Boiler company Baxi reports lots of interests in its low carbon products at the recent Ecobuild Exhibition at London’s Excel centre.

Baxi Boiler had working models of both their flagship models, the Baxi Ecogen dual energy system and Baxi Bioflo compact biomass boiler, on the Practical Installer stand which was sponsored by Plumb Center. The models attracted a lot of attention.

Head of Sales at the Low Carbon Technologies Division at Baxi, Graham Parkes, said:
“People came to the show with preconceived ideas about biomass and combined heat and power. They were able to see the models of the products on our conventional stand, and then come and see the technology in action, and they were blown away!

“Live demonstrations like this help to take away the mystery of unfamiliar technologies. People were able to see for themselves how straightforward the products would be to install and use. We were able to show that the products could provide viable heating solutions for their homes.”

The Baxi Bioflo unit is a free standing unit which is ideal for areas where the mains gas is not available and an alternative to heating oil and LPG is required. The energy source is wood pellets which are fed via a 34kg hopper. It’s compact size means it can be stored outside of the property (say in outhouses), or indeed, in the living area.

The fuel hopper feeds pellets into the top of the boiler and when the control system signals a need for heat, the boiler automatically fires up. Pellets are dropped into combustion chamber via an intelligent feed system. The Baxi Bioflo is, say the company, easy to operate and economical in fuel terms.

The Baxi Ecogen is what’s known as a dual energy system. Looking very similar to a normal wall mounted gas boiler, it provides both heat for the house and electricity also for the home. It utilises the technology of the Free Piston Engine which can create up to 1kWh of electricity for use in the home. Anything that is not used in the home, can be sold back to the grid (3p for every kW).

Graham Parkes said:
“At Baxi, we understand that there is not a single ‘silver bullet’ to solve the issue of reducing carbon emissions in homes. It is important to match the right technology with the property and the needs of the people who live there. That’s why we have an extensive portfolio of low carbon products suitable for a range of different applications. Baxi Ecogen and Baxi Bioflo are just two of those products, and have successfully whetted the appetites of Ecobuild visitors!”

The low carbon boiler range from Baxi will continue to make a impact over the coming years.

Guest Article by Neil Camp 

The Baxi Ecogen has been awarded both the Green Award in the Homebuilding & Renovating Product Excellence Awards 2011 and the Heating and Plumbing category. This is just one of many accolades that the Baxi has picked up for its range of products.

The Baxi Ecogen was the first type of dual energy system of its kind on the market and is a micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) gas boiler which is hung on the wall. The same source of energy is used to generate both heat and electricity.

The heating system manufacturer believes that it is an easy replacement for a conventional gas boiler and one which consumers will find extremely versatile.

The production of heat follows the usual process. When it comes to electricity generation, it is a Stirling engine that is heated by burning gas which causes the helium inside to contract. This contraction moves a piston up and down inside a copper coil, and it’s this movement which generates up to 1kW of electricity at 50Hz single phase.

Any electricity not used from this generation process, can be sold back to the national grid, as the device is MCS certified, and thus conforms to the requirements of the Government’s Feed-In Tariff.

The Head of Sales, Low Carbon Technologies, Graham Parkes, said: 
“This tremendous result is further testament to the fact that the Baxi Ecogen dual energy system is such a unique and innovative product.”

The judges of Homebuilding & Renovating Product Excellence Awards 2011, said:
“Baxi Ecogen deserved to win both awards because whilst this has obvious eco credentials it deserves to be taken seriously as a mainstream heating and plumbing solution.”

And further comments came from Michael Holmes, who’s Editor in chief of Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine, and also presenter of Channel 5 I Own Britain’s Best Home.

He said: “The Baxi Ecogen harnesses well established micro generation technology into a neat conventional size domestic boiler, offering households a way to generate their own clean electricity whilst heating their home and hot water. As it qualifies for the Government’s Feed-in Tariff (FITs) the Baxi Ecogen could pay for itself within just a few years!”

Guest Article by Neil Camp 

Baxi Group the gas boiler manufacturer has just launched what they describe as a breakthrough in micro-CHP for the home.

For those that have forgotten, CHP stands for Combined Heat and Power, and are the new trend in modern domestic heating systems. And Baxi claim that their Ecogen is the first commercially available micro-CHP unit for the home.

Mark Kelly, Baxi Group’s CEO, said:
“Baxi Ecogen heralds the most important step-change for the home heating industry since the condensing boiler. This is the first, wall-hung micro-CHP unit which can be specified by local authorities, housing associations and private developers.

“It will help them meet Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, tackle fuel poverty issues more effectively and significantly cut carbon emissions. Baxi Ecogen is a unique, world-class technology for the 21st century home.”

The Ecogen boasts a Free Piston Stirling Engine which generates up to 1kWh of electricity, at the same time as giving lots of space heating and hot water. An initial heat demand of up to 6kW ignites the engine gas burner, which in turn causes the gas to expand inside the Free Piston Stirling Engine, which moves a piston up and down inside a coil of copper. This generates electricity in much the same way as a car’s alternator.

Once the heat demand is more than 6kW, then a supplementary burner kicks in to supply a further 18kW of extra heat.

Baxi has carried out extensive trials of the Ecogen, which showed that their micro-CHP can cater for two-thirds of electrical needs for an average household. And any electricity that the householder does not need, can be exported back to the National Grid.

And Baxi has deliberately designed the appliance to have the feel, look and dimensions of a conventional wall-hung boiler. The Ecogen unit has also been made to suit open vented and sealed heating systems, which means that it will be a viable choice in both replacement jobs and new-build projects.

Baxi also has produced a wide range of intelligent controls which have been specifically designed to control and monitor energy efficiency, and increase the comfort of the user.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

A Baxi Ecogen micro-combined heat and power unit is being trialled by Scottish Gas and Link Housing Association.

The pair have teamed up and will trial the micro-combined heat and power unit, one of the first of its kind to be installed in Scotland, in the home of a Link tenant. The Baxi Ecogen delivers renewable electricity and heat by utilising bio-natural gas.

One of the main advantages with such a unit is that the carbon emissions are reduced by generating electricity at the point of use – avoiding the system losses associated with central power production. And while it burns gas, the unit also generates electricity, making it a potentially very cost effective way of heating and providing energy in the home. This is why there is a great hope that equipment like this will help reduce fuel poverty.

The brainchild of Scottish Gas, it was they who approached Link and asked if a suitable home could be found to run the tests. And both they and Link are currently monitoring the results with keen anticipation that cost savings will be made for the user.

Willie Clemie, Technical Service Manager with Link Housing said:
“We were pleased to extend our existing relationship with Scottish Gas by taking part in this innovative trial project. In line with our Affordable Warmth Strategy we are looking forward to finding out more about the unit’s potential to bring cost saving benefits to tenants and also how it may help to reduce the impact of fuel poverty.”

Deborah Skelton Business Development manager for Scottish Gas, Contract Partnerships, said:
“This is the first Baxi Ecogen micro-CHP boiler to be installed in Scotland and we are very pleased to be a part of this project with Link Housing Association.

“Baxi Ecogen is a fully automatic gas fired wall mounted condensing heat only boiler which will produce up to 1kW of electricity for the tenant. The electricity excess to requirements at the time of production will be fed back into the national grid which will have good cost savings for the tenant as well as saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.”

Guest Article by Neil Camp