Shadow Industrial, the UK’s leading shortwave infrared heating specialist, recently supported the refit of a 3,500m2 warehouse in Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire.
Occupied and operated by Shadow Industrial’s sister company, Handy Dryers, the space had originally been fitted with an Ambi Rad system. Seeing the massive utility bills and CO2 emissions being produced, the companies’ owner, Steve Levy, evaluated the existing HVAC system within the leased property and persuaded the landlords to trial shortwave infrared heating as an alternative.
Replacing the existing system with Shadow Industrial’s shortwave infrared, 7 Shadow Infinity 12kw heaters were installed in the space, and the ROI has already been observed, with an 87% cut in energy bills.
Taking a closer look at the project…
Decarbonising our depots
The race is on to decarbonise the UK’s industrial sector, from factory floor to the distribution depot. Whilst ONS claimed the UK transportation and warehouse vertical saw a 9% reduction last year, with UK business and industry still accounting for almost a fifth of the nation’s emissions, more can be done to achieve carbon neutrality.
It was something at the front of Handy Dryers’ mind and, having an oven-baked partner in Shadow Industrial, made the process easier.
For the company, the biggest challenge revolved around energy efficiency, which not only plagued the manufacturer with significant energy inefficiency, but had the knock-on effect of higher-than-necessary operational costs and emissions.
That wasn’t all, uncomfortable workers mean unproductive, and potentially unhealthy, ones, and Handy Dryers was keen to achieve an environment where staff could safely perform to their best.
Sustainably delivering maximum comfort
This prompted Steve and the Handy Dryers team into action. Presenting a compelling case to the landlords, he suggested trialling Shadow Industrial’s systems on-site to demonstrate their efficacy, and convince them to sign-off on a full retrofit of the facility.
To win their hearts and minds, it was also about communicating what sets infrared apart from other types of heating.
Simply, the technology works by emitting focused radiant heat through a precision-engineered smooth parabola reflector; it heats the person, not the air around them. Wall-mounted and directed downward at individuals, the energy creates a comfortable and instant warmth, mimicking the gentle heat of the sun.
It’s fast becoming popular in warehouses and depots, as it’s easy to install with low energy consumption. It’s also unaffected by changes in air movement, making it particularly efficacious in draughty settings.
Climate-agnostic heating
With installation taking just 2 days, its benefits were soon felt. Not only were staff on site kept comfortably warm, energy bills quickly fell alongside emissions, by a massive 50% in the first month of use.
According to Handy Dryers’ Warehouse Manager, Martin Walker, “The installation of the 3kW Shadow Industrial Heaters and Shadow Infinity 12kW heaters has been a game-changer, not just in terms of keeping utility bills to a minimum, but also worker welfare. We had found the previous system expensive and ineffective, especially during winter when temperatures could wildly fluctuate as the door to the warehouse was opened and closed.”
As Shadow Industrial founder and MD, Steve Levy, says, “The problem with traditional, convection heating is that, as we all know hot air rises and, within seconds of being introduced into a space, ends up in the roof void, benefiting no-one. This means that energy-intensive blowers are used to syphon the heat back down. This is a fine, if roundabout method, if there’s nowhere for the air to escape. However in an operational warehouse, with goods constantly moving in and out, heating the air is a poor option. This makes methods like gas and electric central heating incredibly inefficient.
“By contrast, short wave infrared heats the people and the ground beneath their feet, making it incredibly efficient. it’s completely unaffected by atmospheric pressures and when correctly positioned, can keep an individual warm even if the door is open and the temperature outside is below zero. It’s no surprise that shortwave infrared heating is one of the fastest-growing and disruptive categories in the heating and ventilation sector.”
To find out more about Shadow Industrial’s infrared heating systems, click here.
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