Nick Gander and Rod Davies of Energy Carbon are bringing high-tech German infra-red heating technology to the UK. Here, they explain how it has the potential to help make Britain’s houses more energy efficient than ever before.
Fast-moving Brighton start-up Energy Carbon is offering a convenient, cost-effective and energy-efficient heating solution that could help drastically cut the UK’s carbon emissions.
How? By harnessing the power of infra-red.
Company founder Nick Gander has been passionate about infra-red heat for years. Intrigued by its possible health benefits, his initial investigations led him to start working on infra-red spa products, and thermal coats for horses.
“I could see infra-red had massive potential,” Nick explains. “We all know that climate change poses probably the greatest threat we’ve faced as a species in our history. To prevent the worst effects of it, we need to dramatically reduce our environmental impact in the decades ahead.
“In Britain, heating is the biggest source of carbon emissions of all, accounting for 37% of our total output – and if we’re serious about combating climate change, we need a revolution in the way we heat our homes and workplaces.
“This is where infra-red could make a massive difference. Most conventional heating works on the principle of convection.
“Radiators draw cold air from the floor, pull it across the heat source, which causes it to heat up and rise to the ceiling. When that air cools, it falls, and the cycle begins again.
“The problem with that is it takes time. The process needs to repeat until the whole air mass in a room has warmed up, which is slow, and therefore uses a lot of electricity. What’s more, all it takes is for someone to open a door and you’re back to square one.”
Infra-red: quick, safe and cost-effective
Infra-red, on the other hand, is much quicker and more economical. Infra-red radiation warms the objects in a room, rather than the empty space – and those objects then go on to radiate heat themselves. Its speedier, occupiers feel the benefit quicker, and it uses less electricity as a result.
But as Nick discovered, at the time, the technology wasn’t without its problems.
“In the early days, the infra-red sector was a very frustrating place to be. The technology had so much potential, but the implementation was often very poor.
“The products themselves were being made in tiny workshops on trading estates, and the quality just wasn’t there.
“I always used to say, ‘I wish they made this in Germany’. I knew that, given Germany’s history of engineering excellence, and rigorous testing and accreditation regimes, the Germans would do the concept justice.
“At the time, no German firms were making it – and so I drifted away from the sector, slightly disillusioned.”
Perfecting infra-red
But then, years later, Nick chanced upon a respected German manufacturer that had taken up the infra-red gauntlet.
Students at the University of Stuttgart had worked for six years to perfect an infra-red heating solution that was easy to fit, extremely energy efficient, and exceptional enough to earn some of Germany’s most stringent accreditations, including TUV certification.
The thin heating fleece can be installed under the roof plaster to provide the same safe, healthy infra-red heat babies receive in incubators. Its zone controllable, can integrate with smart devices, and, crucially, uses very little energy.
“When I first came across it, I couldn’t believe it,” Nick continues. “The Germans had tackled all the issues that had plagued earlier infra-red products.
“A lot of other infra-red solutions are made using a laminating process, which traps copper connections between layers of plastic film – but if the material delaminates, the product stops working.
“The new product is the only one of its kind that’s homogenously bonded, meaning delamination isn’t an issue.
“What’s more, the material is thin enough to incorporate holes of up to 70mm to allow for wiring and light fittings, and even if it gets torn during installation, it’s still safe, and continues to provide good heating coverage.
“I knew I’d finally found a product that fulfilled infra-red’s potential”.
Future-proofing Britain’s homes
At the start of 2020, Energy Carbon was born, after Nick and fellow director Rod Davies won the exclusive contract to distribute this cutting-edge German technology to customers in the UK.
“Looking back, it probably wasn’t the best time to launch an exciting new startup,” Rod comments. “At the time, none of us knew how drastically the coronavirus pandemic would transform the way millions of us live and work.
“But now lockdown restrictions have significantly eased, we’re ready to bring future-proof infra-red heating to housebuilders around Britain.
“The UK has made an extremely ambitious commitment to reach net zero carbon by 2050. The government’s new Future Homes Standard will demand that new-build homes include ‘low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency’.
“Infra-red heating can help us do that. It lasts longer, costs less and has lower whole-life carbon that many of the alternatives currently on the market – and if you’d like to learn more, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Energy Carbon today. You can call 0203 507 1659, or email hello@energycarbon.co.uk.
“We look forward to hearing from you!”
