INFORMATION BOOKLET
NRG ZONE MODELS; 2, 3 & 4
DESIGNED, DEVELOPED & MANUFACTURED IN IRELAND
Section 1 - Introduction
THE NRG ZONE CENTRAL HEATING MANIFOLD
This document will help you to understand the NRG ZONE and
allow you to put it to proper use right away.
Please read this document carefully before you decide upon
any particular system design and installation procedure you
intend to use.
For further information on the various methods of installation
available to you and the numerous functions of the unit refer
to the online help and installation support material on the
web - www.nrgawareness.com.
GETTING TO KNOW THE NRG ZONE.
The NRG ZONE function descriptions and illustrations in this
document are for your reference only. They are intended as a
guide to help explain how you can take full advantage of the
many features that the NRG ZONE system has to offer.
NRG ZONE MANIFOLDS ARE ENGINEERED TO OUTPERFORM
ALL OTHER FORMS OF HEATING DESIGN SYSTEMS
In this booklet we have highlighted some of many benefits of
the NRG ZONE. The NRG ZONE benefits are universal and apply to all involved in the heating industry, from architects,
heating engineers, plumbers, right through to the end user.
An NRG ZONE manifold is used as a central heating part that
allows for rapid system construction, total flexibility, complete reliability and ultimate cost effectiveness in any newbuild or retrofit central heating project.
APPLICATION OF THE PATENTED NRG ZONE TECHNOLOGY
Heating systems (such as sealed or open configurations, high
temperature appliances; gas or oil boiler and/or geothermal
equipment; heat pumps etc.) can all be used to their highest
potential with proper, well thought-out installation system
layouts. This is where the NRG Zone technology can make the
difference.
The safety and cost effectiveness of your final system will depend on your specific appliance selection and the pipe work
arrangement that you decide on prior to the installation.
INSTALLATION AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT
You must always be aware of, and consider the health and
safety risks associated with lifting and mounting the unit.
It is imperative that your installation must comply with all
parts of the Building Regulations and all ancillary equipment
manufacturer’s installation instruction guidelines when installing this product. NRG AWARENESS LTD. cannot accept responsibility for any fault arising through bad workmanship or
incorrect application of its products.
Our support staff are highly experienced and many hold advanced degrees in a diverse variety of fields in the heating
and construction industries. This knowledge and expertise
contribute greatly when troubleshooting complex customer
projects.
The system's concepts are well proven and comply with good
practice and effective design technologies from standard system configurations throughout the heating industry. The NRG
ZONE has thousands of potential applications ranging from;
commercial property installations to educational institutions,
hotels and on to simple domestic applications. The unit is
easily calculated to be the most cost effective method known
to create superlative heating system performance with the
added benefit of decreasing the intended systems complexity
and installation time.
NRG ZONE products are totally versatile allowing for safe and
efficient system construction using oil, gas, solid fuel and renewable energy sources such as heat pumps as well as CHP
equipment.
NRG ZONE units can be manufactured to any size, providing a
completely customisable and dependable solution for any
heating project.
“Design is the most important factor to consider when choosing a reliable system configuration to satisfy environmental
concerns as well as economy and comfort for the end-users. In
this respect and many others the NRG ZONE is second to
none. In a patented logical and dependable way our NRG
ZONE manifold performs unlike any other appliance to ensure
your system operates to its maximum potential with the minimum of effort.”
We offer quick response times and a global reach, supporting
customers all over the world.
Our support team is also closely integrated with our development staff in order to actively incorporate customer feedback
and requests into our products.
Any unauthorized modification to the appliance voids the
warranty. The standard units are suitable for indoor use only.
This unit does not contain asbestos.
