There are many advantages for clients and contractors in pre-assembled packages, says Paul Sands of Stokvis Energy Systems.
When heating and hot water provision in commercial buildings is considered, much can be said for factory-built packages. Combining fully modulating boilers and plate heat exchangers in a package can minimise running costs and have short payback periods.
One of the major headaches with traditional on-site installation is the need to utilise skilled manual labour intensively. Pre-assembly is not only less labour intensive than on-site installation, it also saves on equipment build costs, and this is reflected in prices paid for packaged plant.
Another big advantage of packaged supply is the saving of space. Â This applies whether compact, skid-mounted or fully enclosed packages are chosen. The latter can often be sited outdoors or, with a relatively lightweight boiler, on a roof.
If scheduling is planned efficiently, a plant package can be dropped in and begin working within a few hours, before any existing plant is decommissioned.
Delivery can take as little as eight weeks from order.
Whether an enclosure casing is finished in a brick-effect or coated steel, it can be made to match any building and if an existing flue has become impractical or unsightly, a flue dilution package can be provided.
Commissioning can be done by the packaged plant supplier, ensuring it is done correctly and the equipment operates as intended. With lockable enclosures, ingress of dust or water is prevented and commissioning made simpler.
Flexibility, with possible future site changes to come, can be vital and a packaged system can be so designed as to be mobile so that the entire heating and hot water plant can be easily relocated.
Regular servicing will help maintain maximum efficiency throughout a plant’s working life.  Service and maintenance packages should be available from the plant manufacturer.
Packaged heating and hot water plant can be tailored to suit the requirements of a wide variety of industrial, commercial and institutional buildings or complexes of buildings. The example below is taken from a quote for supplying such equipment to a school.
For this project, a packaged, skid-mounted package to provide total heat output of 330kW, with the frame delivered to site in four sections for installation against plant-room walls.
Three 110kW condensing, modulating, gas-fired, pre-mix, ultra-low-NOx boilers complete with boiler primary pumps and sequence controller. Included in the package were isolating valves, check valves, heating flow and return manifold pipework up to and including low-loss vertical header, gas and condensate pipework manifolds, electrical work to connect primary pumps to boilers and controller and transport to site.