Electric Heating Systems

Energy-saving requires us to change our behaviours in a lot of ways. Some of them are obvious like turning out the lights when you leave a room, don't leave devices on standby, switch them off etc.

But energy-efficient heating like Infrared also requires changes in behaviour which I have to confess I found a bit counter-intuitive when I first learned them but with practice (and a little "pat on the back" when you get your first low electric bill!), seem to make sense.

You see, probaby like most people, I heated the house via a combination of a timer and by temperature. So I would set things up to warm up the house a few hours before getting up in the morning and then switch it all back down again during the day while I was out, and then I would have it warm everything back up again for when I came back in in the evening and then regulate it just by temperature during the evening (so if it got too hot I'd drop the thermostat or if it was too cold, I'd bump the thermostat up). In this way I felt I was saving energy (which is why I found the changes brought by IR a bit counter-intuitive).

What I didn't realise is that heating up a building - which actually really meant only heating up the air inside it to get temporary comfort - is very inefficient in itself as a lot of energy is required to make-up for big temperature dips in a short period of time and equally all that good energy is lost when the heating turns off.

Because Infrared heating works by heating up objects, not the air, you can (and should) adopt a different approach which goes against the above behaviour but it actually saves energy. IR heating is meant to be left on all the time, at a sufficient power to maintain the fabric of a house at a comfortable 21°C. Whilst it takes perhaps 24 hours to raise the overall warmth of the house to this temperature, two things become evident:

a) it takes very little energy just to maintain that threshold and the fabric of the house: the walls and other objects then take-over the radiating job for you. The heater itself can effectively just “tick over” after that. It is more economical to "leave" the radiator in this state, however "odd" that feels.

b) In a house using convection heating, a comfort temperature of 21°C requires the air temperature itself to be raised to 21°C. But with Infrared, the tolerable air temperature of the room does not have to be anywhere near 21°C to allow one to feel comfortable. Indeed, studies have shown that an "air" comfort temperature of just 15°C is entirely tolerable if the walls are at 22°C and that that tolerable air temperature can DROP, the warmer the walls become. Incidentally, lowering the air temperature by 1°C equates to a heat energy saving of about 5%.

The other funny thing was, that only with the energy-efficient heating installed, do you realise how draughty your house is. It was only at that point that I went around the house hunting for the air leaks and causes of draughts that I SHOULD have done years before when using my old oil heating. All I was doing previously was heating up the air for it to be sucked away through cracks, gaps etc.

Find the perfect space heater at Sam's Guide to Small Space Heaters

Many a home owner on the look out for something new to replace an old, inefficient heating system probably knows a thing or two about the exceptional efficiency of geothermal heat pumps. But few people are aware of the new 95% efficient condensing boilers fueled by natural gas.

While a geothermal heat pump’s 350% efficiency far outstrips that of a 95% efficient condensing boiler, higher

According to the National Fire Protection Assoc. (NFPA) heating equipment was the second leading cause of home fires and home fire deaths.

The heating equipment category includes central heating, fixed and portable space heaters and wood stoves. Of these, fixed space heaters (wall mounted or freestanding propane heaters) accounted for 17% of the fires and 28% of the civilian deaths.

Portable

I have enhanced the Green Energy (Eu) website.

If you take a look at the thumbnail in this post, there are two reasons why I changed things.

a) The sidebar on the right hand side contained links nobody was clicking on.
b) As a result of the right-hand sidebar, the actual page content was being squeezed too thin and was forcing certain content and display choices which were always compromises.

It was time to remove that sidebar. With it gone, the whole site has opened up. It looks great.

One of the big advantages of Infrared heating is in the absence of maintenance costs and its massive half-life. Not only does this give an owner considerable peace of mind, but it constitutes one of the big "hidden issues" (and costs) of gas or oil boilers.

The materials used in Redwell Infrared heaters, certainly, are sealed-for-life at manufacture and contain no moving parts. Components used in Redwell Infrared heaters have a life expectancy of 100+ years, giving the heaters at least a half-life of 50 years.

Compare this with a boiler which at the very least requires annual cleaning if not actual servicing of the igniter points, injector or blower. And a boiler's maximum life is only 25 years (quite apart from its massive reduction in energy-efficiency past year 5 which increases its running cost) which gives it a half-life of 12.5 years tops. (Cf our previous post on why you shouldn't just look at the purchase cost of IR Vs boilers when making a price decision).

You'll be replacing your boiler four times for every one investment in your infrared heating system. Leave aside the fact that IR heaters are so much cheaper to run.

In what follows, I can only vouch for the Redwell brand of infra red heaters and not for other brands which may not be as well coated or electrically as stable.

For heaters that are designed to operate within close reach of people then the answer is "these heaters are safe". There is the Redwell Sittingwave heater, which is designed to be sat on, and has an element surface temperature of 65⁰C which is comparable to a centrally heated water-filled radiator.

All other non-ceiling-mounted and non-industrial heaters have an element surface temperature of 95⁰C. Whilst ostensibly this is "too hot to touch", Redwell's mitigation for this is to apply a thermally non-conductive powder coating to the stanless steel casing of the heaters, which enables temporary contact with the unit without scalding. And you can definitely snuggle-up to units like the Free-Standing heater without risk.

Now, in cases where people are immobile or possibly vulnerable in other ways such as in hospitals or in schools, the types of heater recommended and installation instructions clearly indicate that the units should be wall or ceiling mounted and out of reach.

Ceiling mounted heaters - the rolling wave and panel wave - have a surface temperature of 120⁰C and are explicitly designed to be mounted out of both incidental and accidental human reach and carry the appropriate warning labels.

In no case with the above types of heater is there a scorching or fire risk. (For comparison's sake, electric bar fires which do carry significant risk of scorching and fire have a surface temperature of between 525⁰C - 800⁰C).