Page 2
Chairman
NRG AWARENESS LIMITED
Section 2
Contents
Section 3
Port Connections
3
Section 4
Connection Methods
4
Section 5
Dimensions
4
Section 6
Sealed and Open Vent Systems & Equipment
5
Section 7
Example Gas or Oil Boiler Open System Schematic
6
Section 8
Example Boiler, Heat Pump and Incorporating Solar DHW Schematic
7
Section 9
Example Heat Pump & Solid Fuel Stove Schematic
8
Section 10 Example Boiler, Solid Fuel cookers and Stoves and Heat Pump System Configurations
9
Section 11 Example Heat Pump, Boiler & Solid Fuel Stove Schematic
10
Section 12 Example Bespoke Manifolds & Commercial Applications
11
Section 13 Bespoke Manifolds
11
Section 14 System Controls
11
Section 15 NRG ZONE System Design Sheet
12
Section 3 - Port Connections
NRG ZONE FLOW ACTIVITY WITH HEAT INPUT AT SIDE CONNECTIONS
NRG ZONE FLOW ACTIVITY WITH HEAT INPUT AT BOTTOM CONNECTIONS
Page 3
Section 4 - Connection Methods
Section 5 - Dimensions
4.1 - FLOW CHAMBER
Top Chamber - hottest flow.
● Connection L1 & R1 are Flow ports.
F
E
● Connections T1, T2 & T3 have altering functions.
G
C
D
● All connections are 1” female iron fittings.
4.2 - BYPASS CHAMBER
B
● Centre Chamber – bypass/preheat
B
● Connections L2 & R2 have altering functions.
NRG ZONE 2
● All connections are 1” female iron fittings.
4.3 - RETURN CHAMBER
H
A
A
A
Bottom Chamber – cold return.
● Connection L3 & R3 are Return ports.
F
E
● All connections are 1” female iron fittings.
C
4.4 - ZONES
The flow & return connections to the manifold are located at
the bottom of the unit – (Return Chamber)
D
B
● The Flow connection are labelled A1, B1, C1 and so on
B
● The Return connections are labelled A2, B2, C2 and so
on.
NRG ZONE 3
● All zone connections are 1” male iron fittings.
The following zone configurations are for standard applications. Alternative layouts for differing applications can be
found on our website, www.nrgawareness.com.
A
A
A
A
A
4.5 - ZONE CONFIGURATION
F
E
● The flow connections are labelled A1, B1, C1 and so on.
C
D
● Zone pumps are best installed on the flow connections –
A1, B1, C1 and so on.
● Non-return valves are fitted on each zone return, A2, B2,
C2, and so on to prevent any inadvertent heat drift in
zones that are not calling for heat.
B
B
NRG ZONE 4
● For pumped DHW zones; a non-return valve should be
fitted to the flow input to the cylinder coil to prevent
gravity-fed back feeding of the stored hot water.
Page 4
A
A
NRG ZONE A
B
C
D
A
A
A
E
A
A
F
G
H
2
75
75
175
70
315 375
80
25
3
75
75
325
70
465 525
80
25
4
75
75
475
70
615 675
80
25
Section 6
Sealed and Open Vent Systems & Equipment
FIG 6.1
SAFETY VENT, EXPANSIONS, COLD FEED AND PRIMARY CIRCUIT DESCRIPTIONS
Expansion
Vessel
Optional
Filling Point
NRG ZONE
Zones
FIG 6.2
Expansion Tank
NRG ZONE
Cold Feed
with
Heat-Lock
Loop
It is always recommended to over-size a system expansion vessel to avoid later problems. The
point of connection of the expansion vessel into the system is important. The ' pressure-neutral
point' of an NRG ZONE is perfectly suitable to allow open access to any appliance connected to
the expanding system volume as the system contents heat and cool. The physical location of
the vessel can be at any convenient unused port in the NRG ZONE giving maximum flexibility, or
can be directly on the inlet side of the heating appliance.
