Electric Heating Systems

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.

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.

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.

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.

There are many benefits for buildings by converting to Infrared Heating and the ease of conversion is an added bonus (if you can hang a picture, you can install an Infrared heater).

The main differences also help you understand how infrared heating works and why it is so different from convection-based heating (see former post on this subject).

Convection-based heating warms the air: warm air is damp air and settles on walls and other cold surfaces. Infrared heating only heats objects (such as walls and furniture) - so these objects and masonry now remain dry. No more musty sofas and damp walls. No more unsightly masonry, salt-damp, or expensive re-paint or repair jobs.

Many other types of heater require insulation behind the heat source to protect the wall and to prevent cold walls from chilling the room. No additional insulation is necessary for infrared heating which works by heating the walls (and other objects) which then reflect the heat into the room. (This doesn't discount the need for insulation to eliminate draughts and avoid unneccessary wasted heat. But my point is you don't need additional insulation to actually allow the heater to work in the first place).

Damp masonry also conducts more heat away from the heat source than dry masonry which tends to reflect heat back towards the heat source (thereby heating the room and its occupants better.

Convection heating creates heat layering within a room and this causes discomfort and draughts. There is no such heat layering or draughts with IR.

Traditional heating is typically (and increasingly) expensive to buy and because of the many moving parts implies interim service costs and makes the product life uncertain. The requirement to store fuel implies storage and delivery costs (quite apart from the rising energy costs which will be subject to a later post). Many traditional heaters also require a chimney or flue to evacuate waste gasses. None of the above applies to Infrared Heating!

Traditional heaters typically require an expert to install. As I say, if you have a powerpoint and can hang a picture, you can install your own IR heaters.

OK, stewardship of the planet, "going green", saving the environment is a great thought, but when it comes down to it, most of us aren't likely to swap our existing home or office heating systems just because it is good for the planet. And whilst by and large, infrared heaters are energy-saving and you will be doing your bit for the planet - which is great - it isn't most peoples' primary motivator.


Most people's experience of switching is either because they see an opportunity in IR heaters for cost-savings and capitalising on tax-breaks available, or because their existing heating is in need of replacement and it makes sense to upgrade and then also reap the cheaper running costs, tax breaks, greater reliability, rather than just swap like-for-like with the old unit (of whatever sort that was).

For new build houses, building developers and planners definitely can increase their annual points against carbon emission targets by adopting infra red and the new home / office occupier can benefit immediately from reduced energy bills.

Infrared Heaters, in their correct niche, deliver all of the above benefits. So it really does make sense to consider changing.

Where would you use Infrared Heaters as opposed to other sorts of heater? (i.e. what is the correct niche?)

Where a building has an existing central heating system using heated water, it would not make sense to consider replacing the system with infrared heat, unless for specific circumstances your plan is to eliminate the closed water system all together. But where the presence of the water system is not in question, you are better advised to consider an air-to-water or ground-to-water heat pump or combination heat pump and solar for this type of application and maybe just use IR heat for top-up.

Infrared heating really comes into its own when you are considering heating open spaces in which for reasons of practicality, cost and elegance (in any combination), you cannot use central heating and choose to find energy-efficient alternatives to existing electric heaters, blowers, or gas heaters.

So:
Infrared heating is great because - given the right brand - it can be very discreet - or made to fit-in with overall decor without looking like "just a heater". Gone are the clunky radiators and stand-alone gas heaters or electric heaters or bar fires. An IR element can be placed very discreetly in panels, mirrors, replica works of art, or ornaments suspended from the ceiling. So you really don't need to know they're there. Take a look at this room with a Redwell Infrared heater. Can you see where it is?

Anywhwere you can route a power supply, you can place an IR heater. So you are not constrained to position the heat source where it is convenient "for it". You can locate it where it is convenient for you. In certain applications this means you also don't need so many heaters in a given room.

Infrared heating heats objects, not the air, so again, you can place them for maximum effect for heating people and the room and don't waste energy just heating up the air in the room. No draughts ensue. No 'layers' of heat distribution in the air.

Infrared heaters have no moving parts, so heaters of a reputable brand are incredibly long-living. There is no interim service needed either. (But do ask your distributor about reliability. Like everything, there are reliable and unreliable brands).

Infrared heaters are not necessarily expensive to purchase.

Infrared heating of the right brand is up to 70 percent more energy efficient than other traditional types of heating. So you will save money on your electric bills and also help reduce carbon emissions and safeguard the environment. (Please note not all brands of Infrared Heating give up to this amount of energy-efficiency. Make sure you do you homework with your supplier).

If you have a heating requirement that sounds like Infrared heating could fit the bill, then consider pursuing it with a trusted adviser. Green Energy (Eu) Ltd exists precisely to help customers make the right choice.

In subsequent posts, we'll look at the energy-savings, health benefits, and building and installation benefits of Infrared Heating.

We'll also look at "how does infrared heating work?" and show you some typical products and applications of it.