Suppliers of: ground source energy ground heat exchanger underfloor heating

REHAU is one of the world’s leading polymer producers with more than 15,000 employees at 170 locations.

Focused on delivering ‘Unlimited Polymer Solutions’, it is the premium worldwide brand for polymer-based innovations and systems in building solutions, automotive and industry. Its international growth since it was founded in Germany 60 years ago has been based around expertise and innovative capabilities in materials development, systems design and surface technology.

In the UK and Ireland, REHAU has its headquarters in Ross on Wye and two large manufacturing facilities in Blaenau and Amlwch in North Wales. It also has regional sales offices in Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester and Slough and has recently invested in the REHAU FORUM London, a dedicated specification office in the Building Centre which showcases its newest innovations.

REHAU has pioneered the use of polymers in the construction industry – from PVC-U window systems to underfloor heating pipework, and continues to innovate in the sustainable energy sector to develop new applications for its advanced polymer materials, replacing conventional materials with more effective polymers.

Its core ranges include underfloor heating systems, the AWADUK T Thermo ground – air heat exchanger, polymer pipework for district heating systems and ground source energy probes.

Underfloor Heating Systems.
Targeted primarily at commercial applications and at the schools and hospital sectors, REHAU’s underfloor heating systems are based around REHAU’s own superior quality PE-Xa pipework and its renowned EVERLOC permanent compression sleeve jointing system.

With a track record extending over 30 years, REHAU’s strength lies both in product excellence and in design and installation expertise.

The company supplies a complete range of control systems for its underfloor heating, including a fully BMS compatible intelligent control system which enables underfloor heating to be fully integrated with BMS.

AWADUKT Thermo ground – air heat exchanger.
REHAU’s AWADUKT Thermo is a popular and cost effective way to pre-condition ventilation air.

The system works by drawing fresh, filtered air through a network of polypropylene pipes laid around 1.5m below ground where the temperature is between 8º and 12ºC all year round. The optimised polypropylene used for the pipework allows heat transfer to take place which effectively pre-warms the incoming air by as much as 9ºC in winter and pre-cools it by as much as 14ºC in summer, before it is delivered into the building via a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery unit. Crucially, a patented antimicrobial silver lining on the inside of the pipes helps to prevent microbial growth which could otherwise occur in the warm, damp environment.

In a commercial or schools environment, the system delivers a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of around 20 – far exceeding a heat pump which would typically achieve a COP of between 3 and 4.

RAUVITHERM and RAUTHERMEX for district heating.
REHAU’s polymer expertise is demonstrated in its solutions for the district heating sector. RAUVITHERM and RAUTHERMEX consist of pre-insulated, flexible single or double high performance PE-Xa pipework which is corrosion and abrasion resistant and has very high hydraulic performance. The corrugated polyurethane foam jacket offers optimum heat insulation whilst remaining water tight even if the outer skin is damaged. It is also longitudinally stable which means there is no change in the length of pipes laid underground due to temperature fluctuations while in operation.

Both systems are used extensively with renewable heat sources or in conjunction with biomass or biogas boilers.

Ground source energy probes.
REHAU offers a complete range of solutions for the collection and transfer of ground source energy – from RAUGEO probes suitable for deep borehole systems up to 400m in depth to compact Helix probe collectors for use in domestic applications.

REHAU can advise on the most appropriate solution for any application and can assist with design and technical specification, particularly in terms of assessing the peak and annual loads of a building and establishing the optimum number of bore holes and probes required and the load profile for the heat pump.

With the backing of a global business, REHAU has the resources in the UK to be able to provide specialist technical advice, professional training via its REHAU Academy and CPD programme and on site support to customers specifying and installing its product range.