Condensing boilers have been around for twenty years but have failed to take a significant share of the British boiler market - currently no more than 3% and this 3% is largely due to a £200 grant available from the Energy Savings Trust (only for private householders replacing old boilers).
They sell themselves on being energy efficient. When running in their most efficient mode, they will convert something like 95% of the energy in the gas into hot water, compared to around 80% in a conventional boiler. They achieve this by having an extra large heat exchanger which absorbs the heat from the exhaust gases: so instead of these waste gases leaving the flue at around 250°C, they come out at just 60°C in a plume of water vapour - hence the name condensing boiler.
In recent years, most British boiler manufacturers have brought out a condenser but all have been content to sell them at premium prices. This has deterred housebuilders from specifying them, even though there is a SAP rating benefit to be gained. The Barcelona is the first condenser that Preston-based Baxi, Britain’s largest gas boiler maker, have produced but far from being a Johnny-come-lately trying hard to catch up with the rest of the pack, it has overnight become a bestseller. How come?
Baxi have broken with the long established tradition of selling boilers in a range of sizes with a range of prices to match. The Barcelona comes in one size, equipped with a modulating burner which automatically handles any load between 8 kW and 30 kW (30 000-100 000 BTU). With a list price of just over £800, the Barcelona will be selling to installers at around the £560 mark. While there are other condensing boilers rated around the 30 000 BTU mark selling at this price or less, the Barcelona is much cheaper than the competition when the loading required is greater, cheaper even than conventional cast iron boilers when you need the full 100 000 BTU.
The one-size-fits-all design represents a significant breakthrough for domestic boilers: it frees up warehouse space (and money) for merchants and it eliminates errors in boiler sizing for installers. Another innovation with the Barcelona is that this one size is remarkably compact — it measures just 390 mm wide by 600 mm high and will easily fit in the space of a kitchen wall cabinet, making it as small as any boiler that Baxi produce. This miniaturisation is achieved by utilising another innovation, the silicon carbide burner.
Roy Dann general manager of energy utilization at BG Technology has been a key figure in developing the technology of the condensing boiler. He reckons that Baxi’s belated involvement will mark a turning point. “In Holland, which led the world in this technology, condensing boilers have established a dominant position helped initially by some green tax breaks.”
“In the UK, the market has been based on price and, although the Energy Savings Trust grants have helped bridge the gap in price, the premium charged for condensers has prevented them being commonplace.
“However, I believe the pricing of the Baxi Barcelona is set to change that. I anticipate that condensing boilers will capture 20% of the boiler market within five years,” he adds.
Source
Building Homes