If a system is extended, an expansion vessel of increased volume (or an additional vessel) may
be required, unless previous provision has been made for the extension. The vessel charge pressure (1.5 bar standard) should not be less than the static head pressure at the centre of the expansion vessel. For static heads greater than 15 metres, the vessel charge pressure should be
increased. As a guide, the expansion vessel is undersized if the pressure gauge indicates 2.65
bar or above when the boiler is at maximum temperature with all radiators or other zone distribution equipment in circulation. In such a case, a larger (or additional) expansion vessel is required. (Note that an appliance safety valve will commence over-pressure discharge at around 3
bar). It is also important that the discharge outlet from either safety valves or Automatic Air
Vents (AAV) should never be located directly above the NRG ZONE unit as inadvertent leakage
may go unnoticed and corrode the manifold.
When installing an 'open' system for a temperature controlled oil or gas boiler it is essential to
ensure that the appliance has an unrestricted open vent and separate cold feed. It is also good
practice to prevent heat rising in the cold feed pipe. This would warm the expansion tank contents which would evaporate and cause more fresh water to enter the system and damage the
ferrous parts. The example at FIG 6.2 shows how a heat-lock loop could be formed to prevent
that occurrence.
The cold feed and expansion pipe may be connected separately to the manifold if the expansion
pipe rises adequately above the tank. Fig 6.2 shows a 'double T' configuration from connections
'T2 & T3 on the cold feed and expansion which may
be useful by serving two functions;
FIG 6.3
NRG ZONE with Heating
Priority Configuration
1) it will create a vent for the cold feed loop &
2) it will also minimise any inadvertent
'pitching-over' of water from
the expansion to the tank.
Zones
When installing a solid fuel heating system it is essential to ensure
that the appliance has an unrestricted open vent and separate cold
feed. Possible solutions are illustrated at Fig 6.3 & Fig 6.4.
P1
NRG ZONE with DHW
Priority Configuration
An expansion header tank is located at the highest point in the system and a
cold feed connected through a 'heat-lock' loop as shown. The optional by-pass methods shown in Figs 6.3 & 6.4 connect the expansion pipe through a 'Flap type' non-return
valve on a horizontal pipe run and into the return on a the vertical rise from the heat-lock
loop. This method is useful when the height of the expansion pipe is restricted.
FIG 6.4
The optional expansion pipe to return by-pass strategy shown will minimise the
possibility of water rising in the expansion pipe and pitching-over into the tank
which is a trait commonly found in poorly configured open systems.
Both methods shown provide the pre-requisite safe primary gravity fed heat-leak circuit through the DHW cylinder. However, Option one (Fig 6.3) will make the primary
circuit heat available for heating in the NRG ZONE manifold before it heats the Hot Water cylinder. Option two; Fig (6.4) will make the primary circuit heat available for heating
hot water in the cylinder before it reaches the NRG ZONE manifold. In both instances the appliance's pump (P1) should be thermostatically controlled by a pipe thermostat fitted on the
return to the appliance to turn the pump 'ON' above 55°C. This will prevent condensation
forming in the fire-chamber which would otherwise damage the appliance.
Page 5
P1
Section 7
Example Gas or Oil Boiler Open System Schematic
FIG 7
SEALED OR OPEN SYSTEM
Expansion Tank
Optional Auto Air
Vent (AAV) Point
Optional Expansion
Vessel Connection Point
NRG ZONE 3
DHW
Gas or Oil
Boiler
Optional
2ⁿ� Gas or
Oil Boiler
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Fig. 7 - Represents a possible configuration of a single gas or oil boiler system or a possible dual interconnected system.
COMPONENTS
OVERVIEW
NRG ZONE 3, Boiler (x2), 2 Heating and 1 Hot water Zone.
The example at Fig. 7 shows how a single or two separate thermostatically controlled boilers may be connected to either the
left or right hand side of an NRG ZONE manifold to form a fully
pumped system.
