Simsbury Center Apartments Installs Heating System That Generates Free Electricity
OCTOBER 13, 2022 BY STAFF WRITER
Simsbury Center Apartments has installed a new heating system that also generates free electricity. Enviro Power’s SmartWatt Boiler is a replacement for conventional heating systems, and converts heat that would otherwise be lost in traditional boilers into electricity.
Freedom Property says the SmartWatt boiler’s ability to generate clean energy at 98% efficiency (HHV) is an important aspect of the owner’s vision to design a building that would minimize environmental impact. It is the only boiler to incorporate a compact internal power plant that uses otherwise lost heat for the generation of free electricity. Utilizing existing heating infrastructures, the boiler is designed as a drop-in replacement solution to traditional heating systems that more than pays for itself over time by lowering a building’s energy costs.
Utilizing existing heating infrastructures, the boiler is designed as a drop-in replacement solution to traditional heating systems that more than pays for itself over time by lowering a building’s energy costs. Enviro Power’s boiler significantly reduces fuel-intake and carbon footprint while providing onsite, reliable power and improving grid resiliency. It is one of just a few commercialized hardware energy technologies ready for mass production and deployment.
The company is providing the system to Freedom Property at no upfront cost under its Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) model, which offers property owners the chance to tap the substantial energy savings the boiler creates to make fixed long-term lease payments. The product generates near-zero cost, onsite electricity and continuous backup power while adhering to power load guidelines at the building and grid levels.
The global HVAC market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.4% in coming years, reaching an anticipated $296.7 billion in 2030 (up from $218.8 billion in 2021), according to research from Guidehouse Insights. But a lack of product and system-design knowledge, and a shortage of well-trained experts, will hamper growth.
The research, conducted last year, shows that the HVAC industry has been transforming toward more sustainable technology, showing higher efficiency and environmental friendliness. Local governments are regulating system efficiency and high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants while innovative market players are developing highly efficient advanced products, the report states. Notable technology examples include: heat pump water heaters, which can efficiently heat water at higher temperatures; heat pumps, which drive electrification in the market; and variable speed HVAC systems, which allow flexible operation of cooling and heating.
The sustainable housing market is also on the rise, with the building industry examining multiple avenues for more sustainable materials. Mighty Buildings, for example, has designed and built a 3D-printed zero-net energy home and is expanding its business-to-business operations to encourage housing developers to build communities of these sustainable homes. Other examples include a carbon-neutral silicone from Dow and net-zero rebar from Commercial Metals Company.