ECOTHERM, a leading brand for turnkey hot water and steam systems for hotels, hospitals and industry in the Middle East, has developed fibre-fleece insulation for hot water tanks that is claimed to significantly reduce heat loss in the standby mode, saving 10 to 30 per cent energy compared with any standard rigid or soft foam insulation.

The insulating polyester fibre-fleece for tanks from 200 to 20,000 litres volume comes with a patented aluminium closure strip that allows for simple and quick opening of the outer cover by a single person, thereby making servicing and maintenance easy.

The material is produced from recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles with no chemical additives and is itself 100 per cent recyclable. It is flame retardant to DIN 4102-1 in the building material groups B1 or B2.

This apart, the newly-developed covering rosettes for the connecting sleeves provide an optimal and completely reliable seal through their self-locking seat while the tight and secure fit prevents any heat loss at the connection points, according to Herbert Bremstaller, Ecotherm CEO and founder.

“The contemporary woven polyester insulation achieves significantly better results in terms of heat loss than standard foam insulation and at a lower budget. The material has already been used over several years in the clothing industry and is use in the automotive industry. Fibre-fleece fits perfectly to the shape of the tank,” he says.

Ecotherm also offers individualised design printing. “Ecotherm can print the cover individually to suit the requirements of our customers. This visual enhancement is particularly valuable when the tanks are placed in visible indoor or outdoor locations. The tough outer coat made of PP (polypropylene) is easy to transport and extremely impact resistant, with fading of the skin being unlikely,” says Bremstaller.

The new fibre-fleece insulation with a patented closure strip is designed for use on hot water tanks

“Our clients receive custom-designed Ecotherm systems of the highest quality backed by a premium service, ranging from planning, manufacturing, supply, supervision and commissioning to after-sales service from one single source,” he adds.

All Ecotherm systems are equipped with the new insulation.

Ecotherm also offers companies complete systems for their own insulation production.

Ecotherm recently showcased its products at the Saudi Build exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in October, where it focused on the use of renewable energies for hot water and steam generation

At the show, Ecotherm presented the new photovoltaic module EPVM-2128 for the first time. The high-capacity module, an innovation in the renewable energies, can be installed on the roof without any support system or fixing to the roof membrane, thanks to its innovative housing construction. Additionally, the module provides insulation to the building. The support construction, which is closed on all sides, is made of corrosion-resistant steel plate.

“With only a 10-degree installation angle at a 16-degree angle of shade, the roof surface can be used effectively. Individual modules can be easily connected together via the base support plate with metal-lips,” he says.

The module has a surface of about 1.28 sq m, measuring 1,580 by 808 by 50 mm and weighs less than 13 kg. The photovoltaic module is tested aerodynamically and has proved to resist wind forces of 180 kmph.

Commenting on the participation, Bremstaller says: “We’ve already realised many “firsts’ in Saudi Arabia. Our goal at Saudi Build was to generate new contacts in order to expand our activities in this very interesting market. The feedback of the visitors was overwhelming. Additionally to the contacts of the exhibition, we presented Ecotherm to an important planning office in Riyadh.”

Ecotherm is a brand of Ecotherm Austria, which has its headquarters in Hartkirchen, Austria. Founded in 1996, the company’s product portfolio comprises turnkey systems for boilers, steam, solar and electro water heaters, solar and photovoltaic systems, industrial products and lifestyle products made of stainless steel. Thousands of its systems have been installed in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North Africa and Central America. The group, which employs 110 employees worldwide, registered a turnover of €22 million ($29.65 million) for the financial year 2010-2011. Additional branches of the group are in the UAE (two), Kuwait, Hungary, Mexico and Shanghai (China).

Ecotherm Austria is a TUV-tested welding company certified to ISO 9001:2008 for calculation, design, production and sale of pressure vessels, heat exchangers and hot water and steam systems.