Commercial Energy Services
Anaerobic Digestion
What is meant by Aperture openings?
Heat Recovery Ventilation
Blower Door Testing
Anaerobic Digestion
Anaerobic digestion is the harnessed and contained, naturally occurring
process of anaerobic decomposition.
An anaerobic digester is an industrial system that harnesses these natural
processes to treat waste, produce biogas that can be used to power
electricity generators, provide heat and produce soil improving material.
Whilst WOW Alternative Energy and Environmental Solutions Ltd. do not
stock, sell or install this system, we do have qualified personnel who can
advise you on the virtues and technical know how when it comes to making
decisions surrounding this option.
What is meant by Aperture
openings?
This simply refers to any fitting or fixture within a property which either
opens, or in some way passes from the interior to the exterior (or visa
versa) and be a source of draughts. This would include: doors, windows,
attic hatch covers, ventilation and service ducts, cables, pipes or any
form of chimney or extractor.
Windows, doors and chimneys are amongst the highest offenders in the battle
to make a house draught free.
As part of our service, we can offer advise on window types, ‘U’ values and
we do stock helpful small items such as chimney balloons and pipe gaskets.
Heat Recovery Ventilation
Certain units are very economical. Thanks to modern technology a DC
constant flow motor may consume as little as 21 watts on normal setting -
60% LESS than a 60 Watt light bulb.
High energy savings can be achieved with this type of heat and energy
recovery system.
The energy recovery ventilation system provides a complete balanced
ventilation system. It filters the incoming air through a standard media
filter or an optional pollen filter and also warms the air by passing
through a heat exchanger.
This IS NOT a heating system. A heat recovery system operates by recovering
the energy that would normally be lost through open windows, wall vents
etc. The warm stale air that is being extracted from the building is passed
through the heat exchanger to warm the fresh filtered air being brought
into the house.
Balanced ventilation systems with filtered supply are ideal for asthmatics
or any body suffering from allergies or respiratory problems. In general,
whether you have allergies or not there are huge benefits to your health by
breathing in fresh air.
WOW Alternative Energy and Environmental Solutions do not stock, sell or
install these systems, however, on the client’s behalf, we do contract
experienced professionals and as part of out total project management
service, we follow up to ensure quality of product, workmanship and total
customer satisfaction.
Blower Door Testing
WOW offers this full service and the purpose of a blower door test is to
calculate the air tightness of a building by pressurising or
de-pressurising and then establishing the number of air changes per hour.
The higher the number of air changes per hour, the less efficient the
building.
Testing involves sealing off the intended ventilation channels such as
natural ventilation vents and chimney openings and then creating a pressure
difference inside the building to that of the atmospheric pressure outside.
The pressure difference is achieved by a variable speed fan which is placed
in an exterior door of the building. The pressure difference is sufficient
to expose any air infiltration points in the building under test.
Why a Blower Door Test?
Professional energy auditors use blower door tests to help determine a
home's airtightness.
You can reduce your home's heating and cooling costs through proper
insulation and air sealing techniques. These techniques will also make your
home more comfortable.
Any air sealing efforts will complement your insulation efforts, and vice
versa. Proper moisture control and ventilation strategies will improve the
effectiveness of air sealing and insulation, and vice versa. Therefore, a
home's energy efficiency depends on a balance between Air Sealing,
Insulation, Moisture Control and Ventilation.
A proper balance between all of these elements will also result in a more
comfortable, healthier home environment.
The benefits:
Whilst you would probably expect to find drafts around windows and doors,
you might be surprised to learn how much air can leak around electrical
outlets and plumbing pipes.
Blower door tests can also help identify sources of indoor air quality
problems, such as carbon monoxide.
Thermography:
WOW generally recommends that the client combines a Thermal Imaging survey
to help identify air temperature and movement. With the assistance of an
infrared camera, the infiltration points are recorded and printed into a
report. When remedial work is completed, the test can be re run and provide
documented proof that the building has a good air tightness rating adding
to the overall thermal efficiency.
Moisture Control:
Properly controlling moisture in your home will improve the effectiveness
of your air sealing and insulation efforts, and vice versa. Thus, moisture
control contributes to a home's overall energy efficiency.
The best strategy for controlling moisture in your home depends on your
climate and how your home is constructed. Before deciding on a moisture
control strategy for your home, you may first want to understand how
moisture moves throughout your home. Proper ventilation is vital as part of
a moisture control strategy. WOW can arrange to provide moisture
monitoring.
Cost: (Up to 5,000ft2)
The standard charge for a Blower Door test is €550 and the Thermal Image
survey (inc. full report) €350. However, if you have both services carried
out at the same time, the charge is €750.
A general survey of dwellings has revealed that remedial work following air
tightness testing has yielded energy savings of between15% and 30%.
To book a blower test or to obtain further information simply telephone the
offices of WOW Alternative Energy and Environmental Solutions Ltd. Tel.
+353 (0)93 60742
or Email info@wowenergy.ie
