A unique product from IBC boilers was recently chosen as The Most Innovative Product of the Year at the 2018 EnerQuality Awards, held Feb. 22 in Vaughn, Ont.
The company entered its Better Boiler DC Series Dual Condensing Appliance in the highly competitive Innovation Gauntlet, where manufacturers present their products in a competition similar to CBC’s Dragon’s Den.
“The IBC Better Boiler product is a forward thinking, adaptable technology with integration to smart homes. This is a truly unique product and was a clear leader in this year’s submissions,” said Shaun Joffe, executive director of sustainability & building sciences at home builder Great Gulf and judge of the Innovation Gauntlet participants.
IBC officials are quick to point out that their DC Series Dual Condensing Appliances are not ‘combi’ units. They are in fact two condensing appliances – a boiler and tankless water heater – in one cabinet with a double 2-in-1 back-to-back aluminum heat exchanger. It is certified as a boiler at 96 percent AFUE and a tankless water heater at .87 energy factor (EF).
This is a major advantage with today’s efficiency-driven building codes. For example, the Ontario SB-12 Building Code amendment requires that the space heating equipment must have a minimum AFUE rating of 92 to 96 percent, depending on which of six compliance paths the builder selects, and domestic water heaters must achieve a minimum EF rating of .67 to .80.
The IBC unit is approved for space heating and DHW in all six compliance packages of SB-12.
It features a high turndown ratio (15,000 – 96,000 Btu/h) coupled with a high mass heat exchanger design (40 lb. aluminum block). This means that even under micro load conditions the burner, in many cases, doesn’t need to fire.
The back-to-back design eliminates the need for a diverter valve or a secondary domestic hot water plate heat exchanger. There are only four moving parts and 11 parts in total.
Founded in 1998 by the Ontario Home Builders Association, EnerQuality (www.enerquality.ca) certifies energy efficient homes and delivers residential green building programs.