For the all-encompassing solution, without the inconvenience or discomfort caused by constantly opening and closing doors – air curtains fit the bill perfectly. Airbloc energy efficient air curtains cut energy loss by over 80% and deliver a uniform flow of air to separate the interior and exterior atmospheres, maintain the internal climate, offer significant cost savings and deliver vastly improved worker comfort.
A system which fits the bill
Providing a comfortable and safe working environment is a must for every business owner. However the opening and closing of external doorways is unpreventable in shops and every time this happens warm air escapes and cold air enters. This makes a huge difference to fuel costs.
As well as the inevitable increase in energy bills, opening and closing external doors will also affect the internal temperatures and reduce the comfort levels for employees – especially those working close to the doorway. And with many shops storing perishable items, temperature sensitive stocks can also be compromised.
Comparative temperature readings show a drop of between 4°C and 10°C every time a shop door is opened. However, with an air curtain the difference is normally just 1°C. With an over door air curtain, energy lost through open doors which was previously seen as unavoidable, can actually be reduced by as much as 80%.
Air curtains are so effective in separating internal and external environments that doorways can remain open all day with very little effect on the heating system’s energy consumption with relatively little detriment to internal comfort conditions.
Putting a stop to energy loss
Energy efficient air curtains such as those supplied by Airbloc, can be positioned directly over or down the side of a doorway. When doors are opened in heated buildings, colder external air flows in through the bottom part of the opening, while internal air flows out through the upper part. In air conditioned buildings, the opposite applies. Over door air curtains deliver a uniform flow of air across the full door width that separates the interior and exterior atmospheres.
As well as their energy saving capacity, air curtains also have ‘hidden’ benefits. Over door air curtains induce warm air down from high level that would otherwise be lost through the roof, thus helping to de-stratify the building and eliminate cold spots. Among the air curtains new developments is a fresh design that promotes a laminar airflow and includes deep profile aerofoil section air straightening vanes. These improve the efficiency of climate separation between the indoor and outdoor environment, compared to previous models.
Furthermore, when combined with an energy-saving control unit such as the SmartElec³ from Airbloc, both power consumption and energy costs can be reduced by up to 50%. The attractive unit offers a number of control options to suit all applications including thermostats linked to door closed sensors that turn units down or off to increase energy saving. Outside temperature sensors can also turn off in warmer times, whilst timers will ensure the units only operate when required.
The latest addition to the SmartElec³ is the proportional control algorithm which drives the leaving air temperature of the door curtain up when the outside temperature drops and reduces the leaving air temperature as the outside temperature increases – thus giving a fully automatic control which delivers huge energy savings.
Businesses looking to cut their energy bills don’t have to turn down the heating or turn off the air conditioning system. With a simple and effective installation of air curtains on the shop doors, businesses can keep employees happy, save money on bills and finally shut the door on unnecessary energy loss.
