I. Recommendations for consumers – reduction of heat consumption
Reduce room temperature in rooms
Do not overcrowd houses or flats unnecessarily. Don’t forget that a 1°C increase in temperature = 6% extra energy. When your room is warm, don’t open the windows, but adjust the control head to limit the output of the radiators.
Correctly set the thermostatic head
Maintain the optimum room temperature with a properly adjusted thermostatic head.
Each thermostatic head number corresponds to the temperature to which the thermostatic valve responds:
- Grade 1-2 (12-16°C)
- Grade 2-3 (16 – 20°C)
- Grade 3-4 (20-23°C)
- Grade 4-5 (23-26°C)
- Grade 5 (above 26°C)
Properly adjusting thermostatic control heads is one of the most effective ways to reduce heat consumption.
In the case of manually operated heads, do not forget to ensure that they are closed to a lower level before leaving home or the workplace and then opened well in advance before re-entry.
As the savings depend mainly on the individual approach, it is preferable to replace manually operated heads with digital ones, which allow programming the temperature control according to the desired parameters. The advantage of this solution is that the programmable head can close itself if it registers a sudden drop in temperature in its surroundings (e.g. an open window). In addition, with digital heads, remote control settings are possible.
Close the door
A simple protection against unnecessary heat leaks is to close the doors on the rooms. Especially those that you don’t use and heat minimally. If you regulate the temperature in rooms according to their use and leave the doors open, cold air mixes with heated air and heating is inefficient.
Do not turn off the heating completely
Never switch off the heating completely. Leave it set to maintain a lower temperature. It’s cheaper than re-heating completely cooled rooms later. The ideal solution is to define a minimum acceptable temperature.
Do not overlap radiators
If the radiator is covered with a curtain, hidden behind furniture or clothes are drying on it, it cannot distribute heat efficiently. Therefore, make sure that the heat flow from the radiator into the room is not restricted by anything.
Ventilate briefly and vigorously
Ventilation is also necessary in winter. However, an open ventilation window throughout the day lowers the temperature in the room. Ventilation should therefore be done in bursts of 3-5 minutes.
Leave blinds and curtains open
Take advantage of free solar energy and don’t let the sun’s rays overheat your rooms. Especially in winter, you can easily and efficiently use the heat gains.
Check window and door seals
Due to poor sealing of windows and doors, heat escapes unnecessarily into the surroundings and heating costs can increase by up to 20%. So check regularly to make sure the seals are not old or damaged.
II. Recommendations on the heat supplier’s side
Optimal adjustment of the parameters of DHW and DHW supply reduces energy consumption and saves costs. However, the setting options vary depending on whether the customer has a separate heat source or is part of a distribution system with other customers.
The house/removal point has a separate heat source (boiler room/OST)
In this case, it is possible to set new parameters of DHW and DHW according to the customer’s requirements.
Parameters of the supply settings for the central heating system:
- Equithermal curve (dependence of heating water temperature on outside temperature),
- nighttime lull (can also be applied on weekends),
- the duration of the attenuation.
Parameters for DHW supply settings:
- DHW temperature during operation,
- DHW temperature during decay,
- the duration of the attenuation.
The house/subscription point is supplied from the distribution system to which other consumers are connected
In this case, the customer can also request a change of the parameters of the DHW and DHW supply. However, in order to implement the proposed change, the supplier must obtain the consent of all the points of consumption supplied by the distribution system concerned.
III. Investment measures
Reductions in energy consumption can be achieved through appropriate investment measures.
Basic measures include:
- Installation of control elements
As part of the implementation of the hydraulic regulation of the building distribution of the central heating system, a control element is installed at the entrance to the point of consumption, which limits the flow of heating water.
- Installation of equithermal control with 3-way valve
After approval of the project by the contractor, a device can be installed at the inlet to the point of use that allows the temperature of the heating water to be lowered compared to the supplied heating water. Equithermal control will then allow the customer to set the attenuation modes at their discretion.
Other investment measures include:
- installation of thermostatic heads,
- regulation of the system,
- replacement of windows,
- installation of solar panels,
- insulation of the building.
