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How does the upcoming LOT 20 legislation affect Electric Heating? What you need to know.
LOT 20 is part of European Energy Reduction legislation. The aim is to improve the energy efficiency and environmental impact of local space heaters in residential and commercial buildings.
All heater types have been assessed to give each technology its own level playing field. The legislation does not seek to promote one technology above another; to support or deny the claims of manufacturers about their own products; or to disadvantage customer groups with a particular investment or interest in a particular technology.
Instead, all improvements derive from enhanced controls which must be adopted to earn the efficiency improvements required of each heater type. Where controls are electronic they may either be Integrated or External to the heater.
The legislation anticipates that significant energy savings can be achieved by more accurately heating rooms when the heat is required and reducing wasted energy from overheating.
By permitting the use of external controls, LOT 20 recognises that external control systems are a significant factor in improving efficiencies and encouraging the use of effective zoning. Unless they are mechanical, it is NOT the case that controls need to be integrated into the heater itself.
Unfortunately, the legislation has no impact on SAP calculations or the EPC rating of a dwelling. Manufacturers cannot claim EPC improvements from adopting LOT 20 features.
From 1st January 2018 Manufacturers must comply and provide detailed information about their conformity in product documentation and websites in order to continue to claim CE conformity. Herschel has already implemented the necessary changes to ensure compliance well ahead of the deadline.
How LOT 20 Works:
All heater types are given a baseline “seasonal space heating efficiency” figure and must reach a corrected target to become compliant. They can be classified “Best Available” by exceeding this target.
The target varies by heater category type, and can be met or exceeded by adding controls which are deemed to add efficiencies.
A combination of quite sophisticated controls are required to ensure compliance. The legislation recognises the inherent inefficiency of storage heaters which require combinations of the most advanced controls in order to comply. Higher temperature infrared “radiant” heaters have the lowest requirement for advanced controls.
Implications
We expect that LOT 20 will accelerate the shift away from night storage heaters as many of the cheaper models are unlikely to comply. The economics of the expensive leading brands do not stack up from a payback perspective and their physical size makes them unsuitable for smaller new build properties.
The use of integrated controls on fixed electric heaters such as panel heaters and electric radiators is already widespread and they will become more sophisticated as a result of LOT 20. However, they are unsightly, add to the size of the unit and are unable to accurately measure the room temperature due to the very close proximity of the thermostat to the heater itself. Expect to see more use of sophisticated external controls as part of the product offering.
Electric underfloor heating has its place in the market and provided it has the right control system will meet the requirements of LOT 20. However, it is expensive to install and run and LOT 20 won’t change that.
The Answer? Use Herschel Infrared heaters with Herschel iQ Controls
The Herschel iQ system has been designed to meet LOT 20 requirements for Herschel Infrared heaters. With an electronic room temperature control with week timer, Open Window Technology and Adaptive Start all Heater types within Herschel’s range become “Best Available”. From 1 January 2018 all heaters provided by Herschel which fall under the scope of LOT 20 will be supplied with the iQ system controls, ensuring compliance but without interfering with the inherent energy savings, the sleek and stylish look of the panels and the versatility of mounting positions.