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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.uk

Flexalen pipe

was used at the

Slimbridge site