero, 55% of facilities managers say their boards simply do not see retrofitting buildings as part of their net zero strategy. 23% of the heads of buildings in the largest companies are not involved in any net zero planning at board level and a further 47% say even when involved, they are too removed from environmental discussions to be able to make a meaningful contribution. 19% are not even privy to the strategic plans of their organisations.

How building estate budgets are set needs to change. More than half (54%) of organisations set their building budgets based on the past year’s costs. This is deemed an approach which will never accommodate a major retrofit programme.

Retrofit myths need debunking. For instance, 45% of those in charge of buildings believe if the grid is carbon neutral, they don’t need to worry about getting their buildings to net zero. While 24% feel that retrofitting won’t make a big enough difference to their building’s carbon footprint. This is blatantly not the case, and at Adveco we can ably demonstrate how addressing a move from gas to electrical watering heating alone can make a considerable impact on carbon reduction through the application of our Live Metering service.

Finally, organisations need expert support. 31% fear retrofitting’s disruption, 29% lack the bandwidth for such a project and 25% don’t know how to make a business case for it. Talking to expert suppliers such as Adveco is an easy win, with a dedicated applications design team on hand, we can supply the data to help make the business case for retrofitting today, and we can show how to do so with minimal physical disruption and often lower capital investment than expected.

The tools and expertise are in place to support the most ambitious net zero plans, and you don’t need to wait years to commence and begin taking advantage of more efficient and renewable technologies which not only address carbon reduction but can go a long way to resolving fears over shifting energy costs and security.

Talk to Adveco today about site assessment, gas replacement, introducing heat pumps and solar thermal into existing hot water applications, and use of off-site constructed packaged plant rooms to refurbish with minimal disruption.

Thinking About ASHPs

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Air source heat pumps (ASHPs) are a type of renewable energy technology that can be used to heat and cool business properties.

Air source heat pumps leverage well-understood refrigerant circuit technology that is employed in your domestic fridge, but rather than cooling, the system is reversed to extract usable heat. They work by transferring heat from the outside air to the inside, using electricity to power a compressor. ASHPs are more efficient than traditional heating and cooling systems, and they have the potential to save businesses money on their energy bills and importantly will reduce carbon emissions generated by buildings.

The first step is to draw in the outside air. This air is then passed over a network of tubes filled with a refrigerant, which is a special type of fluid that can absorb heat. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the air, which causes it to change from a liquid to a gas. The gaseous refrigerant is then compressed by a compressor, which increases its temperature. The hot, compressed refrigerant is then passed through a heat exchanger, which transfers heat to the water in your home’s heating system or hot water cylinder. The now-cold, compressed refrigerant is then allowed to expand, which causes it to return to a liquid state. The liquid refrigerant is then pumped back to the beginning of the cycle, and the process starts all over again.

At Adveco we use ASHPs to supply preheat heat for domestic hot water (DHW) demands in commercial properties, such as washroom facilities, shower blocks, professional kitchens, laundry, and hot water demands for multiple occupancy sites like hotels, care homes and schools.

As a low-carbon technology, ASHPs are a more efficient and environmentally friendly way to heat water for businesses than traditional gas-fired water heaters and boilers. They can help to offset currently more expensive electricity demands generated by primary heat sources such as electric boilers and in particular immersions which were not intended for extended, regular usage in larger scale systems. Designed and installed correctly, ASHPs will help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as part of a decarbonisation strategy, but, due to the need to work current iterations of the technology harder to attain higher working flow temperatures needed in commercial applications, efficiency drops and the operating costs of the ASHP unit will climb. Compared to an equivalent gas-fired system, current ASHPs will be more expensive to operate based on current gas and electricity prices.

ASHPs are also relatively expensive to purchase. The government’s heat pump plans are based on market expansion to lower prices as mass adoption takes place over the course of the next decade. However, since the technology employs components that are already mass-marketed by the cooling industry, which far outweighs heat pump sales, the expectation within the industry is for ASHP capital costs to remain relatively static, especially across the commercial sector. Improvements in refrigerant efficiency will increase efficiency and it is hoped reduce the size and complexity of future units which could ultimately help lower purchase costs.  One way to address the capital costs of investing in ASHP is to fully review the water heating system, especially if ASHPs are intended to replace existing gas-fired systems. In many cases, DHW systems are oversized, with multiple ASHPs specified as replacements when a single ASHP for preheat and a lower-cost electric boiler would deliver the same operational needs.

Under the right circumstances, ASHPs can bring multiple benefits to a commercial organisation adding an easy-to-maintain renewable energy source to a building, improving system efficiencies and crucially reducing emissions. If you are considering installing an air source heat pump, there are a few things you need to keep in mind when applying the technology to water heating. Unlike space heating, you do not need to consider the levels of insulation in the buildings, so ASHPs are advantageous for both new build and refurbishment properties.  Second, consider the actual hot water demands of your buildings as this will influence decisions on the size or the number of heat pumps required to meet occupant demands. You want to size a system to meet those demands without oversizing the heat pump which will prove more expensive to buy and operate. For existing properties consider metering usage before committing to a design, Adveco can help with the temporary installation of flow meters, data interpretation and correctly sized design.

For information on Adveco’s FPi32 and L70 ASHP ranges and hybrid systems from Adveco visit our heat pump product pages