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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

    Why is the steel pipework being replaced Andy, is it severely rusted or damaged in some way? Steel gas pipework is quite capable of lasting a very long time if suitably protected.



    I had this discussion with some gas engineers in my previous house when a routine gas meter swap identified low pressure - they told me there's a chemical reaction (not quite rusting, but similar) between gas and the inside of the steel pipework - which produces what looks like rusty sawdust  - and being that this stuff (oxide?) is many times the volume of the steel lost to create it, it gradually clogs up the pipe. Externally the galvanised pipes looked just about perfect. Solution was to dig up the garden and replace the steel pipes with MDPE. The steel pipe they replaced weren't the originals either - there was evidence of a much older gas supply pipe at the other end of the kitchen - presumably dated from when the house was built in about 1938 - which the gas engineers reckoned will have been abandoned for the same reasons. So two generations of steel pipe over 60 or 70 years - perhaps a 30 year service life?


       - Andy.
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  • 0

    Why is the steel pipework being replaced Andy, is it severely rusted or damaged in some way? Steel gas pipework is quite capable of lasting a very long time if suitably protected.



    I had this discussion with some gas engineers in my previous house when a routine gas meter swap identified low pressure - they told me there's a chemical reaction (not quite rusting, but similar) between gas and the inside of the steel pipework - which produces what looks like rusty sawdust  - and being that this stuff (oxide?) is many times the volume of the steel lost to create it, it gradually clogs up the pipe. Externally the galvanised pipes looked just about perfect. Solution was to dig up the garden and replace the steel pipes with MDPE. The steel pipe they replaced weren't the originals either - there was evidence of a much older gas supply pipe at the other end of the kitchen - presumably dated from when the house was built in about 1938 - which the gas engineers reckoned will have been abandoned for the same reasons. So two generations of steel pipe over 60 or 70 years - perhaps a 30 year service life?


       - Andy.
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