Thermotechnology

www.effizienzhaus-online.de Unique, neutral online portal for energy efficiency upgrades Bosch Thermotechnology presents cross-disciplinary Internet platform

  • Online planning of home improvements from the heating system to the roof
  • Free individual online advice with concrete results
  • Establishment of contacts between building owners and certified experts from all trades as well as architects and energy consultants
With its new Internet platform www.effizienzhaus-online.de, Bosch Thermotechnology launches a unique portal for building owners looking to modernise their one or two-family home. At its heart is the first cross-disciplinary building configurator powered by a vendor-neutral calculation engine developed by the Fraunhofer Institute. This allows owners to plan home improvement projects from the heating system to the roof. The new portal pools all information on energy efficiency upgrades and offers straightforward advice to help end users find the right energy-efficient solution because home improvements are usually also made to cut energy costs. In addition, users benefit from useful functions such as a subsidy and loan calculator as well as a forum for the exchange of information with other building owners modernising or renovating their home. In a project diary, users can store all relevant data and comment on the progress of their home improvement project. If they wish, they can give other users access to this information.

Easy planning of energy efficiency upgrades
At www.effizienzhaus-online.de, users can create a profile of their home free of charge and without registration with just a few clicks. All they have to do is enter easily obtainable data such as the floor space, age and structure of the building. This is facilitated by the intuitive operation of the so-called building configurator, whose logic is based on the calculation engine of the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics. Once all data have been entered, the system calculates customised, optimised modernisation proposals. The building configurator takes all improvements into account that are necessary and make sense: modernisation of the roof, replacement of windows, insulation of external walls and intermediate ceilings, photovoltaic systems and heating technology. Users can examine the individual measures proposed and adapt them to their wishes. A platform listing all relevant energy-related businesses, architects and energy consultants helps find and contact the right partners. To prepare the first meeting, users can forward the configuration directly to the expert via the portal or post a concrete online request for quotation at www.effizienzhaus-online.de.

Costs and subsidies at a glance
A subsidy and loan calculator completes the range of services offered at www.effizienzhaus-online.de. It provides important information that facilitates the cost planning of home improvement projects. In case of complex projects, owners can receive both high-quality energy consulting and construction supervision services via the portal. This ensures high-quality implementation of the plans. After successful completion of the home improvement project, an energy performance certificate can, moreover, be ordered at www.effizienzhaus-online.de as proof of the energy efficiency upgrade. In addition, an energy check shows whether the targeted heating energy consumption corresponds to the actual consumption.

The new website:
www.effizienzhaus-online.de
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  • March 20, 2013
  • Press releases
  • Thermotechnology
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Bosch Thermotechnology Annual press conference 2013 ISH Energy 2013 in Frankfurt

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  • March 12, 2013
  • Press kit
  • Thermotechnology
  • Presseinformations: 4

Stable business trend in 2012 Bosch Thermotechnology sets course for more growth Sales outside Europe up by 26 percent

  • Gas remains the No. 1 fuel in Europe
  • Apps enable online control and monitoring of heating systems
  • Fuel cell heating system cuts power bills for home owners
Wetzlar/Frankfurt – After a stable business trend in 2012, the Bosch Thermotechnology Division intends to grow at an accelerated pace in the coming years. “The course has been set – we will launch a host of interesting innovations such as a power-generating heating system based on a fuel cell. We want to grow notably, primarily in our core business, i.e. heating and domestic hot water in Europe, but also in Asia and Russia, and we also intend to expand our global large-scale plant business,” said Uwe Glock, President of the Board of Management of the Thermotechnology Division, on the occasion of the ISH Energy, the world's largest energy and A/C technology exhibition in Frankfurt. “We expect moderate growth for the current fiscal year, which will be driven mainly by the good business trend in the BRIC countries.” Bosch Thermotechnology's business in Europe remained stable in 2012, with the company generating EUR 3.1 billion in sales, the same volume as in 2011. Outside Germany, Bosch Thermotechnology reported strong growth of 26 percent, especially in Russia and China.