The Industrial infrared heater is a different kettle of fish, having a surface temperature more akin to an electric bar fire (up to 900⁰C) but this unit has comparable safety considerations to comparable non-infrared units designed for industrial space heating.

So yes, infrared panels tend to be about 30⁰C hotter than central heating radiators. Some IR heaters are explcitly designed to allow you to snuggle-close to them on a cold winter's night, such as the sitting wave and free-standing models. The hotter domestic and office models are designed for out-of-the-way installation - and this is clearly marked - whilst the industrial heater carries the same safety considerations as other industrial heaters.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), water heating accounts for up to 17 percent of national residential energy consumption, the third largest energy end-use in homes behind heating and cooling units and kitchen appliances. As homeowners install amenities that require increased hot water volume, such as luxury tubs and custom showers, the percentage of energy used to heat water will continue to rise.

In an attempt to address this significant percentage of energy consumption, DOE has developed ENERGY STAR criteria for water heaters, the last major residential appliance that the program has not addressed. According to DOE projections, Americans are expected to save approximately $780 million in utility costs while avoiding 4.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by the end of the fifth year in effect.

Five categories of residential water heaters will be eligible for Energy Star labeling - high-performance gas storage, whole-home gas tankless, advanced drop-in or integrated heat pump, solar and gas condensing. The new Energy Star criteria go into effect in 2009.

"The Energy Star program empowers consumers to make smart energy choices that will save money and energy, and reduce our carbon footprint," said DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Krassner. "Expansion of the Energy Star program to include water heaters will give Americans yet another way to more efficiently use energy in their homes and, in the interest of increasing energy security and addressing climate change, help further the President's goal of fundamentally changing the way this nation uses power."

By leveraging the established value of the Energy Star program, DOE hopes that manufacturers will focus on developing more efficient technologies and that consumers will recognize that Energy Star water heaters will deliver similar or better performance than conventional models while using less energy and saving money. According to an April 2008 report released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Energy Star label favorably influences more than 70 percent of households, up from about 50 percent in 2003.

More than 9,000 organizations have joined Energy Star as partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. The Energy Star label now appears on more than 40 kinds of consumer products. A.O. Smith, industry leader for more than 70 years, has engineered a full line of Energy Star water heaters to meet the hot-water needs of households while benefiting budgets and the environment.

About the author:
Ron Roberts is a writer of http://www.truebluecontractors.com ">TrueBlueContractors.com allows http://www.truebluecontractors.com ">contractors to spend less money advertising, give fewer estimates, and get more work.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Solar water heaters are the most scientific as well as developed way to heat water. The electric water heaters are outdated and the solar water heaters will soon be taking their places, no doubt. And why not? A solar water heater helps us not only in reducing our electricity bill, but at the same time, it helps us in giving our part to save our environment and surrounding.

Types of solar water heater

Solar water heaters are of generally two main types, classified on the basis of their making status. They are

1. Ready solar water heaters : these are those kinds of solar water heater that are already manufactured and just need to be installed.
2. Build solar water heater :these are those kinds of solar water heaters that are made at home or anywhere by any individual following a particular guide or manual.

Build solar water heater

By making your solar water heater, you are able to reduce the electricity bills. And at the same time, the investment also decreases compared to the readymade solar water heaters. It is very easy to build solar water heater. All it needs and requires are few things from the hardware store, few project schematics and that’s all. Only by assembling these things, you can make your own solar heater. The time required depends on how big solar water heater are you making. Bigger the heater, more it is going to take time.

Build solar water heater for home

There are few options provided while making a solar water heater. Either it is made for use at home or at some other place.

If it is made for home, then all you need to do is to set up a solar panel at your house. This is to be set where it can receive maximum sunlight. And then this solar panel is connected to the existing heating system. Also a high capacity battery can be installed for the back up purposes. It can help you when the sun is not out. If you don’t have a heating system, then you should go for a ‘real time solar water heater’. It heats the water without storing it.

About the author:
For more comprehensive ideas, check out simpleheaters guide on building solar water heaters

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

With the rising energy costs there has been an increase in interest for energy saving appliances. Efficent "tankless" water heaters have become very popular for their capability to heat hot water on demand, with no storage tank required. Instead of holding water in a traditional water tank, they circulate the cold water through a series of electrically heated coils that warm the water as it moves pass this heat source. This newer process of warming water requires more expensive equipment than the conventional water heater, but this money is regained in the long term with energy efficiency savings. The energy savings is mainly gained from no longer needing to heat an entire tank of water.

Since the tankless water heaters do not store hot water but rather constantly heat water as it is demanded, they do not run out of hot water. There is one exception, to this "endless" supply of heated water. The flow rate is limited. In other words if you simultaneously use more water than the flow of the water heater (i.e. 3 people showering at one time) you will receive unheated water.

Since conventional water heater stores the water together in a large tank it is able to provide water at a set temperature. Tankless water heaters differ in this aspect since they are dependent upon the incoming water temperature and the flow rate. The incoming water temperature can vary greatly from summer to winter. The capacity of a tankless water heater is generally measured by how many temperature degrees it can increase water temperature by gallons per minute (gpm). Most tankless water heaters are powered by gas to better handle the heat output and response time required. These gas powered water heaters require proper venting, normally more venting than the older, conventional water heaters required. If you are replacing a conventional electric water heater tank, you may want to add a power vent in the side of the wall. This would be the less costly alternative if there is no existing roof vent. Some of the smaller and more portable single-fixture units are powered electrically.

Author Bio
Jack Russell is a retired construction worker who spends his free time as a freelance writer for sites like www.foremansfinder.com - an industrial resource site.

The industrial infra red "Power" heater is now available from Redwell. It is an 1800W heater designed for mounting on high ceilings such as warehouses and workshops.

It is vastly cheaper to run than the hot air blowers or gas "Space Ray" heating systems that one often finds in industrial environments.

