(buzzing)
- We're currently experiencing some of the biggest
revolutions and changes to the electrical industry
since it was birthed by Tesla, Edison, and Westinghouse.
Now, some people are a little bit too quick
to dismiss some of these as unrealistic,
when we think about EV's and the charging infrastructure
required, perhaps unhealthy, as in LED lighting,
or just a passing fad, as in smart technology.
However, all of these things are born from a need
to use the Earth's dwindling resources
more effectively and efficiently.
Now, that last one, smart technology,
may well be one of the things that holds the key
to the subject of this video.
It's just possible that as an electrician,
the implementation of Lot 20 from the European
Ecodesign Directive, passed you by.
But if so, it's probably the most important set
of regulations that you've never heard of.
Why?
Well, in combination with some proposed changes
for something called the SAP 10 document,
we could be about to usher in a new field
of opportunity for electricians.
Let's try and get to grips with the situation.
The European Ecodesign Directive has been brought about
to basically try and improve the efficiency of equipment
in use throughout the whole of Europe.
As this directive covers a vast array of equipment,
it's broken down into various subcategories
of equipment called: lots.
Lot 20 includes electric heating equipment.
Any electric heater of more than 250 watts is covered
by this legislation, so that's where the name comes from.
I actually came into effect on the first of January,
2018, and it laid down some new rules
to increase the efficiency of electric heaters.
This included things like no longer using mechanical timers
and mechanical thermostats.
Now, we're all familiar with how inaccurate a device
relying on a bimetallic strip can be.
You shift the dial a fraction, and it clicks on,
and you can roll it back several degrees
before it clicks off again.
Well, the implementation of lot 20 did away with that
and ensured the use of more efficient and accurate
temperature controls and digital timers.
So we've got some legislations requiring the use
of more efficient heating control.
At the same time, there's a strong possibility
that the SAP 10 document will bring about
some changes to the way we view the use of electricity
as a fuel source.
SAP, by the way, stands for: standard assessment procedure.
And it's a way that a new home can be assessed
in order to assure it complies with relevant efficiency,
energy, environmental and building regulations.
Up until now we've considered electricity
not to be a great heat source,
because we lose energy in the distribution system.
However, with the huge increase in sources
of renewable electricity, we can view this as being offset,
and the changes proposed in SAP 10 will acknowledge
that electricity is now a viable
and sustainable source of heating.
Once these changes are made,
it will be possible for electric heaters
to qualify for SAP points,
which means that electric heating
will get specced on a more regular basis.
And it will also contribute more value
to a property's energy performance certificate.
Add into this melting pot the fact that from 2025
gas will no longer be provided to new properties,
and we're clearly starting to see a huge opportunity
for the electrical industry, whereby in addition
to the regular electrical installation,
we'll also start getting contracts
for installing the heating in properties.
So there's a key point.
As the world increasingly tends towards renewable
sources of electricity, it will increasingly tend
towards electrical power.
But what seriously are the options?
Traditionally, there's always been pretty much two ways
of heating a space directly, using electricity.
You've got your standard panel heaters
that operate in an on-demand fashion,
or you've got storage heaters that are full of bricks
that charge up during off-peak periods,
and then slowly release their heat through the day,
and are not great for the wild variations
in daily temperatures, that seem to be increasingly common.
Both of these types of heaters can be Lot 20 compliant,
by the use of various sensors and timers.
However, there is a third way of using
electrical heating directly,
and it's found in these heater from Premspec.
It's kind of operating on principles somewhere
between a panel heater and a storage heater.
It's an oil-filled radiator.
The elements in these fins quickly heat up
a reservoir of oil, which retains the heat,
and dissipates it slowly over a period of time,
thus combining the responsiveness
of an on-demand panel heater,
and the storage efficiency of a storage heater.
Now, oil-filled radiators have been around
for a long, long time; however the thermal inertia
of the oil has allowed Premspec to enable
a special feature of this heater.
Traditional heaters draw full current to heat up a space,
and then turn off until the temperature drops
to a level where the heater will
kick in again at full current.
However, the Ascot heater will actually change how much
current it draws through the heating elements
to maintain a steady heat output.
This, combined with the fact that this heater
is really compactly designed, means that it is
incredibly efficient; in fact, it has a market-leading
efficiency of 167 watts per fin.
And the best part of it is it's completely Lot 20 compliant.
Indeed, it actually goes beyond the minimum requirements
of that legislation to deliver a higher than required
efficiency for compliance.
It does this by electronic room temperature control,
with seven-day timers, open window sensors,
distance control technology, via wifi control,
and even GR location technology.
So that it's heating pattern will alter,
depending on whether you are leaving the property
containing the heater,
or traveling home at the end of the day.
And there, we've come back to the point
that we were making at the start of the video.
Far from being a passing fad, it turns out
that smart technology may well be exactly what's needed
to fine-tune the efficiency of our heating products.
All of this means that this heater from the Ascot range
from Premspec delivers market-leading efficiency
that goes beyond the requirements of current legislation
and becomes a really attractive proposition
for specifiers and installers alike.
It's worth noting that some housing associations
and specifiers are already looking
at this kind of product as a viable heating solution,
and the more forward-thinking among developers
and housing associations are already installing them,
as they look to the post-2025 future,
and the changes to SAP 10 that are on the way.
So educate yourself about Lot 20.
You'll see that these heaters offer great cost benefits
for installation and maintenance.
Educate your customers.
Help them to see the benefits in running costs.
In short, prepare for the future of heating,
as all of this represents a phenomenal opportunity
for electricians, because make no mistake:
the world is becoming increasingly powered by electricity.
And as renewable sources continue to expand
and the efficiency of equipment improves,
it could well be that we're entering a golden age
for electricians, and it's fair to say
that these heaters aren't just golden,
they're positively gleaming.
Thank you very much for watching.
(buzzing)