Paul Ravnbo-West at Triton Showers reveals how electric showers with Waste Water Heat Recovery (WWHR) capabilities can drive water and energy efficiency in new homes.
A blueprint for the next generation of zero-carbon-ready housing stock, the incoming Future Homes Standard (FHS) 2025 is set to mark a significant step forward in the UK’s commitment to reaching Net Zero by 2050.
To achieve this, however, the unenviable task of slashing carbon emissions in new homes by 75-80%, compared to those built under 2013 regulations, lies ahead for housebuilders across the nation.
As the largest domestic consumer of water and responsible for half of hot water demand generated, showers are a natural starting point for specifiers looking to make crucial energy and water savings.
Essential electrics
It is well documented that heat pumps are soon to become mandatory in new homes and to facilitate this, hot water cylinders will be needed to store and distribute hot water. These can reach up to 300 litres in size for a larger home with multiple bathrooms.
By heating water on demand from the cold mains supply, electric showers allow for the installation of smaller cylinders, saving money and space. This also eliminates the need to run taps while awaiting hot water – one of the most common sources of water waste.
Electric showers also tend to operate at lower flow rates than mixers, using less water per minute without sacrificing comfort. These features combined make them a viable solution for homes set for construction in water-stressed regions, where permitted water use is less than 110 litres per person per day.
The tighter limit – reduced from the standard 125 litres – is being adopted by a growing number of local authorities as part of planning conditions to safeguard developments against water scarcity.
A dynamic duo
The benefits of electric showers are amplified when paired with a Waste Water Heat Recovery System (WWHRS). These systems capture the heat from used shower water, which is normally lost down the drain, and use it to preheat incoming cold mains water. This then enters the electric shower unit, reducing the energy required to reach the desired temperature.
Not only does this passive process lower a household’s overall CO2 emissions and energy bills, but it also maintains consistent shower performance, particularly during colder months when mains water temperatures plummet.
This eliminates the longstanding perception that as incoming water temperature drops in winter, so does the performance of electric showers.
Above all, this duo supports grid resilience by lowering peak energy demand, particularly during morning and evening usage spikes. For developers, it offers a practical route to achieving compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations – outperforming mixers in key SAP metrics, including the Dwelling Emissions Rate (DER) and Dwelling Primary Energy Rate (DPER).
Industry innovations
ENlight with HeatRepeat, Triton’s first electric shower designed to connect to WWHRS, can reduce annual energy consumption by up to 51%, water usage by 44% and produce carbon savings of up to 37%, when compared to a mixer shower connected to a WWHRS.
When ENlight with HeatRepeat is connected to a WWHRS, the operational carbon emission savings, compared to a mixer shower, can negate its own embodied carbon footprint, including that of the WWHRS, in as little as three months.
Returning to end-user experience, the shower also delivers a spray of approximately five litres per minute when connected to a WWHRS, improving overall satisfaction.
Safeguarding future homes
As a major contributor to domestic water and energy consumption, it is essential that showering solutions are on hand to help specifiers build zero-carbon-ready homes, ensuring compliance across the board in the process.
Innovations like ENlight with HeatRepeat make certain that residents can also reap the rewards of a consistent, enjoyable showering experience and reduced energy bills throughout the year.
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