Use our Power calculation post to determine the specific cost-comparisons for your particular application. This 1800W unit emits the equivalent of a 3800 Watt traditional power unit. (Refer to our post on Stefan's Law)

As you can tell from comparison with Redwell's office or domestic heaters, this one was designed for function before looks. It has a welded steel case - white powder-coated - and with a galvanised guard protecting the heating elements themselves.

The heating is provided by three ceramic high emission 600W heating elements with a surface temperature of 900⁰ Centigrade. The unit is backed by a stainless steel reflector.

European voltage is 230V 50 Hz. The unit is provided with a 2m silicone cable and IP-20 class plug which essentially means protection against insertion of fingers but not of dripping water (which would be IP22! Those winter nights are closing in fast!).

The unit is guaranteed for the standard 60 months and is CE certified.

In this latest post on "selling" guidelines, here are the first three of twelve great "rules" of good sales techniques for new products in tough times.

1 - People buy people
It is a truism: people buy people, not their products. You might be selling the first ever fountain of eternal youth. But unless you can connect with people on a personal level, you will never sell it. People connect in business using the same cues as they use to make friends. People trust their senses and can sniff bad vibes from a mile out. Never get tied-up bringing other people down or overselling the truth about yourself. Be gracious and courteous. Even if a sales bid work out poorly, write and thank people for the time they spent with you. (Did you know a "no" list is a great source of referrals?). Let the competition be competitive and pushy. Never ever knock them yourself. (They could be working harder for you than you - or they - realise!) People buy people. Work on the following "rules" for selling YOU. Don't keep looking over the garden fence at what the neighbours are doing!

2 - Sell you
People buy people. This means cultivating chemistry between yourself and other people. This is in itself a social skill, but consists of finding what common ground exists between you and another person. Some people can do this instinctively (a guy I knew had the knack of getting people to completely open-up to him within five minutes of meeting him. It was a gift. He did it through being very cheerful: having no axes to grind: finding common ground and then he'd suddenly throw in to the conversation a direct question - never quite on subject - directly related to you as an individual. It was an amazing technique. You just had to answer him honestly. He'd then side with you and move the conversation on until the next question. You never felt awkward or like he was probing. But it was an enormously effective information-gathering technique. And he got on with everybody. So become a people expert. Actually LIKE people. Be interested in them. Find your common ground

3) Ask questions
There is "asking questions" and "motivating people to give information". We're so wound-up in sales of "finding out peoples' needs and wants" yada, yada that we sometimes think it requires the Spanish Inquisition to determine these. Actually to get information, you often don't even need to ask questions.

The relevant technique in psychology is called "motivational interviewing". Its basic premise is that you get more "out" of someone (I know that's the wrong phrase, but you know what I mean) if you approach them on the back foot. You get less from people or get shown the door if your questioning sounds adversarial ("You do what?") or like you're playing "topper" ("You do that?"). Let's see these in action.

DON'T
Don't do what one software salesman once said to me back in my banking days as he looked over at the notes I was scribbling. He said something like "Ah! Note taking. You should do what I do and create a mind map. Would you like to know how?"
I said something like "No".


DO
Do "side with (then question)" someone. I bracket the "Then question" bit, because simply getting on side with someone often opens them up to offer you both the question and answer you;re looking for.

The thing is that rightly or wrongly, people vest a huge amount of themselves in the status quo - even if they know in their heart of hearts that things need to change. Don't ever knock the status quo. It is personal space.

So, for example using motivational interviewing you may well want to find out what sort of heating a prospect client currently has and find out its strengths.
"Yes, well, oil heating has been around a long time and it really does warm you up!" (You can actually leave this statement without tagging a question onto it. It is just begging for someone to open up to a "yes-but" sort of answer). But if you want to you could say "I wonder why people want to change?" or something like that - i.e. ask them what the issues are).

Other person: "Yes, it does work, but I'm beginning to wonder about the cost / environmental impact / etc".

You: "Yes. It is a bit expensive isn't it. I know some other people are worried about its health and environmental effects as well." (Again you can leave this open-ended - or add "Have you thought about cost savings from alternatives?" etc.) And you're off.

Oil prices, we are led to believe at present, have "plateaued" around $71 per barrel after the whiplash at the end of last year which saw a high of about $145 a barrel and a tumble to $45 per barrel by the start of this year. Current prices are nearer their 5 year mean. I have added a widget to this blog, now so you can track the current and historical prices (no forecast unfortunately!).

The point about the oil price index is its "dulling" effect on the energy-efficient appliances market this winter. I've said in a previous post that I'm sceptical regarding people's atruism towards the environment (apart from it being "good in principle") except when it begins to hurt their pocket. And the trouble is at present, that the "normal feel" of oil prices takes away the incentive to switch. Plus there is a general absence of credit at the moment which doesn't help peoples investment decisions. An exciting new industry therefore finds itself in a hard market - not of its making.

But the message to potential customers must be that we are in the eye of an oil price storm and peoples' present price-complacency should not be a signal to do nothing. When oil prices start to rise: demand for energy-efficient appliances will start to rise. And whilst that will be good for the industry - it will be bad for the consumer. If you think the current hype is bad, just wait...

What are the arguments?
Well, the present oil price is actually artificially high at the moment. Last year's price hike was about feared supply constraints in the face of soaring oil demand. But current demand for oil has dropped due to the recession. This is deflationary. In response to which OPEC has cut production back. This is inflationary. In an entirely free market, the oil price should in fact be lower than it currently is.

But the industry is, understandably, taking the opportunity to restructure production because demand really can only pick up and price shocks like those seen last year must be avoided at all costs for the industry itself. (Nothing more likely to force the market away from oil as quickly as possible).

According to Reuters, the present price of around $71 per barrel, whilst artificial, is an incentive to investment: so present supply can both be made more operationally efficient (i.e. cheaper), presently unprofitable reserves can be exploited (to effectively "buy time"), and to allow research into alternative fuels.