INSTALLATION NOTES
1. The flow from the boiler is connected to L1 or R1.
2. The boiler return in connected to the L3 or R3.
3. It is not necessary to fit the return to an appliance to
the same side of an NRG ZONE as the flow
connection.
4. It is of course necessary to cap any unused port
connections.
5. It is always necessary to have a venting facility either
directly at or in the pipe rising from port 'T2'.
6. The flows to the heating and hot water zones are to
be connected as indicated in Section 4.
7. Information on standard 'Open' & 'Sealed' system
configurations can be found in Section 6.
If the boiler(s) to be used are of similar efficiency then L3 and
R3 would be used to connect the boiler returns. If one boiler is
more efficient than another, say a condensing boiler, then the
less efficient boiler’s Return would be connected to the manifolds bypass chamber, connections L2 or R2. In this way the
condensing boiler would have optimal advantage of collecting
the coldest Return water returning from the zones at L3 or R3
and so increase its efficiency.
The open configuration of the expansion and cold feed will also
provide for constant de-aeration of the pipe-work and manifold as well as an unhindered cold feed to top up the system as
required.
In this instance non-return valves are used on the heating zone
returns to the NRG ZONE manifold to prevent inadvertent heat
drift and also on the flow connection to the DHW cylinder to
prevent any back-flow from the hot water pipe-work that
would otherwise waste the stored DHW temperature. Non return valves should not be fitted on any circuit, such as a DHW
primary circuit, when the pipe work in that circuit is used as
part of a gravity heat-leak such as required for solid fuel systems.
The control wiring should be configured to prevent the boilers
firing unless at least one zone control is calling for heat.
Page 6
Section 8
Example Boiler, Heat Pump and Incorporating Solar DHW Schematic
FIG 8
SEALED OR OPEN SYSTEM OPTIONS DEPENDANT ON THE
PARTICULAR APPLIANCE MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS
Optional System
Filling Point
MV1
Optional
Solar
System
MV2
Heat Pump
Heat
Exchanger
or Buffer
Tank
NRG ZONE 3
Gas or Oil
Boiler
DHW
Zone 1
Zone 2
Heat Pump
Zone 3
Fig. 8 - In this example the heat pump & boiler can work separately or in tandem along with an optional solar DHW system.
COMPONENTS
OVERVIEW
NRG ZONE 3, Boiler, Heat Pump and an optional Solar DHW
System
The boiler 'Flow' is connected to NRG ZONE 'Flow' chamber
and the return connected to the NRG ZONE 'Bypass' chamber.
In this circumstance the internal workings of the manifold will
not hinder the coldest water returning from the zones to any
of the boilers if that boiler alone is called into duty.
INSTALLATION NOTES
1. The flow from the boiler is connected to L1 and the
boiler return in connected to the L2 - bypass circuit.
2. The return to the heat pump (heat exchanger or
buffer) is connected to R3.
When 'MV1' is opened, the heat pump flow output is directed
to the NRG ZONE 'Flow' chamber to directly supply the heating
zones.
3. The Flow from the heat pump (heat exchanger or
buffer) is connected to both R1 & R2 through
motorised valves where;
When MV1 closes and MV2 opens the Heat Pump output is directed to the NRG ZONE 'Bypass' chamber from where the
boiler collects the then pre-heated water which is then heated
to the boiler's higher temperature set point.
3.1 Motorised valve "MV1" at R1 directs the Heat
Pump Flow to the NRG ZONE 'Flow' chamber to
be used directly by the zones.
3.2 Motorised valve "MV2" at R2 directs the Heat
Pump Flow through the NRG ZONE 'Bypass'
chamber to preheat the other boiler’s return.
4. The flows to the heating and hot water zones are to
be connected as indicated in Section 4.5 Page 4.
5. Information on standard 'Open' & 'Sealed' system
configurations can be found in Section 6.0 Page 5.
