Smart heating controls - how digitalization is changing heat supply in industry and commerce
We live in a time of rapid change. Digitalization is increasingly determining our everyday working lives. For companies that want to be successful and competitive in the future, there is no way around it. When we talk about Industry 4.0, this is exactly what we mean: Machines and industrial processes are intelligently networked and controlled by algorithms. Many industrial companies have already implemented this or are on the way to doing so. But while the main focus is on production processes, other areas, such as heat supply, are usually overlooked. Rightly so?
To Heat 4.0 with a smart heating control system
The fact is that digital heat supply through smart heating controls can unleash great savings potential - especially in the industrial sector, where enormous amounts of energy, financial resources, but also manpower are used for heating. With "HEAT 4.0", we at KÜBLER have developed a concept that makes it easy to digitize your heating system with smart heating controls. Find out here what the industrial heating of the future will look like and what new technical possibilities digitalization with smart heating controls will bring.
With a smart heating control system, the heat supply runs at an optimal efficiency level
As a rule, heating systems in manufacturing plants and warehouses are switched on at the beginning of the heating period and off again at the end. In between, little happens for the most part. Between us: In very few companies there is time to regularly check whether the heating time is too long, the heating temperature is too high or the night setback is not regulated at all. The same applies to hall heating as to cars: the driving style determines the energy consumption. Therefore, the better adapted to the requirements of use, the more efficient is the heating operation. Smart heating controls that function fully digitally can take care of that for you at this point - they steer the heat supply through the winter with significantly less energy consumption, but at an optimal temperature level.
Smart heating controls and intelligent tools manage the heating process and enable a completely new transparency
These smart heating controls permanently collect data in real-time monitoring. This creates unprecedented transparency about the heating process. If you want to know which devices are active, how much energy they consume and when, whether the settings and efficiency values of your heat supply are still correct - now it is possible. In addition, the data collected by the smart heating control system is permanently analyzed and documented and is available to you, for example, for your internal quality management or for ISO 50001 or 14001 audits.
Achieve increased availability of your heating system through smart heating control
The interplay of digitized industrial heating systems and smart heating controls thus offers completely new possibilities in heat supply. This also includes predictive maintenance. Long before your hall heating system possibly malfunctions, you can see what is happening in the burner at the control station or on the monitor. You could have many interventions performed directly online, without the need for a service technician to make a trip. This would not only save an enormous amount of time and distance, but also increase the availability of your heat supply - and thus the safety of your production processes.
Speaking of production, imagine what would happen if the heating system in production failed. Employee satisfaction and motivation will suffer - and in the worst case, production will come to a standstill for the time being. This can be remedied by early detection of possible malfunctions and failures through smart heating control. This also makes sense from an economic point of view, because heat supply today should be subject to the same cost-benefit consideration as any of your production machinery.
With smart heating controls and intelligent networking, you save
Industrial heating systems are no longer isolated solutions. They are networked with other technologies and themselves network the various energy flows in the building. This means that residual heat can be used to generate hot water and use it in sanitary rooms or to support hydraulic office heating systems. Waste heat from the production process can be integrated into the systems, as can energy from solar thermal energy and, and, and ... Building management systems or various software tools can be integrated into the smart heating control system and monitor, for example, the opening times of hall doors. And all of this is controlled across locations, regardless of the PC workstation.
Smart heating control improves energy efficiency and reduces costs
But digitizing hall heating systems with the help of smart heating controls not only offers you completely new technical possibilities. It also helps you identify and harness potential savings in the heat supply. Simply reducing energy consumption through extremely efficient infrared heating technologies and optimized operation with smart heating control can result in savings in primary energy consumption of up to 70 percent. These are dimensions that pay off significantly in business terms given the high consumption levels in industrial companies - with annual cost savings of up to six figures, depending on the company, at relatively low investment costs.
Incidentally, this is also interesting to know: Legislation also rewards the high contribution to CO2 reduction and climate protection. In the Building Energy Act (GEG), the heat supply with decentralized systems (such as gas infrared heaters) in new buildings with a room height of more than four meters is exempted from the obligation to use renewable energies.
New and economically very interesting services are only made possible by digital, smart heating control
At this point, you should also get to know a new - and perhaps the most interesting - aspect of smart heating control: The heat supply can be rented. After all, the new, digital possibilities are particularly helpful when companies find themselves in the situation: Modern energy-saving heating technology? "Yes" - budget? "No."
Many companies shy away from investing in a new heating system with smart heating controls and the associated depreciation expense. And that's understandable - especially in economically uncertain times. If the old heating system is then still running halfway - why not save the new investment? The digital age also offers a solution for this, which can be extremely interesting for companies: The digitization of heat supply enables completely flexible and very favorable rental concepts such as HeizWerk.