But let us not kid ourselves which way oil prices will go. Last year's price shock says there is a level of demand that cannot be met by existing supply capacity (either in terms of reserves of oil, or the profitability of production using current techniques).

My own money is on the likelihood that we'll see a few more years of price stability followed by inflationary pressure on oil prices. This will be because:

a) The industry has bought itself some time with the artificially high prices and present supply cut-backs. When demand rises again, the industry can tolerate increasing supply before it has to increase prices, but only up to a point;

b) after that point, the oil price stability (and profitability of its producers) depends on improving efficiency of production and / or finding new reserves: both of which are subject to diminishing returns.
- You can only improve efficiency to a certain extent in the absense of a revolutionising technology;
- everyone can do it (so for an investor it holds decreasing attraction);
- the availability of new seams by definition has to become more and more marginal and less economic to exploit.

So without improved efficiency or viable new reserves, the price has to rise;

c) If the fact of energy demand rising can be taken as a given, it is far more attractive surely to LET oil prices rise against the existing capital base. I.e. dont pump more money in, but rather, reap the rewards of what you already have pumped in - a bit like a "pension" if you will, for the oil industry!. Meanwhile place your new investment dollar into alternative energies and energy-saving technologies and reap the rewards of the rise in that industry too!. It's a win-win.

Current oil prices are a sleeping tiger and the energy-efficiency idustry should be doing all it can to sell to people now, even when there is not so much incentive for them to buy. When oil prices rise the competition to fill the market capacity for alternative energy appliances will be intense, but inflationary, while there is money to be made from the huge demand and relatively tight supply.

Check back regularly on the oil price widget - it may serve as an index for the infrared heating market's own fortunes!

This post defines electrosmog, as it is a phrase we use in the Green Energy sites, you see quetions posted on Yahoo answers, etc. It needs tying down.

The passage of electricity through wires, transformers and solid state components of the machines that use it inevitably implies oscillation and the creation of electro-magnetic fields. This is "electromagnetic radiation". Strong electromagnetic radiation can actually induce a spark when there is sufficient charge and two conductive materials brought into close-enough contact with each other. We know this to be true when we feel a static electric shock.

The cumulative effect of electromagnetic radiation from gadgetry in your house, street, town is called "electrosmog".

Some machines, simply by nature of their function or power requirements create more "electrosmog" than others. For example household items that have to create high frequency electromagnetic waves by dint of their function:
- Cordless and mobile phones
- Baby monitors
- Wireless networks.

Others such as televisions and computers (especially old CRT ones) generate electrosmog because of their requirement for electrical transformers (strong electromagnetic fields) and high frequency operation of components such as cathode ray tubes (electromagnetic by function). High voltage power lines are also culprits due to the large EMR generated by high voltage and high frequency.

Why should you care?

Electromagnetic radiation can be classified as "ionising" or "non-ionising" forms.

Ionising EMR directly dreaks down cellular andf chemical structures. So for example, UV light, X-rays and Gamma Rays. These are all at the very high-frequency end of the electromagnetic spectrum. Machinery emitting such radiation is rarely found domestically.

However the lower frequency electromagnetic output of household gadgets (some listed above) produces "non-ionising" EMR and whilst this does not actively destroy tissue and chemical bonds, its effects are more insidious.


Electrosmog increases the likelihood of a condition known as "Electrosensitivity" in children, elderly people or people with lowered immune resistance. Symptoms are fatigue, disrupted sleep, headaches, possible behavioural disorders in children. Sensitivity to non-ionising EMR usually takes some time (5-10 years) to develop, although in some cases reactions have been noted much quicker.

There are movements, such as in Sweden and Germany, for governments to take action in the face of steadily increasing health issues, an underlying contributory factor to which could be electrosmog.

Infra red heaters are classified "Low Electrosmog" devices, because their power requirements are low and the radiation produced is very low frequency.

This post features the Redwell "Sky Wave" heater which is a mid-range space heater suitable for bigger (but not huge) rooms, such as meeting rooms, large open-plan rooms and the like.


Available in 1000W only (so recommended for a volume of about 40m3 - see previous power calculation post), the heater sits on a pedestal just over half a meter (1.5 feet) square, so it has a reasonably small floor footprint making it easy to locate and reasonably out of the way. The heater itself is 30cm square or just about 1 foot square. It is 1.6m (just about 5 feet) tall and weighs 45 kilograms.

Available in white, red and blue surface finishes (in acid and corrosion resistant stainless steel) with maple or oak, natural or stained frames.

Like many of the Redwell product line, the heater acts as a partial storage heater which increases its energy-efficiency. Surface temperature of the unit is 95C (remembering the low conductivity tolerance of the surface materials).

Voltage in Europe is 230v at 50Hz. Certificates and reports are TÜV, GS, CE, IGEF.

Gas water heaters can provide a number of reliable years of service to the individual’s home or place of business. However, as in all things, nothing lasts forever. Therefore there may come that time when a gas water heater needs to be replaced.

In order to have a new gas water heater installation take place there are a number of financial and technical steps that need to take place. Subsequently a gas water heater installation needs to be accomplished as reasonably as possible and yet done to ensure that the installation of the heater meets the standards and codes required to maintain the safe operation of the equipment.

Gas Water Heater Installation Planning Steps

When beginning the process of replacing an old or non-functioning gas water heater, it is important to assess or reassess the hot water needs of the household. If a 40 gallon tank was installed, perhaps the family no longer needs that sized tank. Or perhaps the size of the tank needs to be upgraded. It simply is an opportunity to make changes.

In addition, if considering a new gas water heater installation, perhaps the opportunity can be taken to look at a whole new system. For example, the owner may wish to convert to an electrical water heater system or a solar powered water heater system.

Also, when installing a new unit it is important to look at all of the features. One of the most important features is a gas water heater thermostat.

This device controls the temperature of the water and is therefore an integral part of the unit's functionality as well as providing energy saving measures. Therefore, the buyer can look for an easy to utilize and accessible thermostat.