Therefore in this example, the system can be heated by the
boiler alone, the heat pump alone or a combination of the boiler and the heat pump working in tandem. When working alone
each component has access to the coldest system water and
when working together each component has access to the optimum temperature water available in the system to maximise
their respective efficiencies.
Where a thermal storage buffer is used with the heat-pump a
correctly sized pressure/expansion vessel should be fitted to
the system to accommodate the expansion of the additional
water in the buffer.
The optional DHW solar system is connected to the DHW cylinder and has no effect on the function of the NRG ZONE manifold.
Page 7
Section 9
Example Heat Pump & Solid Fuel Stove Schematic
FIG 9
OPEN SYSTEM OPTIONS; DEPENDANT ON THE PARTICULAR
APPLIANCE MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS
Feed & Expansion
Tank
AAV
NRG ZONE 3
Secondary
Circuit
Primary
Circuit
DHW
Heat Pump
Heat
Exchanger
or Buffer
Tank
Injector
Tee
Heat Pump
Priority Hot
Water Cold Feed
Arrangement
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Solid Fuel
Stove
Fig. 9 - Method for integrating a heat pump and another appliance in an ‘open system’; in this example a solid fuel stove.
COMPONENTS
OVERVIEW
NRG ZONE 3, Heat Pump, Solid Fuel Stove & Dual Coil cylinder.
In this instance a dual coil cylinder is used with one coil connected as a DHW zone and another as a ‘Primary’ heat-leak.
INSTALLATION NOTES
1. The flow from the heat pump is connected to L1 and
the heat pump return in connected to L3.
2. The stove flow (rising at all times) is installed with an
expansion pipe connected to a horizontal pipe run as
a pre-requisite expansion/vent facility.
3. This Primary Flow pipe continues down to where it is
connected to the primary coil in the DHW cylinder
creating the necessary system heat leak.
4. On leaving the coil the water is directed through an
injector tee and back to the stove return connection.
This primary circuit must be unobstructed.
5. The secondary flow to the manifold is T connected to
the gravity circuit and fed through a non-return valve.
6. The secondary return to the stove is connected to R2
and fed through the stoves pump to the injector tee.
7. The flows to the heating and hot water zones are to
be connected as indicated in Section 4.
8. See Information on DHW circuits at Sections 6.3 & 6.4
The particulars of the stove connection with an open gravity
circuit is outlined in Section 6.3 Page 5
With this configuration the system therefore provides for the
coldest return water from the zones to be fed to the heat
pump to optimise it’s co-efficiency of performance (COP) and
increase its efficiencies. At the same time the warmest return
water is fed to the stove. Stove manufacturer’s demand that
the return water to their appliances should be controlled by
preventing the secondary system pump call until the return
has reached at least ‘dew point’ or 55°C (131°F).
When the stove primary circuit is above the stove thermostat
set point the stove pump should turn 'On' and deliver its heat
to the NRG ZONE manifold for zone distribution. If the pipe
thermostat detects that the stove has dropped below its setpoint it will turn the pump 'Off'.
The primary circuit as shown from the stove will ensure the
proper operation of the pre-requisite gravity circuit. Simultaneously the coldest zone water returning to the heat pump will
promote its most efficient use.
In this instance both appliances may operate simultaneously
until the temperature in the heat pump Return has exceeded
the appliances minimum temperature and it turns ‘Off’. This
allows the other hotter appliance to continue as required. If
the return circuit cools the heat pump will turn “On” again.
Page 8
Section 10
Example Boiler, Solid Fuel cookers and Stoves and Heat Pump System Configurations
FIG 10.1
FIG 10.2
SEALED OR OPEN SYSTEM OPTIONS; DEPENDANT ON THE
PARTICULAR APPLIANCE MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS
Feed & Expansion
Tank
AAV
Zone 3
DHW
Cylinder
DHW
Cylinder
Zone 3
Oil or Gas
Stove
Oil or Gas
Stove
NRG ZONE 3
Heat Pump
Heat
Exchanger
or Buffer
Tank
Zone 1
NRG ZONE 3
Heat Pump
Zone 2
Zone 1
Priority
Heating &
Cold Feed
Arrangement
Zone 2 Injector Tee
FIG. 10.1 Shows an example interconnection of an oil or gas
cooker with a heat pump in a sealed system configuration with
a common DHW single coil cylinder
FIG. 10.2 shows an example interconnection of a solid fuel
stove cooker with a Solid Fuel Stove in an Open system configuration with a common DHW single coil cylinder.
