Improving the EPC rating of a commercial building is becoming increasingly important for warehouses, factories and industrial premises facing rising energy costs. Two often overlooked solutions, destratification fans and air curtains, can help reduce heat loss, improve heating efficiency, and lower operating costs. Read on to learn all about them.
What is EPC rating?
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a measurement of your property’s energy efficiency issued by the UK government. It gives your building a grade from A (highly efficient) to G (least efficient). An EPC is valid for 10 years:
- A to C grade – highly efficient: Your building has low energy bills and a small carbon footprint.
- D to E grade – average efficiency: Your building is only somewhat energy efficient – this is a typical rating for older buildings.
- F to G grade – inefficient: Your building is very energy inefficient, leading to higher heating bills.
At Heritage Heating, we stock, supply and install two great commercial heating solutions for businesses looking to improve their EPC rating and reduce their overall heating costs: destratification fans and air curtains.
Destratification fans
Destratification fans are used to recirculate air to reduce the temperature difference between the highest and lowest areas of a building. With destratification fans installed into the ceiling of large commercial buildings, you can redistribute the warm air which rises and gets lost in the ceiling.
How do destratifications fans improve EPC ratings?
If your business operates from a large building – like a warehouse or factory – heat is naturally going to rise and get trapped in your tall ceiling. By installing destratification fans, you effectively recover this warm air. It is redistributed throughout the ground level, achieving a more uniform temperature and improving your energy efficiency.
Benefits of destratification fans
As well as improving energy efficiency, there are other benefits to installing destratification fans:
- Improve building conditions: Maintaining a consistent internal temperature will help to prevent mould and mildew, reduce damp, and reduce condensation inside your building,
- Cost effective: Recovering lost heat from the ceilings means you don’t need to run your heating unnecessarily to compensate for this heat loss, saving money on your energy bill.
- Better heating system: Recovering lost heat also means your business can invest in a commercial heating system the right size and power for your building – instead of purchasing an overly powerful system to compensate for the heat you’re losing.
Air curtains
Air curtains are fan-powered units installed above large exterior doorways. It creates warm air barrier between the outdoors and indoors, to compensate for the heat lost when large doors are left open.
How do air curtains improve EPC ratings?
Losing heat through keeping large doorways open is one of the biggest contributors to excessive energy consumption for businesses operating from large buildings. The heat loss means heating systems have to work harder to maintain a comfortable interior temperature, leading to higher energy costs and consumption – and also a poor EPC rating.
Air curtains compensate for unwanted heat loss and automatically adjust air flow to maintain an optimum internal temperature. Your heating system won’t have to work as hard to compensate for the heat loss, improving your energy efficiency and EPC rating.
Benefits of air curtains
Installing air curtains above doorways will improve your energy efficiency – and there are other benefits too:
- Keep doors open: With air curtains installed, you can keep even large loading bay doors open without impacting your interior temperature.
- Year-round temperature control: Some air curtains have the option of blowing hot or cold air, so you can maintain a steady interior temperature whatever the season.
- Better indoor air quality: Air curtains also act as a carrier to dust, pollutants, and insects, improving the interior air quality of your building.