However, the customer wants to insure that there are safety measures built into the thermostat system. This will help to prevent any accidental adjustments of the thermostat to a higher level or allowing curious children to make dangerous turns of the device which in turn may prevent scalding water from being released into the water system.

Gas Water Heater Installation Safety Measures

Also, when a gas water heater installation is taking place it is important to have professionals involved. This is because the current unit will need to be removed entirely. This process will require disconnecting the feeding line, the hot water line leading from the unit and disconnecting the gas line.

In addition, when putting in a new unit, the above lines need to be reconnected. Therefore, it is important that the person performing the gas water heater installation knows how to proceed.

In fact because of the reconnecting of a gas line, it may be mandated by code that this action be performed by a licensed plumber. This is simply due to the danger associated with a leaking natural gas line.

This post is the second in the series of making sales in Infrared heating and it is entitled "Finding business".

And the first thing to recognise is that sales is a pro-active task. It takes responsibility, action and focus to win new business and you should never believe you are reliant on anybody else.

The other point that I will make up front is that with every list of prospects you develop (and I suggest lots of ideas below), work through it TO THE VERY LAST NAME. I have found personally that there is an important truth in this. The source of a sale often comes from the person you would least expect - even people you may historically not have got on with who now find themselves in new situations themselves. Such people - you guessed it - always end up at the bottom of your list. They're not the "obvious" ones; not the "comfortable" ones. But I strongly urge you to try them. Just personal experience.

Sources of prospects:

Sources of prospects include:
- Past customers;
- Newspapers and trade magazines;
- Referrals;
- Present customers who you ask for more business;
- Your rollodex of business cards - or Email list of personal contacts;
- Alumni from schools, college, companies you've worked for, trade organisations;
- Past people who "only enquired" (you kept their details, right?);
- "Used-to-supply" lists (i.e. "Gone-away customers);
- "No" lists;
- Contacts who have moved (find out discretly from estate agents who is moving - it is a great opportunity to contact potential IR buyers. Hey, install an IR panel in the agency and get everyone talking about it!);
- Classified adverts and new vacancy enquiries;
- Trade organisations - institue of directors, chambers of commerce;
- Local sports competition activities.

Ways to approach people:

There are several different approach for contact: passive and active.
Passive approaches include:
- Advertising;
- Direct mail;
- Leaflet drops;
- Inserts in jornals & newspapers;
- Conferences, public speaking, article-writing.

Making an active approach:
- Write a letter in which you sell a follow-up telephone call (don't just cold-call - direct marketing agencies have ruined the public tolerance to cold-calls);

- Always make the call yourself - never use a secretary to make contact for you;

- Do not go into detail in a call, your aim is to MEET;

- Always use an unusual time to meet: never on the hour or half-hour (too easy to cancel for all the OTHER meetings planned for these slots);

- Be aware of a customer's "prime desire": it is never to BUY A HEATER: it is always going to be something like "SAVING MONEY"; "COST-EFFICIENCY"; "SPACE-SAVING"; "HEALTH ENHANCING" etc.

So remember: a letter to sell the phone call; a phone call to sell a meeting; a meeting to sell yourself.

Final Thumb Memo:
- It is essential to get new customers, regularly;
- The richest source of interest will always be past customers;
- Use newspapers and journals;
- Referrals are the most cost-effective business, most reliable & haggle the least;
- FOLLOW your customers;
- Develop networks;
- ASK for the business. Don't obscure your eventual aim with a prospect. Ask them.

In the second of our Redwell Infrared heating product showcases we will look at the Redwell "Free-standing" IR heater.


As you can see, this heater is designed to be point-of-need, being easily wheeled from one place to another.

It looks bigger in the picture than it actually is - so don't be put off that this is an ungainly "slab" that has to be lugged from a to b and then hidden in a corner. The 600 Watt Unit is only 70cm (about 2 feet) high and 107cm wide (just over 3 feet). The 900 watt unit is 80 cm wide and 127cm wide.

Output - as just indicated - is available in 600 watt and 900 watt variants. This indicates (see "How to calculate power consumption for infrared heating") a heating volume of 36m3 for the 900 watt variant and 24m3 for the 600 watt variant. (Note: A similar 36m3 volume would require an equivalent oil-fired power consumption of 1.980 kilowatts and the 24m3 volume would require 1.320 kw (assuming a boiler that is under 3 years old).

The wooden frame is available in birch plywood or polished oak. The heater surface is enammelled steel, available in white, red or blue finishes.

The unit operates as partial storage heater. Surface temperature of the unit reaches 95C on the front and 70C on the rear. Don't panic, that is the temperature of the element. Remember the enamelled surface has low transfer conductivity. That means essentially you won't scald yourself by touching the surface for a short time although you do feel the unit is hot. The unit is therefore safe for pets and children. (Treat it as you would a standard water-heated radiator). To satisfy yourself how the units are constructed, please see our web page about Redwell Product features or our blog post on the same topic.

Unit Voltage (Europe) is 230 volts, 50Hz. Certificates and reports are TÜV, GS, CE, IGEF.

Marketing is not Selling. Marketing is a positioning activity to ensure your product has the best chance of being seen by potential buyers and of "selling itself" as far as possible.

The difference between marketing and selling is pro-activity and the ability to achieve the sale that has been set up for you by good marketing.

There are six building blocks to successful selling that are relevant to selling energy-efficient heating such as Infra Red.

1) Business knowledge.
- Do you understand the business climate in which potential buyers are operating and in which you are selling? Is it strong? Is it weak? Is it seasonal (yes it is - generally - for heaters!)? Is it political?

- Be well-read. That is, understand as much as you can about the present business environment and demonstrate that you do.

- Be able to converse on current events and futures. Self-explanatory. Be level headed. Don't adopt obvious 'sides'.

