What are the different types of commercial heating systems?
Whether at home or at work, keeping warm is essential. But commercial heating systems are very different from residential ones.
Not only do they need to heat a larger space, but they also have different requirements to account for.
For instance, they might need to support activities like cooking and drying for industrial processes. And they may need to cater for several different offices or departments that each have different heating needs.
Here, we’ll break down the different systems typically used for commercial heating and cooling – and the various considerations you should keep in mind.
Types of commercial heating systems
Here are five key types of commercial heating.
Hydronic or water system heating
Heat is generated by a central source, transferred to a distribution system that uses water to carry heat to emitters in each room or area.
This is one of the most common heating systems in the UK. In commercial heating systems, there are often a variety of types of emitter including; fan coil units, radiators, underfloor, air handling units, unit heaters, trench heaters etc. Each has specific requirements for the supply and control of heating.
There are a variety of heat sources that can be used, these are described below.
Direct warm air space heating
Warm air space heating systems are also known as heat exchanger systems.
They use a fan to pass air over a heat exchanger, in order to warm it up and distribute it evenly through a space.
In this way, warm air space heating is ideal for commercial settings where a constant temperature is needed throughout the building.
The heaters themselves can be wall-mounted, freestanding or even suspended in the ceiling above the space being heated. There are several version of this:
Destratification heating
Destratification heating systems use destratification fans to mix the air inside a building.
Essentially, this all comes down to the fact that heat rises – making it hard to heat the floor level of buildings that have very high ceilings.
Usually combined with warm air heating, destratification heating systems are able to recirculate warm air so that the temperature is consistent across a whole room and warm air doesn’t just sit in the ceiling or roof area.
Air rotation heating
Air rotation heating systems constantly draw in cool air from below the heater to warm it up before it’s recirculated.
This has the effect of destratification, meaning it’s a great way to create an even temperature without the need for destratification fans.
These systems are also powerful enough that, in most cases, a single heater can provide consistent heat across a whole room – so, you won’t need expensive ductwork to direct heat around a building.
Air rotation heating is especially useful for settings that require constant background temperatures or frost protection as the consistent temperatures generated remove the risk of condensation.
Radiant heating or direct electric heating
Radiant heating systems emit heat energy from the hot surfaces of electric heaters.
In large commercial settings, radiant heating is often provided by radiant tubes or radiant plaque heaters, which are suspended from a ceiling.
These emit infrared radiation, meaning they can heat the people and objects exposed to them without directly warming the air. These people and objects then act as secondary heaters, helping to raise the temperature even further.
Types of commercial heating sources
So, now you’re familiar with the various ways that commercial heating systems can be used to distribute heat around a room or building.
But what about the heating source itself?
Commercial boilers
Most commercial buildings are heated using commercial boilers.
These can be oil or gas, but gas is most common. In fact, in the non-residential sector, two thirds of all space heating uses natural gas.
Whichever fuel is used, a commercial boiler works by passing water over a series of flames to warm it up. This is then sent to your emitters to distribute heat through your building – or used to create steam that is sent through your pipe system.
Commercial heat pumps
Commercial heat pumps are growing in popularity in commercial and industrial settings, thanks to their ability to produce zero emissions – as well as their economic advantages.
Air source heat pumps extract warmth from the air outside, which causes a refrigerant to evaporate and turn into gas. This is then moved through a compressor to raise the temperature using a small amount of electricity, before it’s passed over an internal heat exchange surface to warm up the water that heats your commercial building.
Heat pumps are three or four times more efficient than gas boilers and can also help businesses to save money. After all, just 30% of the energy used by an air source heat pump is typically provided by electricity, with the rest being generated for free by the environment.
The environmental heat can be taken from the air, water or ground.
Air source heat pumps
These are easy to fit and are generally positioned on a roof or in an open space near the building. Heat is absorbed from the surrounding air and therefore efficiency varies with air temperature.
Water source heat pumps
The water can be in lakes, mines, rivers, underground aquifers, waste heat, just about anywhere. Water is pumped through the evaporator heat exchanger to transfer heat to the refrigerant. The water can be direct or indirectly piped to the heat pump depending on the quality of it, e.g. dirty water can block the evaporator heat exchanger and should have separation to prevent this happening.
Ground source heat pumps
The ground is warmed by the sun, this heat disperses downwards and is a fairly consistent temperature all year round. A slinky or a bore hole is used with a brine filled pipe to extract the heat, the consistent temperature leads to consistent efficiency. Care has to be taken in the design of the underground array to ensure that too much heat is not extracted.
All types of heat pump have the advantage of being able to be powered by onsite solar and wind turbines, which reduces their cost to run.
As a double bonus, heat pumps can also be operated flexibly – meaning you can make heat when electricity is cheap but use heat when you want. Again, this reduces the cost of heat.
Clade heat pumps have smart connectivity built in, ready for a flexible future.
Choosing your commercial heating and cooling system
There’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to commercial heating.
Rather, the right commercial heating and cooling system will vary depending on your space and requirements. Here are some factors to take into account.
Size of the space to heat
The bigger the size of your space, the more it will cost to heat.
This is true for any heat source or system. Heat pumps can heat any building to any temperature anywhere on the planet.
Consider efficiency measures to reduce heat loss either through the building fabric or ventilation.
Use of the space and heating system
What is your space used for?
Premises used for storage, manufacturing or office space will all have different heating requirements.
Similarly, some commercial businesses will need heat energy for multiple processes, not just space heating – for instance, distilling, drying, cooking and sterilising.
The design of the system and specification of the heat source should suit the use. For example hot water is best generated by a CO2 heat pump, whereas background heat for a warehouse is best from a DX heat pump in an AHU like our Spruce heat pump.
Available space
Consider how much space you have to house your heating system.
To give you an example, biomass boilers require a large amount of space, as you’ll need to be able to store the wood pellets it uses.
Meanwhile, an air source heat pump will need some outdoor space to house the main unit. This could be on a roof or in an open space nearby, typically a car park.
On or off-grid
Many commercial premises in the UK operate in rural locations and don’t have access to mains gas.
If this applies to your business, you won’t be able to use a natural gas fired boiler.
LPG and oil are both options, although you’ll have to deal with fuel deliveries. Meanwhile, a heat pump is a totally off-grid heating system that will cost less to run and avoid carbon emissions.
Energy emissions
If you’re keen to reduce your business’ carbon footprint, a clean heating source like a heat pump will be the best solution.
Opting for a heat pump that uses natural refrigerants – like our commercial heat pumps here at Clade – will reduce your impact on the environment still more.
It’s worth noting that, even if your business’ impact on the environment doesn’t concern you, switching to an emissions-free heating source will help to future-proof your business – preventing your heating system from potentially becoming a stranded asset thanks to tightening environmental regulations.
Talk to us about commercial heating
As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when you’re choosing a commercial heating system for your business.
But don’t worry, you’re in the right place.
Our team of expert engineers has over 35 years of experience working with natural refrigerant commercial heat pumps and refrigeration equipment.
Simply get in touch to learn more about how we can help you achieve a commercial heating system that’s clean, futureproof, efficient and cost-effective to run.