With this rental concept, we assume responsibility for the heating process. And from energy refurbishment to operation. Via smart heating controls, such as intelligent remote maintenance software, we have a permanent overview of the heating processes and efficiency of the system and control it at an optimal level according to the usage profile. The company itself only rents the heat, so to speak - without the associated investment and depreciation requirements. At the end of the year, companies with such a rental solution therefore even have money "left over". This is because the energy cost savings are usually higher than the rental amount. So tackling the digitization of heat supply is also worthwhile in financial terms - making this sustainable and economically sensible decision palatable for every company.
Our conclusion: Smart heating controls are simply part of the future
They can help companies overcome the biggest challenges in heating halls - always with an eye on the future. Digitized heating systems, smart heating controls and the appropriate software tools ensure greater process transparency, increase energy efficiency, increase availability and at the same time reduce heating costs. And at a time when flexibility is also playing an increasingly important role, it is impossible to imagine life without digital solutions anyway. Only with their help can rental concepts be offered that enable heat supply without any capital expenditure at all.
Would you now like to exploit these possibilities in your company? Then please feel free to contact us! Together we will find a smart heating control system that fits your requirements exactly.
Heating with infrared radiant heaters: These facts you should know!
A new heating system for your company's production is a decision that needs to be carefully considered. After all, it's not just about warm halls. There is much more to it than that:
- Saving heating costs sensibly
- Increase energy efficiency
- Create thermal comfort at the workplace
- Ensure operational flexibility and
- Meet environmental and legal requirements
Are you thinking about whether infrared radiant heaters are the right choice? Then these following facts should make your decision easier!
How infrared dark radiators work
Before we get into the hard facts, let's first clarify two basic questions and clear up common misconceptions. What are radiant heaters and what distinguishes infrared dark radiators from bright radiators?
Many answers you find on the Internet about this are not very enlightening or are simply nonsense. What is correct is that both light and dark radiators are radiant heaters, since in their case heat transfer is almost exclusively by infrared radiation. For this purpose, natural gas or liquid gas are usually used as energy sources. However, biogas or hydrogen, e.g. from regenerative sources, also have great potential for the future.
Dark radiators use closed combustion in a pipe system. Light radiators work with open combustion. The main difference is therefore in the way the combustion exhaust gases are handled: With light emitters, these initially remain in the hall atmosphere. For this reason, sufficient ventilation must be provided for these systems. In the case of infrared dark radiators, the exhaust air is discharged to the outside via an exhaust system - without polluting the hall atmosphere. This is why the use of dark radiators is the preferred choice in most applications today.
In both systems, the heat generated is directed as infrared radiation into the areas to be heated. Similar to solar radiation, heat is generated as soon as the infrared rays hit bodies or objects. Thus, among other things, the hall floor, the room frame and the people in the working area are heated directly.
The special thing about it: Dark radiators heat by their infrared radiation thus no ambient air, but only directly that, which is to be really heated. Thus there is also practically no warm air, which rises physically conditioned under the hall roof, instead of remaining in the work area. This is precisely the decisive advantage of infrared radiators in terms of efficiency.
No hot air - no air movement
You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. Or a lot of dust is created. This dust is stirred up by conventional hot-air heating systems often used in halls. This is a problem in many companies, but it can be easily counteracted with infrared dark radiators. These heat no air and therefore no draught can arise or dust can be stirred up. For your employees and visitors, this means a healthy, dust- and draft-free working atmosphere.
Infrared dark radiators heat particularly efficiently
Let's stay briefly with warm air heaters, which are commonly used in industrial and commercial halls. Simple physics quickly makes it clear that these are not particularly efficient for heating large halls: After all, the heated air rises straight up. To ensure that it is warm not only under the roof but also in the actual usable zone of the hall, the air must be continuously reheated. If the hall door is constantly open or the hall is outdated and insufficiently insulated, this results in an enormous waste of energy and money.
Infrared dark radiators, on the other hand, only heat the objects and bodies they hit - as already described. And if no warm air is produced, no warm air can escape. In addition, the operation of dark radiators can be flexibly adapted to a wide variety of situations that arise when working in halls by means of an appropriately intelligent control system:
- Door opening times
- Working and shift times
- Different usable zones of the hall, in which different amounts of heat are also required
Infrared radiant heaters are therefore particularly efficient. Expressed in clear figures: they consume up to 70 % less energy than conventional systems. Modern infrared radiant heaters are therefore currently the most efficient heating systems for industrial and commercial buildings. And this means that you not only recoup the initial costs quickly, but also do something good for the environment.
No need to worry about GEG & Co.: Even high efficiency requirements can be safely met by modern infrared dark radiators.