COMPONENTS
COMPONENTS
NRG ZONE 2, Heat Pump & Oil or Gas Cooker.
NRG ZONE 2, Heat Pump & a Solid Fuel Boiler / Stove.
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
Both appliances are thermostatically protected & controlled
and so can be used in a seal system configuration. The stove
has an open path through the manifold, directly to the primary
DHW cylinder via the cylinder pump by-pass circuit. The stove
will require this heat leak DHW circuit at times when the ‘cooking only’ function is in operation or to cater for any over-heat
situation. The pipe-work shown will create two separate thermo-siphon loops; one from the cooker to the NRG ZONE and
the second from the NRG-Zone to the DHW Cylinder. The manifold's open water pathways will not hinder the primary DHW
return water re-circulating back to the stove as it operates.
The stove has an open path to the primary flow through the
domestic hot water cylinder coil forming the pre-requisite
gravity thermosiphoning circuit. By using secondary pumps and
injector tee's as indicated, the primary circuit from the stove to
the cylinder remains open at all times forming the necessary
gravity fed circuit. The secondary circuit pumps can be used as
required, assisting the Stove’s heat transfer as it’s pipe stat
reaches temperature. (See Section 9, Fig 9, Overview, Page 8
for more information). The cylinder secondary pump is used to
increase the velocity of water through the DHW coil and so
speed up the circuit’s heat transfer rate if required.
INSTALLATION NOTES
INSTALLATION NOTES
1. The Cooker Flow is connected to L1 & the Return
should be fitted to L2. (See Section 3 - ‘NRG ZONE
Construction and Connection Methods’). The Primary
circuit to the DHW cylinder is connected to the T2
(Flow) & T3 (Return) and circumvents the secondary
bypass pump directly to the cylinder coil as indicated.
2. The system being sealed; requires an expansion vessel
which may be fitted to the unused L3 port. An
Automatic Air Vent is located on the horizontal flow
pipe-work to the primary DHW coil.
3. The secondary DHW pump is controlled through an
injector tee to the coil based on primary over-heat or
time and temperature controlled zone call.
1. The cooker Flow & Return should be attached to the
NRG ZONE as described in Section 3 - ‘NRG ZONE
Construction and Connection Methods’. The Flow to
the DHW cylinder Primary circuit is connected to T2
(Flow) -T3 (Return) circuit and circumvents the
secondary bypass pump directly to the cylinder coil as
indicated.
2. The expansion pipe is tee connected from the
horizontal pipe at the highest point of the open circuit
3. The cold feed should be fitted with reference to the
cold feed connection methods described in Section 6
“Sealed and Open Vent Systems & Equipment”.
4. The heat pump Flow is connected to R1 and the
return to R3 to receive the coldest system water.
4. A non-return valve controlled Cold Feed bypass circuit
may also be fitted as indicated to prevent inadvertent
pitching as explained in Section 6.
5. The flows to the heating are to be connected as
indicated in Section 4.
5. The flows to the heating are to be connected as
indicated in Section 4.
Page 9
Section 11
Example Heat Pump, Boiler & Solid Fuel Stove Schematic
FIG 11
Feed & Expansion
Tank
OPEN SYSTEM INTERCONNECTION; BOILER, HEAT PUMP,
SOLID FUEL STOVE AND A THERMAL STORE (BUFFER).
