Engineering heating systems

With escalating energy prices, environmental concerns, and significant system replacement costs, it's is a good time to look at how new and existing heating systems can be improved by the application of some engineering. 

For the last 20 years or so, gas boilers have usually provided serial data interfaces allowing real-time performance measurement, and very recent industry innovations have significantly improved boiler efficiencies, which can be further enhanced using available data. Heat pumps from manufacturers such as Vaillant share the same interface and many of the same parameters. They also share similar requirements for optimal efficiency, which are reflected in the 2022 Part L building regulations.

The speaker gave a lecture in 2022 on his 'Engineered Smart Home', here he extends it with 'Smart Boiler Control' : monitoring and controlling key parameters to reduce energy use by up to 25%.  Even without smart home tech, the efficiency of existing systems can often still be significantly improved - he'll discuss techniques using tools ranging from a simple adjustable spanner to the specifics of eBUS monitoring and tuning of a Vaillant system, using open source software.

THE SPEAKER:  RIchard Farthing

Richard Farthing is a consulting engineer, having started in the entertainment lighting industry, he worked in the UK and USA, moving from product design to large infrastructure projects such as Heathrow Terminals 5, 5c and T2, plus metro projects in Singapore and Bangkok. He is a former chair of the Hammersmith Society and current trustee of The London Forum.