- Be politically aware. What is the impact of current government policy and its current and future impact on business (huge selling opportunity here, obviously for energy-efficient products and the likelihood of getting funding).

2) Industry Knowledge
- Ensure you are fully informed about your client's industry. How does it fit within the overall business knowledge you have? For example, whilst the economy is weak, public spending is reasonably high (hospitals, public bodies etc may consequently be 'buyers'); other people will also be motivated to cut costs and therefore equally may be 'buyers' but each needs a different sales message. How would Infrared Heating satisfy each type of client?

- Be aware of your client's competitors and how your product may help a client stay ahead of them.

- Be aware of any personalities in their industry - have they recently said anything for or against infrared heating?

3) Company Knowledge
- Be rock-sure about how your own company operates - for example - will you do "proofs of concept" if asked?

- Are there ethical boundaries about where or to whom (or how) you sell your products? For example not rubbishing the competition.

- Be aware of your own advertising. How did the client find you? Will you feed any of this back into your own company?

- Are there specific experts within your own company that you should get infront of the client rather than try and "bluff your way" yourself?

4) Product Knowledge
- You must have an in depth knowledge about your Infrared heating products yourself.

- Be persuasive. This includes being aware of any possible weakness in your products. Be sure a client will probably have researched them. Have an answer ready.

- Believe in what you sell.

5) Selling knowledge
- Selling is a skill. Research it. Try "Selling to Win" by Richard Denny.

- Avoid any hint of "But it's difficult" or any other negative. Always sell its flip side. "Infrared heaters aren't actually expensive, when you compare their running costs versus traditional forms of heating - even over just two or three years".

- Practice selling.

6) Attitude!
- It is the ultimate characteristic that separates stars from "also rans"

- The old cliché that "first impressions count" really counts.

- Trust yourself.

Finally:
Think about your strengths and weakenesses in the above areas every month. It will give you insight into potential sales as well.

Trust yourself. You got this far due to "something".

Think professional. Don't lower yourself to other peoples' sales standards and don't be afraid equally to walk away from an opportunity as they might from you. A sale well made is a potential subsequent sale. A sale badly made is a trail of bad feeling and bad-mouthing that will follow you and your company around.

Success builds success no matter how small the initial success.

The one who gets ahead is the one who does more than is necessary - and keeps on doing it.

This short post profiles one of the Redwell products: the Wave 2000 heater.


The heater is the pedestal you see in the centre of the atrium in the picture and at 2000 watts it is suitable for heating large open spaces.

Technical details are as follows:
Weight = 73 kg
Power = 2000 Watts
Voltage: 230 volts, 50 Hz
Pedestal Dimensions 50 cm x 50 cm
Unit dimensions = 2m 12cm tall x 45 cm wide
Certificates & Reports: TÜV, GS, CE, IGEF

The unit surface is enamelled steel (which is scratch-resistant and corrosion-resistant) and the wooden frame is available in Maple or Oak, in natural or stained finishes.

The heating element is a partial storage heater which helps accumulate and load-balance power requirements.

We get asked this question a lot - and we love answering it. Cost is clearly a deciding factor in purchasing electrical appliances and the question itself shows the industry is failing to educate people about energy-efficiency.

A more common variant of the same question is "Why are energy-saving light-bulbs so expensive?" The question even holds the clue to its own un-picking.

Yes, the modern energy-saving bulb is expensive, because it is not the same as the old energy-guzzling tungsten filament bulbs of yesteryear. Tungsten bulbs are basically (no insult to Thomas Eddison intended) a blob of glass, a bit of metal and an inert gas. They are very cheap to buy nowadays because we can bang them out ten to a penny. That's where the "good news" stops.

Tungsten bulbs last a short time because light is basically the secondary output of passing a high current through a high resistance wire (the primary output of which is actually heat.) Consequently these bulbs are very expensive to run (90% of their power consumption produces heat as opposed to light) and they are relatively fragile (they go "phut" very quickly).

Low energy light bulbs are complex, flourescent tubes with solid-state electronics that govern their illumination and running. They are not the same beasts as Eddison's invention. And at the moment, they are "expensive" only relative to the purchase cost of the old tungsten bulbs. However - and here is the rub - you will save on average £40 per bulb over the lifetime of an energy-saving bulb versus the running cost of a tungsten equivalent. How does this make them more expensive? They are far, far, far cheaper. You have to look at "total cost of ownership" and not just "purchase cost".

Exactly the same argument applies to Infrared Heating. I will fully admit that the modern materials and technology that makes Infrared Heaters very very reliable over their entire lifetimes and allows them to be 70% more energy-efficient than other forms of heater looks like a "barrier" to purchase. But they are so cheap to run that over even a five year period, you will have saved the purchase cost of the unit and still be left with a reliable heater. The same cannot be said, for example, for oil burners, which are relatively cheap to purchase (total heating requirements of a building considered) but are more expensive to run and also decay markedly after year 3. See the previous post "How to calculate power consumption for Infrared Heating Vs other forms of heating" for the comparative formulae.

So the answer is "the question is wrong". Infrared Heaters are not expensive. They are very, very cheap.

So far we have looked at how infrared heating (as a concept) works; some of its benefits and talked a lot about its energy efficiency.

What I would like to do in this post is to look at the physical composition of Redwell Infra red heaters themselves.

The three basic components of the heater are:

1) the core element and accumulator;

2) The electronics;

3) The body and heating surface.

Lets look briefly at each using the above diagram.

The Core Element and accumulator
This is a non-flammable material with a very high melting point (1315 degrees Centigrade; 2399 Farenheit). The core is not electrically conductive (handy - you want an accumulator for its electrical and thermal buffering qualities) and exhibits little "hot-spotting" or "layering" if the unit is exposed to freezing temperatures.

Electronics
The heating unit comes directly from the aerospace industry which makes the Redwell units so reliable and the element itself is manufactured to remain stable for 100 years. (All Infrared Heating brands are NOT the same). This also means the Redwell units themselves do not contribute to "electrosmog" over time.

