March 2015 Tube Products International
53
Plast ic pipes
Flexible insulated pipework for
energy-efficient heating system
Aston Cord Energy Services, a
specialist in biomass technology, was
chosen by the Wildfowl & Wetlands
Trust Headquarters in Slimbridge,
UK, to create a new energy-efficient
heating system. Aston Cord selected
Flexenergy for the highly insulated
and flexible pipework needed for the
biomass system.
James Erskine, assistant facilities
manager at the Slimbridge site,
explained, “As part of a bigger strategy
to reduce our carbon footprint, it was an
easy decision for us to move away from
a reliance on fossil fuels to renewable
and sustainable biomass energy which
will burn locally supplied wood-based
pellets.
“Our headquarters is the largest of
our nine sites nationally and we have
over 150 staff located here. The new
heating system will provide heat and
hot water to all our core buildings – the
main visitor centre, staff hostel, Scott
House, the cottage and office buildings.
With the help of the government-based
Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, the
pay-back for the new system will be in
less than three and a half years. Due to
the newly installed heating system we
will save around 50 per cent a year on
our overall heating costs including this
big reduction.”
Phil Bailey, installation engineer at
Aston Cord Energy Services, praised
Flexenergy Flexalen piping’s insulation
factor, adding, “The Flexalen 600 pre-
insulated polybutene range has both
strength and flexibility coupled with a
broad temperature range and water-tight
thermal insulation properties. It is very
simple to install with easy connection
between the insulation and casing pipe,
which makes it a fully welded system.”
“We are very proud to be associated
with such an energy efficient system
on a world-renowned site,” said Sandy
Fairley, Flexenergy sales director. “Our
pipe technology selected by Aston Cord
for the new biomass system combines
strength, durability and flexibility across
a wide hot water temperature range
when compared to conventional pipe. Its
lightweight profile also makes it easier to
handle, while its HDPE outer jacket gives
robustness to the structure. One of the
biggest concerns for this project was
environmental sustainability, so the pipe
technology’s low thermal conductivity
and consequent
heat loss became
important factors
in the context of
optimising energy
efficiency in a low
carbon
environ-
ment.”
Flexalen
pre-
insulated
pipes
use
Polybutene
(PB-1) as the base
material for their
carrier pipes, and
is claimed to be
the only plastic
pipe system currently used in heating
systems that can be fully fusion welded
and operate up to 95°C.
Flexenergy designs, supplies and
installs distribution pipework used in
heating, and hot and chilled water
systems across a wide variety
of renewable/sustainable energy
technologies, including solar, biomass
CHP, geothermal, district and
community heating. The company is the
UK and Ireland stockist of the Flexalen
pre-insulated pipe system. Flexenergy
offers extensive pipe stocks; jointing
technologies (welded and mechanical);
pipe ancillaries, meters and fittings;
system design; installation services;
and an in-house fabrication service.
Flexenergy Ltd
– UK
office@flexenergy.co.uk www.flexenergy.co.ukFlexalen pipe
was used at the
Slimbridge site