Under floor heating offers many cost savings to poultry businesses, but to get the full benefit, it needs to be coupled up with a sophisticated control system and a renewable source of heat, Farmers Weekly Interactive reports.
The biggest difference between under floor heating and traditional gas heating is that it uses radiant heating rather than convection, says Damian Baker of Norwich-based RenEnergy. "This means you don't get hit by waves of heat."
It also delivers heat where you need it. People tend to feel most comfortable with a temperature profile with warmer air at their feet and cooler air around the head. It is similar with birds, but traditional convection heaters give you the opposite. Furthermore, with gas burners you get high rates of convection, which leads to air currents moving bugs and mites around the house.
Another advantage of under floor heating is that litter is dryer, which is better for the health of the birds' feet.
In contrast with domestic and industrial uses, under floor systems are still in their infancy in the farming sector.
Baker also believes some producers are missing out on some of the potential cost savings because of poor control over water flow rates in the piping and temperature. "Existing systems that I have visited use a fixed flow rate, which for poultry means systems are operating at a higher water temperature than that is necessary. With modern systems, you can control the air temperature and set a minimum/maximum for the floor, therefore, giving you the right balance of heat. Fuel savings are further enhanced with the weather compensated flow temperature function, reducing the heat input on warmer days. It automatically adjusts the flow temperature using temperature probes outside the shed and buried in the floor. By having this extra control, you can save an extra 10-15% in running costs of under floor heating systems," he says.
Source: Farmers Weekly Interactive