(What is electrosmog? Electrosmog is the harmful electromagnetic radiation emitted by electrical devices such as mobile phones and wireless networks and over an extended period of time can contribute to headaches, disrupted sleep, irritability, skin complaints etc. Poor quality electrical devices can increase levels of electrosmog as the integrity of the device decays over time.)

The unit is protected from over-heating by a thermostat.

The body and heating surface
The body of a Redwell IR heater is made from enammelled stainless steel and glass according to the shape of the individual heater. Enammeled steel is scratch-proof, acid proof, shatter-proof. The case is made in a range of colours and surfaces can be made with nearly any decorative theme or picture.

The sirface of each unit has "low surface transfer conductivity" which is a fancy way of saying "if you touch it you won't get burnt".

Units are backed (where relevant) by a galvanised metal sheet to add stiffness and resist twist and distortion.

Frames (where applicable) of the units are made of anodised aluminium and installation brackets are provided that are either hidden, or (where visible) available in sympathetic colours.

There are many benefits to enjoy when a hot water heater is part of the home's plumbing system. Some of those benefits include a hot shower, thoroughly cleansing one's hands, washing dishes, etc.

To make this hot water available there are many fuel sources that are available to heat up the water. Some of those fuel sources include electricity, solar and natural gas. When considering a specific fuel source it is important to weigh the pros and cons.

Therefore, when it comes to a natural gas water heater it is important to know how this specific heating system works and what are the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing a natural gas water heater.

How A Natural Gas Water Heater Works

There are basically two types of water heaters. The electrical water heater works strictly on electrical power. Specifically, the 10, 20, 30, or 40 gallon tank is filled with water. This water is then heated through the use of two elements that run from top to bottom in the water heater. The actual temperature of the water is controlled by a thermostat. The thermostat is set at a temperature that ranges from warm to high and is controlled by the individuals within the home or business.

On the other hand, a natural gas water heater utilizes a gas burner system that is generally found along the bottom portion of the water tank. The same system that utilizes a thermostat is also in place and regulates the temperature of the hot water. However, when the thermostat sends a signal to the burners to be activated the water is then heated through the energy source of natural gas.

In addition, found in each hot water systems, is a water pipe in which unheated water flows into the tank. One additional pipe carries heated water away from the tank and to various faucets within the home or business.

Advantages And Disadvantages

There are perceived advantages and disadvantages associated with a natural gas water heater and electric water heater. Most of the advantages and disadvantages deal with a person's perception in the use of either natural gas or electricity.

Generally those perceptions deal with the efficiency of the use of either one of these energy sources. In addition, another perspective is whether the energy that is supplied to both of these systems is more cost-efficient than the other.

Therefore, it is important for the individual to determine within their own minds what the best water heater system to utilize is.

Therefore a common way of determining which system to install or utilize would be to do an electric and gas water heater review. These reviews can be accomplished by searching the Internet, talking to professionals or talking to individual owners of each set of systems.

If considering a natural gas water heater for the home or business it is important to conduct research. This is because there are other options available as a fuel source for meeting hot water needs.

In addition, like anything else, there are various pros and cons affiliated with the use of one product over another. Therefore, if considering a natural gas water heater it is important to conduct research.

This research can be conducted in a number of ways. One particular method to utilize is the Internet to obtain a gas water heater review. In addition, a potential buyer can talk to others regarding their choice and recommendations as to what water heater to purchase.

Utilizing The Internet

When considering the installation of a water heater, it is important to do due diligence when it comes to reviewing the possibilities of which water heater to purchase and install. This is because it is necessary to not only meet the needs of the individual who is purchasing the water heater, but also to minimize the drain on the Earth's natural resources.

With this in mind there are three possibilities than an individual can explore in regards to meeting their water heater needs. Those three possibilities are an electric water heater, natural gas water heater and a solar powered water heater.

For example, if conducting research on gas water heater, it is important to the thoroughly conduct a gas water heater review. This gas water heater review can be accomplished a number of ways and each of these ways can apply when researching the other forms of energy for hot water needs.

One particular powerful way to conduct gas water heater review is to search the Internet. Suggestions on how to conduct its review would include the use of natural gas and its effect on the environment. In addition research could include the use of natural gas and the implications of conserving energy.

Also, the one conducting an electric, solar or gas water heater review could also find out how each of these three energy sources compare to the other. Comparison ratings could include the efficiency of each of these sources of power, the comparison costs of these power sources, the advantages and the disadvantages of these three energy resources.

Involving Others
Another important resource that can be approached to determine what is the best unit to have installed within a home or business is to talk to others. Specifically, one can ask neighbors, relatives, other businesses, etc. about the energy sources that they may use in meeting the hot water needs of their facility.

Specific questions could include the costs of operating any one of these three particular units and the particular disadvantages or advantages that they have experienced. In addition, it is important to get all of the facts associated with the use of these three types of water heaters.

Therefore, it is critical to talk about the installation process of any one of these three units. For example if asking about gas water heater installation it may be beneficial to ask about the installation process, cost, maintenance, upkeep, etc.

SAP ratings are the UK government's "Standard Assessment Procedure" to assist the assessment of dwellings in terms of their energy efficiency and compliance with building regulations. SAP 2005 is the current performance benchmark for calculating the energy performance of buildings. SAP ratings are a key metric for developers to demonstrate their own adherence to carbon targets.

At present Infrared Heating is not categorised any differently from traditional "electric room heating", which as we've seen in past posts (see Energy-Savings from Infrared Heating") is not energy-efficient or cost effective. This situation puts developers and consumers at a disadvantage when trying to get projects that include Infrared Heating through building control. Green Energy (Eu) publishes an "Energy Facts" pack to assist developers and controllers with just this situation. (This information is Copyright Green Energy (Eu) who can vouch for its accuracy only for Redwell IR appliances. The information may or may not be generally applicable to other makes of Infrared Heater.)