AAV
NRG ZONE 4
Oil or Gas
Boiler
MV2
DHW
MV1
Heat Pump
with Heat
Exchanger
or Buffer
Tank
Heat Pump
System
Buffer
Tank
Priority Hot
Water Cold Feed
Arrangement
MV3
Zone 1 Zone 2
Zone 3
MV4
Solid Fuel
Stove
Fig. 11 - Example method for integrating a heat pump, a Boiler and a solid fuel stove in an ‘open system’ configuration.
COMPONENTS
OVERVIEW
NRG ZONE 4, Boiler, Heat Pump, Solid Fuel Boiler Stove and
thermal Store Buffer.
The gas/oil boiler and heat pump configuration is as described
in Section 8 with the difference being that the heat pump flow
and preheat connections are directly jointed to the flow and
return to the boiler as indicated.
INSTALLATION NOTES
1. The primary flow from the boiler is fitted to L1.
2. The primary return to the boiler is fitted to L2.
3. The Flow output from the Heat Pump is connected in
tandem using motorised valves to act either as a
direct heat supply (Through MV1) or to pre-heat the
Boiler (Through MV2).
4. The stove is fitted as described in ‘Section 6 - Sealed
and Open Vent Systems & Equipment’ at Fig 6.4 Hot
Water priority.
5. The buffer is connected to the NRG ZONE at A1 and
A2 but in this instance without a Non-Return valve as
the water flow changes direction to either deliver or
store system heat as required.
6. The alternate pumps and motorised valve assemblies
at the buffer (MV3 & MV4) are facing in the opposite
direction to each other to cater for this reverse
circulation strategy.
In this arrangement the unique method of operation of the
NRG ZONE will allow anyone of the three appliances to work
independently of the others, in tandem with any other or all
three together without compromising the others efficiency.
In normal circumstances the buffer is used to store heat from
the heat pump during cheaper night rate electric supply times
or uniquely to absorb excess heat from the stove as needed.
With this method the controls may be configured to store unrequired excessive heat from the stove in the buffer. This heat
can be reintroduced to the system if and when it is required. It
will of course be necessary to allow for the controls to dump
any extraordinary excess heat from the uncontrolled Solid Fuel
unit using an appropriately configured controls plan. NRG
Awareness Ltd can assist in this area if required.
OPERATION OF BUFFER HEATING/DISTRIBUTION CONTROLS:
Opening MV1 will allow direct heat from the heat pump to the
NRG ZONE and alternatively MV2 will allow the heat Pump to
preheat the return to the Oil/Gas Boiler.
7. The system may be used in an 'Open' configuration as
shown or as a sealed system where for instance an oil
or gas cooker is used to replace the solid fuel stove.
Operating the MV3/Pump assembly will allow heat to be
stored in the buffer and operating the MV4/Pump assembly
will allow stored heat to be deliver from the buffer to the system. The buffer therefore becomes highly energy effective to
greatly reduce otherwise wasted energy and maintain safety.
8. The Buffer can facilitate the storage of geothermal
heat from the Heat Pump or to act as an additional
safety Thermal Store for the solid fuel appliance to
delay the heat transfer to zones until it is required.
This unique method will provide for both efficiency and safety
as well as maximising the heat distribution potential from the
system over a longer period of time.
Page 10
Section 12
Example Bespoke Special Manifolds & Commercial Applications
OPEN SYSTEM INTERCONNECTION OF A BOILER, HEAT PUMP,
SOLID FUEL STOVE AND A THERMAL STORE (BUFFER).
FIG 12
Pressure Vessel and
Fill Point Assembly
NRG ZONE Special 1
Option A
NRG ZONE Special 2
P1
P2
MV2 MV1
DHW
Boiler 1
Boiler 2
Heat Pump 1
Heat Pump 2
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5
Zone 6
Fig. 12 - Example Commercial Application including 2 Boilers, 2 heat pump, and 5 Zones with a Flow Shunt Pump Facility
INSTALLATION NOTES
COMPONENTS
1. The left-hand bespoke NRG ZONE shown may be located
remotely if required and incorporate a Thermal Store
Buffer outlet or a boiler area DHW facility if required.
