Prefect Controls has been providing a traditional heat loss calculation service for many years to accurately determine heating output required for projects they were involved with.
Their calculations, prepared by professional surveyors, combine the thermal transmittance co-efficient or U-values of all the elements of the external fabric, the volume of spaces and the ventilation rate. They also consider the construction methods and materials, window and door aperture positioning, type of glazing, the dimensions of the room and the position of each room in the building.
For large projects such as student accommodation these calculations are critical in optimising energy requirements across a university’s estate and only those prepared by qualified surveyors should be used.
To help in the initial stages of planning a project Prefect has developed its own online calculator. The innovation in using building regulations information, of the period when properties were constructed or renovated, improves the accuracy of the calculations and negates the need to search for hard-to-find detail such as glazing or insulation thicknesses.
The calculator asks for basic site and room information then does the maths and advises the size of heater required.
This online calculator is more accurate than many seen on HVAC company websites, but it should be stressed that it is not intended as a replacement for professionally prepared calculations by a qualified surveyor.