The reasons for installing an air curtain can vary. In a café, where comfort is important for example, one wants to use as much of the floor area as possible, including near the doors, in order to have space for more customers.
In a large warehouse, which costs a lot to heat, one primarily wants to save energy. Both environments need air curtains to keep the heated air indoors and the cold air out. Frico’s SIRe control system can optimise either comfort, energy saving or a combination of these.
The control system is of key importance An open door is inviting and easy to pass through, but unfortunately it becomes cold and draughty indoors because heat escapes, also resulting in high energy bills. Frico’s air curtains effectively separate the indoor and outdoor climates. Comfort is improved and energy loss is reduced. How efficient an air curtain is and how much energy can be saved depends a lot on the control system. The conditions in the opening, which affect how the air curtain operates, vary over time. The variations can be long term, for example seasonal, or more temporary, for example the number of times that a door is opened or closed varies through the day. SIRe is an integrated, intelligent control, which automatically manages air curtain operation.
Save energy – maintain the comfort The easiest way to save energy is to save when lower output does not reduce the comfort and when the energy is not required. SIRe has several smart functions that save energy while retaining comfort. With door contacts installed, the air curtains only operate when the door is open. When the door closes the air curtain contributes to the heating of the premises or is switched off, depending on whether heating is required or not.
When the premises are not used, at night and at weekends, less heating is required. It is easy to lower the temperature several degrees using the weekly program. Reducing the temperature by one degree gives an energy saving of approximately 5 %.
SIRe measures the outdoor temperature and therefore knows what fan speed and which heating step is required for optimum comfort and greater energy savings.
A mistake made by many is to turn the temperature up to maximum when it is cold, which results in over temperature that impacts on comfort and energy consumption. To avoid this, one can limit the range for manual temperature setting.
Maximum energy savings In a warehouse, which costs a lot to heat, one primarily wants to maximise energy savings. By accepting that when the door is opened there will be a temporary fall in temperature in the premises, or that the temperature of the air from the air curtain will be a little colder, you can save a lot of energy, without compromising on comfort. Moving air is easily experienced as a draught. There is less comfort near the doorway without heating in the air curtain, even if the temperature in the room is normal. We recommend an outlet temperature of approximately 35-40 degrees for optimum comfort. By selecting Eco mode, the outlet temperature is limited and the energy consumption can be reduced by up to 35 %.
To prevent the heating being switched on, for example on a cool early summer morning when the rest of the day is hot, the heat in the air curtain will be blocked when the outdoor temperature is higher than +15 ° C. In this way the premises are not heated unnecessarily. You can choose to set the outdoor temperature limit lower, if you wish to make larger energy savings.
Maximum comfort In a café with tables near the door or in a small clothing boutique, comfort is usually the most important factor. With SIRe you get both comfort and energy savings, but if you want as much comfort as possible, select Comfort mode; the air that blows out of the air curtain is then at a high enough temperature that it feels warm and pleasant immediately.
When comfort is prioritised you can select the desired value of the room temperature to be automatically raised when the door is opened. The idea is that the heating should always operate when the door is opened.
Smart energy savings for water heated units It is possible to restrict the return water temperature on water heated units. The water flow is then initially reduced so that more of the energy in the water is utilised. A system that produces heating – a heat pump or a district heating system – becomes significantly more efficient at lower return temperatures and in many cases means a lower tariff.
A dirty filter significantly reduces the efficiency of an air curtain. An external filter switch or the integrated filter timer alerts you when it is time to clean the filter.
Three different levels SIRe is available in three different levels with different functionalities; Basic, Competent and Advanced. Basic includes basic functions covering manual control of fans and automatic heating with thermostats. Competent is an automatic solution for daily air curtain operation. Advanced is a fully automatic solution that includes everything from Competent as well as further smart functions. To read more about what is included in the different levels, see Control system SIRe.
Get more information about Frico air curtains and read which are the most suitable for you and your premises in the Product selection guide. For inspiration, also read An innovative air curtain with a lot of possibilities, an article about Frico's PA series.
Författare:
Björn Sandqvist, Product Manager
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