2 Bespoke NRG ZONE Manifolds (Special Order)
2 Boilers, 2 Heat Pump, Shunt pump facility.
OVERVIEW
2. The Heat Pumps and Boilers are connected in parallel to a
Header ‘Flow-Return’ Pipe arrangement with isolation by A multi-boiler heating system, otherwise known as a cascade
system, is much more economical in running costs than a sineither non-return valves or motorised control valves as
gle large output boiler. Whilst cascades are fairly commonrequired.
place in larger gas boiler installations, they would appear to be
3. The output from the heat pumps are interconnected to
both the boilers and the manifold directly as a direct heat more the exception than the rule and until the advent of the
NRG ZONE method the proper interconnection of different
supply (through MV1) or as a pre-heat for the boilers
boiler types was certainly a rarity. Yet the logic of using differ(through MV2) as required. (See Section 11).
ing boiler types to gain the best system efficiency is indisputa4. The Flow & Returns from the Boiler connect to L1 and L2
ble.
and the Heat Pump is connected to A1 and A2.
Multi-boiler - multi-fuel installations are considerably more en5. The Fill/Expansion facility is per; ‘Section 6 - Sealed and
ergy efficient and will save on fuel bills especially where heat
Open Vent Systems & Equipment’ at Fig 6.1 & 6.2.
demand patterns vary in different parts of the system. Addi6. The Left-hand bespoke NRG ZONE manifold is shown
tionally this configuration is beneficial where there are zoned
with flange connections at the sides and an optional set
areas that either do not require the full output capacity of the
of ports (Option A) beneath which can be used as
boiler or are just occasionally used. For premises requiring a
described as a zone or (Option B) as a Thermal Store
larger capacity, the weather is an important factor, imposing
Buffer facility as described throughout this publication.
variable requirements for maximum output in the coldest win7. The Manifold pumps between the NRG ZONE Units have a ters to minimal in summer. Firing up a large capacity single
uniquely energy effective function as the Shunt Pump
boiler just to meet a heating top up requirement is not eco(P1) can be controlled to maintain the heating
nomical.
temperature in the units and the System Pump (P2) can
The NRG ZONE example installation shown above identifies
be controlled to only operate when a remote zone is
calling and therefore provide the coldest return water to just how easy it now is to make super-efficient systems a simple reality.
the boilers as demand calls.
Section 13
Bespoke Manifolds
The NRG Awareness team of engineers are available to assist in the designing of special order manifolds for your particular
project requirements. These purpose-built manifolds can be designed to cater for the largest complex system configurations.
NRG ZONE manifolds can also be provided to suit any application as a single unit with multiple appliance heat input ports and
multiple zone outlets of any size. The units are ideal for off-site pod manufacturing and large or complex heating installations.
Bespoke manifolds work in exactly the same way as the standard units described in this manual.
Section 14
System Controls
System Controls are our speciality and we can provide either technical advice or support for your projects. We also supply control equipment and panels for a full range of installation from simple domestic to full Building Management System solutions.
Page 11
Section 15
NRG ZONE System Design Sheet
DRAWING
LEGEND
Pump
Motorised
Valve
Isolation
Valve
Auto Air
Vent
Spring Type
Non Return
Valve
Flap Type
Non Return
Valve
Safety
Valve
Drain
Tee
Injector
Tee
Pressure
Vessel
Pipe
Flange
NRG AWARENESS LTD.
Pipe
Thermostat
UNIT 8, EURO INNOVATION PARK, LITTLE ISLAND,
CO. CORK, IRELAND
TEL: +353 (0)21 4524 991
[email protected] - www.nrgawareness.com
Page 12