Since their invention in the 18th century, boiler prototypes and modern boilers have been used as a heat source. Although the first boilers are primitive to the boilers we have today, providing heat and hot water supply efficiently and effectively is still a necessity and a priority.
Over the past 150 years, boilers have been an effective solution for many facilities, specifically in the healthcare and education industries. However, recent industry trends show that many facilities have begun to move away from installing new boilers or are replacing their current ones with multiple smaller hot water boilers.
With this emerging trend, facility managers and stakeholders have started to evaluate whether this new solution is right for their facility. Although there is a shortage of qualified people to work on steam boilers, due to an ageing workforce with specialty skills, moving away from steam to keep up with industry trends might not provide the forecasted long-term benefits.
Like other industries facing a myriad of change, the MEP industry is not immune to trending solutions impacting critical decisions. However, replacing a large steam boiler with multiple smaller ones can result in less emergency efficiency overall, higher service costs due to multiple units, less dependability, and a reduced lifespan.
When thinking about moving away from steam towards trending solutions, it's important to take a holistic approach and understand the overall capabilities, reliability, energy produced, and the potential for expansion that steam boilers still offer. Understanding the implication of industry trends is paramount, and often a blend or a hybrid solution that considers both current and future needs is the answer.
For more information about boilers and boiler services, click here.*
This article is part of a boiler blog series. Click here to read part two.
*The Brandt Companies is a Southland Industries company.
This article was written by a Southland Industries team member.
