Outdoor Heating in a Commercial Setting

Electrical contractors are being urged to adviselamps, and this short-wave, high-intensity radiant
pubs, restaurants and hotels about heating theirheat, like sunlight, provides warmth that can be
outdoor space to best utilise unused areas andfelt the moment the heater is switched on
attract custom throughout the year. To ensurewithout pre-heating. The lamps also produce
continued profits for the leisure industry and ininfrared energy that heats any surface it touches
turn installer in this difficult economic climate,rather than the air in between, which is why users
contractors can profit from by advising the leisurewill feel the heat no matter what the weather.
industry to make gardens and patios usable forAs an example of range, a 1.3kW quartz infrared
longer, while keeping energy costs at a minimum.heater cost effectively heats an outdoor area of
According to the Scottish Licensed Tradeup to 10sqm, with lamps providing in excess of
Association (SLTA), around 400 pubs have closed5,000 hours of heating. For ease of installation
since the introduction of the smoking ban. Beforeheaters often come equipped with a variety of
this date, research showed approximately 48%brackets and fixing options to ensure they can
of pub visitors in Scotland smoked, so after moreaccommodate as many different installation
than two years, the hospitality sector is stillvariants as possible.
addressing the need to provide suitable facilitiesQuartz heaters
for all its patrons, and utilising the outdoors is stillTypical Quartz heaters
the best way of achieving this.For maximum thermal efficiency, installers should
Knowledge is one of the strongest tools availableadvise businesses to opt for a heater with a
to the electrical contractor and by advising thepolished aluminium reflector, to ensure the heat is
leisure sector both areas of business can profitdirected to a specific area and opt for a
from outdoor heating.glass-free front. If safety is an issue, wire safety
As well as installing equipment that heats the areaguards are an alternative to glass.
most effectively, energy efficiency is becomingWhen installing indoor heating most contractors
more important. Options such as gas heaters canand customers understand the need for good
be used, but a lot of the heat produced escapescontrols to regulate the temperature, and this
into the atmosphere without heating the requiredrequirement for quality controls is amplified when
area. Not only does this leave customers out inconsidering outdoor heating. Passive infra red (PIR)
the cold, but it means that energy efficiency isswitches, thermostats and timers are essential to
poor.ensure that heat and therefore money isn't
Infrared heaterevaporating.
Typical infrared heaterWeatherproof PIR sensors, which detect
Patio heaters came under fire at end of 2007presence by passive infrared, and can pick up the
when the Energy Saving Trust (EST) urgedsmallest of movements are one of the best tools
retailers to stop selling the heaters because of theto control the heat generated to ensure
"substantial" amount of carbon emissions theyequipment is operational only when required and
produce. Before the smoking ban, evidencebest used with modern equipment that provides
indicated that around 94.9 GWh of energy wasinstant heat and in combination with thermostats
consumed each year in outdoor heating fuelled byto cover fluctuating temperatures. However for
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), resulting in theolder electric heaters that do require preheating,
emission of 20.3 kilo tonnes of CO2.The illustrativetimers can be added. This way the heating will
scenario for annual carbon emissions fromcome on between set times, however, there is
outdoor heaters since then suggests that it maythe risk they will be operational when no one is
have risen to between 141 and 282 kilo tonnes ofusing the area, so they are best installed only in
CO2¹.busier locations.
However indications suggest that electric heatersRemote control options are also available; the
are gaining market share, with businessesmain device remains inside but leaves the user in
recognising their benefits, which include energyfull control of all outdoor heating. Another useful
efficiency, safety and controllability.addition for smaller outdoor areas is zone
...electric heaters are gaining market share, withcontrollers. These provide an excellent solution to
businesses recognising their benefits, which includeenergy efficiency, as they control each heater as
energy efficiency, safety and controllability.an individual zone and allow the user to reduce or
Although the carbon burden of electricity as a fuelincrease individual lamps as necessary.
is greater than LPG, the ability of electric heatersElectrical contractors need to be aware of how
to provide focused radiant heat and intelligenttechnological advancements are making electric
controls that switch them on only when requiredheating a more energy efficient option, which is an
can result in lower consumption and CO2important selling tool when advising the leisure and
emissions. More importantly, because they arehospitality sector. Competition looks set only to
energy efficient at the point of use, electricincrease and by helping the leisure businesses to
heaters are cost effective too - a benefit thatexpand their offering, electricians can become a
can easily be explained to the customer.voice of authority for their customers - increasing
Electric radiant infrared heaters are ideal as nothe chance of repeat business and pushing up
energy is wasted. Some options utilise theeveryone's profits.
high-energy, shortwave output of quartz halogen