The information in these factsheets can be used to assist buildings control officers calculate the energy-efficiency of IR heaters on their own merits and not just apply the current guideline without question.

As things stand, Green Energy Eu is working closely with the BRE (the Buildings regulation accreditations organisation) who is the body responsible for the SAP assessment methodology to help develop the distinction backed up by the appropriate evidence and controls. Our hope is to have Infrared Heating recognised as an individual category of energy-efficient electrical heating in the next SAP specification SAP2009 due to become operational in 2010.

Check back on this blog or on our website for latest news.

Here is a very simple calculation to determine your infrared heating energy consumption needs, versus that of an oil-fired heater.

1) Calculate the room volume to be heated (width x depth x height) = m3

2) Calculate the infrared consumption = Room volume (m3) x 25 Watts

3) Cost per hour = Consumption (your answer in 2) x Unit cost of electricity (which currently stands at about 14p per kWh.

4) Divide total running time by 3 (as Redwell panels draw current for only 1/3 of the total time they are 'on').


To calculate oil heating consumption:

a) Calculate room volume as above

b) Calculate Radiator output watts = Room volume (m3) x 45 Watts

c) Calculate Boiler output watts = Radiator output watts + 10% (due to loss between boiler and radiator)

d) Calculate Boiler Consumption Watts = Boiler output watts (from 'c' above) divided by "age deflator" (see below) x 100.
(The "age deflator" is to account for the fact that boiler output efficiency degrades over time. A 1-3 year old burner is generally considered 90% efficient so your deflator = 90. 3-5 year burner is considerd 70-80% efficient so your deflator is between 70 - 80. A boiler older than 5 years can be as little as 55% efficient so your deflator is 55.)

e) Divide your kWh figure in d) by 10.22 and multiply that figure by the per-litre cost of your oil. (10.22 is the generally accepted figure for "kilowatts per litre" and by using the age deflator above, we can take into account the efficiency of the burner).

In this second post on energy-saving benefits of Infrared heating we will look at total heating requirements in a room of a family house from October through March 2007 - 2008. A 600 W Redwell ceiling mounted heater was used.

The room was westerly facing a net volume of 30.5 m3 required 451 W heat and was fitted with a 600 W heater.



Over the October to March period, the data was recorded as follows.



Observations: as the Autumn season kicks in during October, the house temperature falls and is maintained at a fairly constant 21 degrees C with some fluctuations above 21 degrees and not a single fluctuation below 20 degrees.

Outside temperature falls to a minimum -8.1 degrees C. By and large, you can see the "Consumption kWh / day" curve follows the outside temperature fluctuations inversely. This shows that home insulation is not perfect and heat is required inside to compensate! (We'll write a separate post on insulation! It's important!)

Over the 5 month period, total energy required to maintain 21 degrees centigrade was 208 kWh which we calculate to be roughly £29.12 at 14p per kWh.

It is difficult making a direct energy/cost-saving comparison with other forms of energy (e.g.) oil since:

- The energy efficiency of oil depends on the type and age of the burner which in all cases become progressively less efficient with age;

- Electricity tarifs can differ over a 24 period (e.g. peak and nightime hours);

- Oil prices are not stable, reaching a peak in September 2008 of 66 pence and settling by the end of the year to about 40 pence per litre (but unlikley to fall back below 30 ppl going forwards and currently 33p). EX VAT.

- the way people behave with oil heating is different because they can typically see/hear the fuel being burned and are aware of its unit cost! So typically people tolerate greater temperature fluctuations between daytime and nighttime whereas the temperature in the Redwell house was maintained at a steady temperature;

- The generally accepted heating benchmark is 20 degrees, not 21, and any form of energy will cost proportionally more to heat a given volume above 20 degrees;

- People overlook the electrical cost of running oil heating itself (about £75 per annum for a 50kW burner depending on use).

(But you get the idea)

We can roughly say that:

a) Using our previous post (see "Energy Savings from Infrared heating") we can infer that at least 736.28 kWh of energy would be required for oil-based heating for this room.

b) Assuming the burner is new (less than 3 years), condensing, lightweight, you could be seeing 10.22 kWh energy per litre of oil (@88% efficiency) meaning you will require about 72 litres of oil. An 'old' heavyweight, non-condensing boiler can be as bad as 55% efficient implying up to 115 litres.

So?

At September 2008 fuel prices of about 66p per litre then the equivalent fuel bill would have been anywhere between £47.52 to £75.90 depending on the efficiency of the burner and not including the electrical cost for running the burner. A brand new, lightweight, condensing boiler at mid 2009 prices would just about wash its face but would still decay over time and be subject to price uncertainty.

We've looked at how infrared heating works, the building and installation advantages of Infrared heating, as well as its health benefits.

This is the first of two posts about the energy-savings made possible by Infrared Heating over conventional forms of home heating. Important note: the following data applies only to Redwell Infrared Heating units. The same energy savings may or may not apply to other makes of heater. There are certainly cheap brands to which these savings definitely do not apply. (Buyer beware.)

At the most extreme end of the savings spectrum and probably unsurprisingly is the savings found against an oil-heated 12 room home of 225 m2 area. The house in question used a 60kWh oil heater (heating only) and required 16.95 kWh of Infrared heating.


When compared with night storage electric heating a 6 room house of 150m2 area required 30.10 kWh night storage heating input and just under 8kWh (7.988kWh) Infrared equivalent.


Finally, when compared against gas heating of a 4 room house of 136m2 area, which required a 10.26kWh gas burner, as opposed to 3.714 kWh IR heat input.



In all cases, be aware from previous posts that building and installation benefits (not expressable in terms of energy-saving) would also apply in all the houses above (e.g. elimination of flues, fuel storage etc).

Our next post will look at the financial implications of the energy-savings, when IR heaters were used over a winter period in different rooms of a house.