Speaking of environmental protection: Those who have not taken care of efficient heating systems and other energy-saving measures in their halls in recent years are increasingly being forced into action. In order to achieve the goals of the Climate Protection Plan 2050, the legislator is calling for the economical use of energy in various ways. Important here for Germany, for example, are
- the GEG - Building Energy Act (since 01.11.2020) and
- the CO2 tax (since 01.01.2021).
And as far as energy management certifications are concerned: Anyone who wants to fulfill the audits according to the then valid stricter DIN EN ISO 50001 (2018) after mid-2021 must also fulfill increasing efficiency requirements here.
The GEG, which summarizes the previous complex energy saving laws, demands among other things the increased use of regenerative energy sources. The fact that infrared dark radiators run on gas seems to contradict this. Or?
No, on the contrary. This widespread misconception arose due to misleading wording in the old legislation and still causes some uncertainty. But the fact is: modern infrared dark radiators have always been used in compliance with the law due to their high energy efficiency - in new buildings as well as in renovations. In the GEG, this high efficiency is now increasingly recognized by exempting decentrally heated halls with room heights of more than four meters from the obligation to use regenerative energies. In addition, gas as an energy source not only has a good primary energy factor. Gas is the technology of the future with great potential as soon as power-to-gas, i.e. the production of hydrogen, becomes available in large-scale industrial processes. So gas-fired infrared dark radiators will remain the gold standard for energy-efficient heating of hall buildings in the future. And that pays off in the truest sense of the word.
Dark radiators are an investment that pays off. Right from the start.
One mistake that is made particularly frequently when planning hall heating systems is a failure to look at the big picture. The new devices should be as inexpensive as possible in terms of investment - and this pays off in the long run if the consumption costs are disregarded. After all, a hall heating system consumes x times its investment costs over its life cycle. It is therefore important to focus on life cycle costs. The keyword here is: low TCO - Total Costs of Ownership. You can save (or even spend!) a lot of money at the wrong end without it being really effective in the end.
So which heating system is worth it - even in the long run? The answer is: the heater that best fits your usage profile and meets your economic requirements. Infrared dark radiators are characterized by low investment costs compared to many other systems. This is confirmed by the results of a study we conducted together with the Technical University of Kaiserslautern. Investment costs for the use of regenerative energies such as a heat pump in conjunction with underfloor heating or a wood pellet stove coupled with radiant ceiling panels are between a factor of 1, 8 to 4.0 - on average a factor of 3.0! - higher than for a dark radiator system with residual heat utilization.
Regenerative energies are all well and good in residential buildings, but in halls they clearly lag behind the specially developed dark radiators. This is because regenerative energies differ functionally from classical energy sources in one important point and that is the low temperature level. This low temperature level always ties renewable energies to hydraulic solutions, at the end of which is warm air. And warm air as heat transfer in high spaces is dysfunctional, as we have already seen. Who benefits from generating a lot of renewable energy for a lot of money, which then does not develop the necessary heat at the workplace? Halls have completely different conditions due to the significantly higher rooms.
In addition, infrared dark radiators score - as already mentioned - with high efficiency and low annual energy requirements. The investment costs are amortized after just a few years. A dark radiator therefore clearly pays for itself in most halls.
Achieve personal and energy goals with dark radiators
No matter whether your hall is four, ten or more meters high: dark radiators are a sustainable investment that will not only increase the satisfaction and productivity of your employees, but will also help you meet energy policy targets thanks to their high efficiency. Please feel free to inform yourself here. If you would like to talk about specific plans right now, let's have a conversation and discuss the different requirements of your industry.
Buy dark radiators: Convincing technologies at a glance
Save energy costs and protect the environment: Dark radiators are among the most efficient heating systems for halls that you can buy. But which infrared system is right for you? We give you an overview.
Dark radiators, also called infrared radiators, offer you more flexibility than classic heating systems. Why? Because the systems don't heat the air per se - a heating method that is comparatively inefficient. Instead, dark radiators transmit energy in the form of electromagnetic waves. When these waves hit a solid, the energy is converted into heat. This makes it possible to heat with the usage profile of a hall and to exclude layers of air above the usage area.
Another advantage: Since the heat does not take a detour via the air, the systems can be switched on and off as quickly as light. With this responsiveness, the heaters adapt perfectly to the dynamics of everyday life, such as when doors open. They only heat where heat is needed, thus saving energy. Up to 70 percent of energy costs can be saved compared to conventional heating systems. Employees also find the heat particularly pleasant because it resembles the natural heating principle of the sun. They can work correspondingly productively. So much for the advantages. But what technology should you know if you want to buy a dark radiator?