Four new local production facilities in growth markets
Bosch Thermotechnology continued to expand its international presence in 2012. In Brazil, the company took over Heliotek Maquinas e Equipamentos in Sao Paulo, a manufacturer of heat pumps and solar thermal systems. In China, the company acquired Oak, a manufacturer of highly efficient heat pumps and air-handling systems headquartered in Quindao. In July 2012, a new production plant for solar thermal systems was opened in Kumbalgodu, South India, where Bosch Thermotechnology manufactures flat collectors especially for the Indian market. In April 2013, construction of a new production facility for industrial boilers and wall-hung condensing boilers will commence in the Russian city of Engels. Production is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2014. “Russia is one of the biggest growth markets. Our new production facility takes us closer to the customer and will allow us to tailor our products to local requirements,” said Uwe Glock.

“Gas age” in the EU – focus on the European core market
Bosch Thermotechnology expects no recovery in its European core market, especially in the first half of 2013. According to the latest forecasts, growth in this region will remain moderate until 2020, with annual growth rates between 1 and 3 percent. “And this although some 15 million heating systems in Germany alone actually need to be replaced. Three in four heating systems do not even use the flue heat,” said Uwe Glock. “We ask politicians to create a clear legal framework for the modernisation of buildings, which would be an effective contribution to climate protection. The fact that the debate about subsidy schemes has been going on for years has caused uncertainty among many home owners, who have therefore postponed any further investments.”

In spite of the difficult situation, Bosch Thermotechnology intends to grow primarily in Europe. “We want to win additional market share,” said Uwe Glock. “The trend towards gas continues unabated, especially towards condensing technology, to combinations with renewables and to CHP solutions. The growing price gap between gas and electricity suggests that gas will become the dominating fuel by the end of the decade, especially in modernisation projects. Our innovative product range puts us in an excellent position to participate in this trend towards the new gas era.”

Smart heating solutions for a “connected life”
One of the innovations pushed ahead by Bosch Thermotechnology is the connection of heating systems to the Internet. This enables home owners to adjust their heating systems to changing weather conditions, e.g. a sudden onset of winter, even when they are not at home. For this purpose, Bosch Thermotechnology has developed a number of apps which allow heating systems to be controlled via a smartphone, tablet computer or PC. Moreover, problems can be identified quickly and the first maintenance steps be taken by way of remote diagnosis. Heating engineers can obtain potentially required spare parts in advance, which speeds up the maintenance or repairs.

“There is a trend from traditional heating systems to smart heating and to smart homes,” said Uwe Glock. Web-enabled heating systems will become an important component of smart home systems, which can control different devices and systems via a shared software platform. Such platforms are developed by Bosch Software Innovations, the software and systems house of the Bosch Group. “This shows in what way the knowledge and experience of other Bosch divisions give us a lead over competition. Further examples are the injection nozzles and Lambda probes used in the new gas condensing boiler Buderus Logano plus GB 145, which were developed by Bosch Automotive Technology.”

Fuel cell heating system for private homes
At the ISH, Bosch Thermotechnology will present a new fuel cell heating system for one and two-family homes and small commercial buildings. Japanese technology company Aisin Seiki supplies the power generating module. Thanks to the system’s internal power generation, total annual electricity costs are cut by 25 to 40 percent. At the same time, carbon emissions are reduced by 50 percent compared to a conventional heating system. As a partner in “ene.field” (www.enefield.eu), the largest European demonstration project for fuel cell systems, Bosch Thermotechnology will install some 70 systems in Germany, the UK, France and the Netherlands starting next year.

