Saint Gobain Weber Case Study in Milton Keynes
Warehouse Heating
Warm Air Heating System and Destratification Fans
Saint-Gobain Weber wanted to replace the floor-standing oil-fired heaters in their storage warehouses.
Saint-Gobain Weber’s Problem
Saint-Gobain Weber were looking for assistance with their heating project to replace the obsolete, floor-standing, oil-fired heaters installed across their three storage warehouse facilities, approximately 21,800 sq ft per warehouse.
Our client wanted to move away from an oil-fired solution and was already in early discussions with Calor UK, who were assessing the feasibility of introducing an LPG storage facility to the exterior of the storage warehouses.
OKEL’s Solution
We visited Saint-Gobain Weber’s site to meet with their Plant Manager, to complete a heating site survey. We discussed the minimum and maximum temperatures required to protect and maintain the quality of stock stored within the warehouses.
Our client was due for a follow-up meeting with Calor UK the next day. So, OKEL’s first task was to calculate the total kW capacity required to heat each warehouse, to determine the LPG tank capacity necessary to fuel the new heating systems. Also, whether enough space was available on the exterior to house the storage tanks. We identified that each of the warehouses required a total of 300 kW of heat.
To create more ground space and deliver a more efficient heating solution, OKEL proposed a high-efficiency, wall-mounted warm air heating and destratification design for each warehouse. Warm air is the most popular form of heating for warehouses and factories that are looking at total heat coverage.
All Aspects Covered
Each warehouse design consisted of 3 x 100 kw high-efficiency, fully modulating warm air heaters with integral destratification systems and 4 x heavy-duty destratification fans. The design was created to deliver an even spread of heat. Destratification is strongly recommended for large open-plan buildings with high apex ceilings and prevents heat loss from above by recovering excess heat gathered beneath the ceiling and returning it to the lower level.
A carefully designed destratification system, working in conjunction with a warm air heating solution, can significantly reduce energy bills by up to 20% and comes highly recommended by the Carbon Trust. A detailed risk assessment and method statements were forwarded to Weber for sign-off, complete with liability insurance, Gas Safe, electrical and working at height certification for the team of installation engineers working on site.
An expertly designed warm air and destratification system can reduce energy consumption by up to
Saint-Gobain Weber’s Results
OKEL’s team provided Weber with a flexible approach to their installation. Certain parts of the installation took place outside of operational business hours, including evenings and weekends. This was because some of the working at height tasks could not be carried out whilst site vehicle access took place at ground level.
As part of the project, OKEL’s installation engineers decommissioned and removed the old floor-mounted Powrmatic oil-fired heaters to create more space for the customer on the ground. To complete the project, electronic copies of Gas Safe and NICEIC certification and user guides for the heaters and fans were forwarded to the client to retain on file.
“Thanks to all the guys who worked on site, no safety issues and the guys were really responsive to our requests, particularly around safety”
- Steve Scott, Plant Manager Saint Gobain Weber
OKEL’s Promise
When looking for commercial warm air heating solutions for your factory or warehouse, no site is the same and no project is too big.
That’s why OKEL conducts thorough site surveys to provide a tailored approach to your business’s heating needs.
OKEL plan, design and install bespoke solutions for your warm air heating needs and provide green funding leasing for optimal efficiency.