PRIMA entry-level line convinces with 60 % radiation efficiency
Do you have to do without infrared technology on a tight budget? Not at all, proves PRIMA. Even on a small budget, you can buy a dark radiator and benefit from its numerous advantages. The entry-level line from KÜBLER is inexpensive and yet powerful. It uses the best burner technology that we originally developed for the high-end MAXIMA series. The result is remarkable for a standard class heater. PRIMA brings a radiation efficiency of around 60 percent into the hall in the form of directly usable infrared heat.
This pays off directly for users of the technology. They save around ten percent on heating costs compared with conventional standard infrared units. The entry-level line is equally suitable for new halls and renovation projects. The only important factor is the ceiling height. It should be at least four meters.
OPTIMA high-performance infrared heating series: 72 % radiation efficiency
OPTIMA plus goes one step further. Since its introduction, this infrared heating series has been one of the most efficient and powerful dark radiators you can buy. KÜBLER has developed a burner technology especially for this series that ensures a homogeneous distribution of the gas-air mixture. It produces a long flame and scores with an excellent energy transfer from flame to radiant tube. As a result, the infrared heat is transferred evenly to the room environment - regardless of whether the hall height is four or 35 meters.
The outer shell of the high-end heater is also closed and fully insulated. The burner and radiation tube are geometrically optimized so that as little heat as possible escapes upwards. The bottom line is that OPTIMA plus achieves a radiation efficiency of 72 percent. Depending on the hall project, operators can save up to 30 percent energy compared to conventional infrared technologies. The investment in OPTIMA plus therefore pays for itself in two to five years.
MAXIMA: How to buy a dark radiator that reaches 80% radiation efficiency
The MAXIMA series is KÜBLER's high-efficiency line. In six years of development, the engineers have succeeded in setting benchmarks in the world of dark radiators with new technologies. For example, they have developed a new burner technology - including a system that preheats the combustion air. It achieves an enormously high radiation efficiency of 80 percent (measured according to DIN EN 416-2) with minimized convection losses. As a result, users save up to 45 percent in energy costs compared to standard infrared heaters. They also protect the environment thanks to low consumption values and the hearing of their employees. Because no infrared heating system is quieter. Last but not least, the MAXIMA series impresses with its design. This is confirmed not only by numerous customers across countries, but also by the international design competition "Design Plus powered at ISH". It has awarded MAXIMA with a seal of quality.
In addition to the MAXIMA, OPTIMA plus and PRIMA series of dark radiators, KÜBLER also offers other infrared systems that can be individually adapted to hall geometries: For example, the NRV multiburner system. These are multi-torches connected in series - with a continuous radiation tube. They are ideal for large areas and low ceiling heights.
Buy intelligent control systems for more efficiency to complement the dark radiator
In order to buy a dark radiator that can unleash its full energy-saving potential, you need another key component in addition to the devices: intelligent control systems. KÜBLER specializes in their development. To optimize the control of hall heating systems, we have developed a modular control system called CELESTRA. This is a highly functional, intuitive control cockpit that allows users to adapt system operation to changing requirements and run at optimum efficiency levels. Up to 20% additional savings can be generated in this way - even more depending on the project.
One of the most important modules: E.M.M.A. (Energy Monitoring & Management Application). With this intelligent software tool, users analyze, archive, compare and document temperature curves, heating outputs and consumption data. In this way, you gain important information for the continuous optimization of the heating process and create the basis for certifications or audits, for example, according to DIN EN ISO 50001.
Saving even more energy: H.Y.B.R.I.D. overall system recovers heat from waste gas from hall heating systems and production processes
KÜBLER offers much more than just individual components. In order to achieve maximum energy efficiency, we have developed a complete system called H.Y.B.R.I.D.. The hybrid technology combines infrared and hydraulic systems. As an overall system, H.Y.B.R.I.D. integrates high-efficiency infrared heaters such as MAXIMA, digital controls (e.g. CELESTRA) and a heat exchanger called O.P.U.S. X. A combination that makes it possible for the first time to use the residual heat from hall heating systems to heat offices, for example. And what's more: energy flows from production processes or from solar thermal energy (HelioB.R.I.D. system) can also be combined and used in the hybrid system.
To do this, O.P.U.S. X extracts the energy from the exhaust gas and transfers it to a storage medium, usually water. The hot water can then be fed into the heating circuit return of a pumped hot water heating system via a buffer tank. Up to 15 percent of the energy that was previously lost to the environment can be recovered in this way.
In terms of energy efficiency, the combination of dark radiator, control and residual heat recovery is virtually unbeatable: Up to 70 % energy savings have been proven in reference projects so far. It is not without reason that H.Y.B.R.I.D. was awarded the German Sustainability Prize as Germany's most sustainable product.
Conclusion: Buy dark radiators that pay off
If you want to buy dark radiators, you can choose from numerous products on the market. To find the right one, you should first get an overview of the specifics, requirements, and how your hall will be used. Then use our free configurator so that we can make you an individual offer!