Since the original Baxi company was founded over 150 years ago, the Baxi Group has always been at the forefront of new technological developments in the sector. With growing concern about climate change, Baxi Group is investing heavily in R&D to continue to be a leader in a rapidly evolving field.
Micro CHP and fuel cells - a new era for boilers
Baxi Group, along with other manufacturers, has been improving the efficiency of conventional boilers for a number of years with the development of high efficiency condensing boilers that are at least 89.9% efficient.
Baxi Group is also a lead player in the development of microCHP technologies. MicroCHP boilers allow houses and commercial locations to become mini-power stations in their own right, generating power to run equipment and appliances, while providing space heating and hot water. At off peak times, when demand for electricity is low, any surplus electricity generated can also be exported back into the electricity grid systems.
Baxi Group is working on the development of three different microCHP technologies - internal combustion engines (ICE), free piston stirling engines (FPSE), and Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC).
Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) proven microCHP technology
Baxi Senertec has been developing and manufacturing microCHP units, based on internal combustion engine technology, for more than a decade and has installed more than 20,000 units in Europe. The prime product is the successful Dachs unit which is most suitable for commercial applications and domestic locations which have above average energy requirements. The units offer a thermal output of 12.5kW and an electrical output of 5.5kW. The unit can operate on a variety of different fuels including natural gas, LPG, fuel oil and biodiesel and offers an excellent overall efficiency of around 90%. Recent additions and improvements to the product have included the introduction of a rape seed version and the inclusion of MSR2 (Smart Control) electronics which offer a variety of features including remote monitoring and diagnostics.
Free Piston Stirling Engines - micro-CHP for the average size home
Baxi Group researchers expect to introduce a new 'green' microCHP boiler suitable for a wider range of domestic applications in the UK in late 2008. It is estimated that the new microCHP device could reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by more than 1 tonne per household per year (the average CO2 emissions from a UK household, for example, is around 7 tonnes a year). Baxi choose FPSE technology as their preferred short term domestic CHP platform as it offers some unique advantages in terms of very low noise levels and good reliability. Baxi Group is working on the development of FPSE technology with a consortium involving the Microgen Engine Corporation and other key players in the European heating market.
Baxi Group is currently engaged in large scale field trials with a domestic unit which offers 24kW thermal and 1kW electrical output. The units have the ability to modulate on the thermal output matching the heat demand while maximising the electrical generation. While development is completing on this unit, Baxi Group is gearing up for the next phase of development which will see different product configurations offering different thermal outputs.
Fuel Cells - Another new technology
Using hydrogen, derived from natural gas, a fuel cell is a revolutionary way of generating power to heat water and space with low emissions. PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells) are particularly suited to micro CHP applications as due to their low operating temperature they have a relatively rapid start up cycle.
Baxi Group currently has a beta 1.5 plus PEM fuel cell operating on natural gas, which has a nominal 3kW thermal and 1.5kW electrical output, although the unit is typically supplied with a condensing boiler which can offer an additional 15kW thermal output. Baxi Group is currently engaged in more than 15 fully function field trials throughout Europe in which they are monitoring the performance of the unit in domestic applications. Baxi Group is looking at introducing a Gamma unit in 2009 and then completing extensive field trials before launching a commercial product.
Renewable technologies
Apart from its work developing more efficient and environmentally viable gas boilers, Baxi Group has demonstrated its commitment to the renewables market with a range of products.
Solar: Baxi Group has a full range of solar solutions, including flat plate collectors, vacuum tube collectors, thermo siphon, controls, pumps, solar water tanks and adapts the offer according to the needs and habits in each particular market.
Heat Pumps: Baxi Group offers several ranges of heat pumps, both ground source and air source, all offering outstanding performance. A range of products provide different output temperatures according to the application, with the choice of ambient heating with or without domestic hot water.
Boilers and Biomass
Biomass, where heat is generated by burning organic matter, is another renewable technology that is being hailed as one of the most important fuels worldwide after coal, oil and natural gas.
Baxi Group has a range of biomass boilers available, which can be fuelled with logs, wood pellets, wood chips or grain. These 'carbon neutral' products are mainly being installed in rural and self-build properties, and are popular in areas where wood supplies are abundant.
The most economically viable biomass installations are in non-mains-gas areas, but costs can vary as the distance between the property and the fuel supplier makes a significant difference. Payback can vary between households, but in the best case - where there is a local fuel source - a homeowner could be looking at recovering the costs of the installation in financial terms in four to five years, while at the same time helping to preserve the environment by reducing their own carbon footprint.