Contact for journalists:
Silke Bartels
Phone +49 6441 418-1711
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  • March 12, 2013
  • Press releases
  • Thermotechnology

ISH Energy 2013 in Frankfurt Bosch presents “Condition Monitoring basic” for industrial boilers Preemptive condition monitoring

    Other trade fair highlights include:
  • Efficient combination of a combined heat and power unit with a 4-pass boiler cuts costs by up to 40 percent
  • Utilising waste heat potential with ORC technology
  • A glance into the future of system controls
Gunzenhausen/Frankfurt – At ISH Energy in Frankfurt, the world's leading trade fair for sanitary, heating and air conditioning technology, Bosch presents its new preemptive condition monitoring solution for large boiler plants. “Condition Monitoring basic” has a positive effect on consistently high system efficiency and availability of steam boilers, hot water boilers and heating boilers. It analyses and evaluates the system data and displays them in a transparent way using the traffic light model. The calculation algorithms also produce forecasts. Modes of operation which lead to inefficiency, increase wear or cause unplanned downtime can thus be identified at an early stage and avoided.

“Condition Monitoring basic” recognises, for example, unfavourable start-up conditions, emerging water and waste gas contamination or threatening corrosion. Moreover, maintenance reports are generated on request. High data transparency facilitates optimum boiler operation. The display of the boiler load profile over the course of time as well as the measurement and display of energy losses highlight optimisation opportunities.

A perfect match: CHP plant with a 4-pass boiler system
Another innovation presented by Bosch at ISH Energy is the conventionally fired 3-pass boiler with an additional integrated fourth smoke tube pass. This allows the very efficient combination of a combined heat and power unit with a large boiler; the flue gas from the CHP plant is used directly in the fourth pass of the steam boiler. This reduces the costs for the system operator by 20 to 40 percent compared to a separate waste heat boiler. Bosch can offer its customers all the components of this complete solution from a single source.

Utilising waste heat potential with ORC technology
At ISH Energy, Bosch furthermore showcases an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system. ORC solutions convert waste heat into electrical energy. They are suitable for all situations where large quantities of otherwise unusable waste heat are produced, e.g. in conjunction with a combined heat and power unit.

A glance into the future of system controls
An important issue for the future is the development of multifunctional system controls for large-scale systems. A prototype is exhibited by Bosch at ISH Energy. The new control unit permits to combine various products such as a boiler, combined heat and power unit and accumulator to form an efficient energy system linked by a single operating interface. It has been designed with a focus on energy monitoring: Energy flows and costs can be easily monitored and recorded. Standard web browsers provide access to the system from a standard PC, laptop, tablet PC or smartphone.

In addition to these new solutions, Bosch demonstrates its high system expertise and experience at ISH Energy inspired by the theme “Leaders in large thermal plants”. Bosch has accumulated extensive project know-how by supplying more than 110,000 systems for industrial, commercial, residential and public buildings as well as local and district heating suppliers worldwide. Bosch's modular systems extend from heat supply systems based on industrial boiler plants, large-scale solar energy systems and heat pumps to combined heat and power units and ORC systems for waste heat recovery. Bosch is a strong partner to its customers at every stage of the project, from planning and support to after-sales.

Contact for journalists:
Markus Tuffner
Phone +49 9831 56 248
markus.tuffner@de.bosch.com

Bosch Industriekessel GmbH, part of the Bosch Thermotechnik GmbH, has stood for innovation in industrial boiler technology for more than 145 years. Boiler systems for steam, hot water and heating, manufactured to customers' specification, provide efficient heating and process heat for all applications. Boiler house components, which are modular in design and perfectly coordinated, together with intelligent regulation and control technology, significantly simplify the planning, installation and commissioning of the complete system. Comprehensive service support from one source rounds off the innovative product portfolio.

Further information ist available online at www.bosch-industrial.com .

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services, active in the fields of automotive technology, energy and building technology, industrial technology, and consumer goods. According to preliminary figures, more than 306,000 associates generated sales of 52.3 billion euros in 2012. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 350 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Bosch spent some 4.5 billion euros for research and development in 2012, and applied for over 4,700 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group's products and services are designed to fascinate, and to improve the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. In this way, the company offers technology worldwide that is “Invented for life.”

Further information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com.

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  • March 12, 2013
  • Press releases
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