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Electric boilers - effect on power demand of a block of flats

donf
Hello there.


I would like to  know if anyone on the forum has done a study of or knows about an existing study of the impact on power demand of introducing electric boilers to block of flats. 


I have been tasked with estimating the impact of a gradual migration to electric boilers for central and water heating in a modern block of flats. Nearly all of the flats currently use gas fired combi boilers.


I then have to present this information to UK Power Networks so that they can asses whether or not an increase in capacity to the building supply might be needed in future.  Finally I need to put any recommendations to the owners' management board.


Clearly electric boilers will have some impact on power demand.


I can start with an estimate of current power demand (worst case) for a typical flat.  To that end, I'll be doing a survey of about 25% of the flats to come up with a figure.


I can then apply the IET Electrical Installation Design Guide diversity calculations for a typical flat and then the building as a whole using figure 3.4 (IET Electrical Design Guide Nov 2008 page 33).


I can then do a second power consumption exercise adding the demand of a typical electric boiler per flat and then the whole building.


However, it's not clear to me if this approach will be suitable for a massive migration to electric boilers.  I need to be sure of my ground if I approach UK Power Networks with a demand figure.


If we look at the usual peak use of heating demand (morning and evening) a building full of electric boilers, to me, could add a significant load to existing street fuses and possibly even cable capacity.


I would be grateful for any suggestions and experience people could bring.


Kind regards


donf










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  • 0
    UKPN will probably refer you to their tables of  After Diversity, Maximum demands P.19  as a first assumption.

    Note how depressingly far down the list of ascending demand they think an electric boiler ought to be...

    I agree however, older folk are not out at work during the day, and are likely to take more heating than the average.

    At the risk of being nosey - why are you looking at this one option, and are you or others also looking at all the other possible fuel futures?

    Actually looking how far wind generation has come in the last 5 years and what naysayers were expecting back then,  I wonder how many of the now apparently

    'hare brained' futures may actually occur  (I know that for example this trial of hydrogen in the gas is coming on pretty much as well as anyone dared hope.)

    Of course right now the UK does not make anything like enough to do this nationwide, and if we did, until we get electrolysis working at scale ,

    we'd still have CO2 to capture,  just as we do now, but at the H2 plant, not at the power stations.
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  • 0
    UKPN will probably refer you to their tables of  After Diversity, Maximum demands P.19  as a first assumption.

    Note how depressingly far down the list of ascending demand they think an electric boiler ought to be...

    I agree however, older folk are not out at work during the day, and are likely to take more heating than the average.

    At the risk of being nosey - why are you looking at this one option, and are you or others also looking at all the other possible fuel futures?

    Actually looking how far wind generation has come in the last 5 years and what naysayers were expecting back then,  I wonder how many of the now apparently

    'hare brained' futures may actually occur  (I know that for example this trial of hydrogen in the gas is coming on pretty much as well as anyone dared hope.)

    Of course right now the UK does not make anything like enough to do this nationwide, and if we did, until we get electrolysis working at scale ,

    we'd still have CO2 to capture,  just as we do now, but at the H2 plant, not at the power stations.
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