Advantages of electric heating; building design

Electric heating converts electrical energy into heat (by resistance, induction, arc or dielectric loss) for industrial, commercial and domestic uses.

Advantages of electric heating

1. Clean: no smoke, ash or flue gases; no need for chimneys or fuel storage.
2. Accurate temperature control by switches, thermostats and electronic controllers.
3. High efficiency: heat is produced directly in or near the charge; little is lost.
4. Uniform heating and heating of any desired part or depth (induction, dielectric).
5. Very high temperatures possible (arc furnace about 3000°C).
6. Quick starting, compact equipment and low labour cost.
7. Safe to operate; can be automated.
8. Heat can be produced in non-conducting materials (dielectric heating) and inside metals (induction heating).

Building design considerations for electric heating

The aim is to keep the heating load (and electricity bill) low while maintaining comfort.

1. Thermal insulation: walls, roof and floor should be insulated (low U-value) to reduce conduction loss; insulated roofs are most important since warm air rises.
2. Windows and glazing: double glazing, proper window area and orientation; south-facing windows in Nepal for solar gain in winter.
3. Air tightness and ventilation: seal gaps to reduce infiltration, but give controlled ventilation for fresh air; heat-recovery ventilation where possible.
4. Thermal mass: heavy materials (brick, stone, concrete) store heat and smooth temperature swings; useful with off-peak storage heaters.
5. Building orientation and shape: compact shape reduces surface area per volume; orientation to use sun and avoid cold wind.
6. Heat-loss calculation: room-by-room heat loss (conduction + ventilation) to size heaters correctly.
7. Choice and location of heaters: convectors, radiant heaters, under-floor or storage heaters placed under windows or near outer walls.
8. Controls and tariff: thermostats, timers and zoning; use off-peak/time-of-day tariff for storage heating.
9. Wiring capacity: circuits and protection rated for heater load; separate circuits for heavy heaters.