Boiler Sizing

The boiler output is based on the total heat losses for the building plus hot water
boiler power.
Other additional items that can be considered are; heater battery outputs and
other equipment that require heat.

For details of Boiler Power for Hot Water cylinder see Hot and Cold water section
– Hot water generation & storage page 2.

Boiler Output (kW) = Heat Loss (kW) + Boiler Power for HW cylinder
(kW)

Boiler Margin.

It is useful to add a margin to the previous figure for;

1. In case of future extension.

2. Quick heat up when the system is cold.
3. In case of mistakes in heat loss calculations.
4. Loss of efficiency later in boiler life.

We could add between 15% and 33% as a boiler margin.

A large margin means the boiler is less efficient since it is firing for less time.
The more time a boiler sits idle with a full capacity of hot water, the more heat is
lost up the flue and to a lesser extent from the casing.
A suitable margin for most projects is 20% margin.

Total Boiler Output (kW) = Heat Loss (kW) + Boiler Power for HW cylinder
(kW) + 20% margin.

Note:
In most cases a margin has already been added to the heat loss to size heat emitters.
It should be remembered that if this margin is 10% and a further 20% margin is added for
boiler sizing then the net resultant margin is 32%.
In continuously operated heating systems such as hospitals, a smaller margin is
acceptable since the system is not heated from cold each morning.

Multiple Boiler Installations

In the past if two boilers were to be installed, each one was sized at 2/3 rds of the
total capacity.
This overall margin of 33% is on the high side so a lower margin is more
acceptable.
A multiple boiler installation is a more efficient method of providing heating since
the more boilers that are installed the more they will operate at full load when
switched on.

Recommendations

CIBSE guide F (2002) section 10.1.2.2 and BSRIA Guidance Note 12/97 Oversized
Heating Plant gives details of plant sizing.

As a guide to boiler capacity (heating load) the following yard sticks can be used;
90 W/m2 for offices and industrial buildings, 110 W/m2 for retail, health care and
education establishments.

Also for Hot Water calorifier sizing the following yard sticks can be used; 4
l/person for offices, retail, education and restaurant establishments, 23 l/person
for hotels, 33 l/person for health care.

Other considerations for oversizing are;

1. Oversizing boilers is a greater capital cost.

2. Seasonal efficiency will be less is boilers are oversized.
3. Oversizing of control valves means that they don’t control the flow of
water effectively.
4. Oversizing pumps means that they consume more electricity than is
necessary.
5. Also oversizing pumps means that it is more difficult to control the
water flow.
 6. Pumps that are too large will not be operating at the most efficient part
of the characteristic curve.
7. Pipe heat losses are increased.
8. Oversizing heat emitters mean that the system is more difficult to
control with temperature sensors since the room temperature will drift
easily beyond the set point.
9. The heat gains from; lights, people and machinery will offset the heat
loss in a building.
This is not usually considered when calculating boiler outputs but helps
to reduce the amount of heat required in winter time.

Plant Size Ratio

CIBSE guide B1 (2002) section 4.7 gives details of Plant Size Ratio (PSR).

This is defined as; PSR = installed heat emission / design heat loss

Factors for PSR of between 1.2 and 2.0 are common.

A building with low thermal inertia heats up more quickly than one with high
thermal inertia and therefore a lower plant size ratio may be used.

The optimum plant size ratio is a compromise between the following factors;
1. occupancy pattern.
2. pre-heat time.
3. thermal response of the building.
4. greater capital cost and maintenance cost.
5. stability of controls..
6. seasonal efficiency.