Baxi Group 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

Baxi gas boilers have been around since 1966 when they first introduced the Bermuda back fired gas boiler. However the history of this much respected brand goes all the way back to 1866, when its founder Richard Baxendale launched the company with Joseph Heald. Today it is one of the largest manufacturers of gas boilers in Europe.

Baxi offer a range of products and are especially famous for manufacturing compact and energy efficient units. One such example is the Baxi condensing boiler 100/2 HE Plus. This is a wall mounted open vented system, which is easy to install and integrates seamlessly into your home. This great value baxi boiler is A-rated and runs at about 90% efficiency, it costs about £800 – £900.

Guest Article by Louise Goldstein

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 

Top boiler manufacturer Baxi has announced that it has become a brand partner of the Government’s ACT ON CO2 campaign.

Baxi joins the likes of Ford, John Lewis and Michelin who are already in the campaign, and all are helping people save money, save energy and reduce their CO2 emissions.

The campaign is a cross-government initiative involving the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Transport and the Department for Communities and Local Government, and is designed to highlight how individuals can act to make a difference over CO2 emissions.

Geraldine Clegg, Baxi’s marketing communications manager, said:
“The company is committed to producing and promoting products that meet increasingly demanding environmental standards. We’re delighted to become a partner in this campaign. At the heart of our product development strategy is our commitment to help the UK population cut its CO2 emissions.

“Replacing a boiler older than ten years by installing a new high efficiency condensing boiler can cut CO2 emissions as well as save householders hundreds of pounds each year. We believe that through offering the best products and the best customer care and advice, we can play a large part in reducing CO2 emissions across the UK.”

As a brand partner, part of Baxi’s role will be to share energy and money saving tips with their customers.

These include:

1. Ensure that you are using your heating controls correctly. Review your boiler and cylinder thermostat, time programmer and thermostatic radiator valve settings and re-set them to match your needs more closely in terms of timing and comfort. And as the weather warms up, make sure you turn down your boiler settings to match the temperature.
2. Ensure you are not blocking precious heat from radiators by furniture or curtains.
3. Always fit reflective insulation panel boards on walls behind the radiators, especially if it’s an outside wall. Rigid reflective radiator panels are an ideal solution, if you don’t want to, or can’t, take your radiators off the walls.
4. Ensure your boiler is serviced once a year and this will mean it will work as efficiently, safely and reliably as possible. Typically, this will cost around £140.

The announcement over the ACT ON CO2 Campaign follows on from news that Baxi is celebrating success after one of its combination boilers was voted ‘Best Buy’ by leading consumer magazine Which?

The magazine tested 52 boilers from a selection of leading manufacturers for fuel consumption, durability, energy efficiency and emissions. Each was then evaluated by a CORGI registered gas installer on how easy it was to install, service and use.

The Baxi boiler in question was the Duo-tec Combi 28 HE which had the best score at 79%. It won five-star ratings for performance, efficiency, NOx emissions (Nitrogen Oxide), installation and features.

The Baxi Duo-tec Combi 28 HE is no stranger to fame, having previously won Boiler of the Year 2008 in the CORGI Boiler of The Year awards.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Boiler manufacturer Baxi Group had added its substantial weight behind calls for a boiler scrappage scheme.

The Company’s CEO, Board of directors and many of its employees have signed the petition which is urging the Prime Minister to adopt a concept similar to the car scrappage scheme which has proved so successful for the automotive industry.

Mark Kelly, CEO of Baxi, said:
“There are approximately 16 million standard efficiency boilers operating in UK homes today. Of these, 4.2 million [according to HHIC] are SEDBUK band G boilers.

“Replacing these boilers with high efficiency boilers will help to reduce carbon emissions and annual fuel bills for homeowners. Any support that can be provided to accelerate the replacement of these older boilers would be of benefit to the homeowner and the wider economy.

“The construction industry has also been particularly badly hit in this recession and there have been many, many redundancies in manufacturing, distribution, builders and installation companies. This is a double whammy for the government as every redundancy could mean less tax collected and more benefits to pay out.

“This scheme would stimulate demand for gas boilers and help manufacturers, plumbers’ merchants and Gas Safe heating engineers. Millions of these old boilers could be replaced by modern boilers which are more than 90% efficient and, with proper controls on the system, annual savings of more than £200 could be saved on the household gas bill (according to the Energy Saving Trust).”

The brains behind the scheme is plumbers’ merchant Mick Williams, who has identified five main reasons why such an initiative should exist.
Firstly, the economic argument which states that for every household that changes from an old boiler, to a more efficient model, could be in line for savings of over £200 a year in energy bills.

Secondly, the environment argument, which states that replacing just some of the 4.5 million boilers that are less than 70% efficient, thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions can be saved every year.

Thirdly, and back to economics, the boiler scrappage scheme would support existing jobs for plumbers, builders and suppliers suffering from the recession, and create new green jobs and training places.

Fourthly, and still on economic arguments, British manufacturers would also benefit, since a high proportion of gas boilers are still made here in the UK.

Finally, an overall argument, is the boiler scrappage scheme would actually be far greener than its car equivalent, as building regulations say that by law, all new boilers fitted in homes have to be efficient condensing boilers (in other words, more efficient than the ones they replace).

Guest Article by Neil Camp