Newcastle United Football Club, St. James' Park, aiming to optimise energy consumption and improve overall efficiency, implemented Optiburner units in its plant rooms to enhance boiler operations. This case study highlights the significant energy savings achieved through this innovative approach, with data directly measured and independently certified, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Optiburner optimiser in practical applications.
Newcastle United Football Club relies on a range of 19 gas boilers from Hamworthy to Hoval, collectively providing approximately 6,000 kW for heating and hot water across its facilities. Traditional methods for determining energy savings through metered consumption face challenges due to the need for constant conditions and lengthy observation periods. To overcome these issues, Dynamic Energy Products (DEP) introduced a more efficient "Short-Term Test" approach. This method involved a dynamic testing cycle in which the Optiburner units were alternately switched "in" and "out" of the circuit every 50 boiler cycles, allowing quick observation of gas savings without extensive adjustments.
The Optiburner units were installed on the 11 largest boilers to regulate their operation, optimising firing patterns to reduce gas consumption while maintaining required heating levels. Over a short test period, the Optiburner system was intermittently activated and deactivated, measuring and comparing the gas burner's cooling and firing times. The downloaded data, provided to Newcastle FC one month post-installation, clearly showed reduced energy consumption when the Optiburner units were operational.
Data from the test periods revealed that the Optiburner units achieved savings of 12% to 30%, with higher savings on water heater boilers, which generally have shorter cycles. On average, the first phase of the project achieved a 16% reduction in gas consumption, equivalent to 940,000 kWh saved, and a 180,000 kg reduction in CO₂ emissions. The effectiveness of the Optiburner optimiser was further corroborated by extensive real-world data collected across multiple sites, aligning with its consistently demonstrated savings performance.
Further analysis demonstrated that optimising boiler cycles and integrating with existing Building Management Systems (BMS) led to substantial energy savings without affecting heating system performance. The approach reduced unnecessary firing cycles, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Optiburner solution in real-world conditions.
Implementing the Optiburner units at Newcastle United Football Club's St. James' Park resulted in substantial gas and CO₂ savings, translating to significant financial and environmental benefits. The 16% reduction in gas usage achieved a payback period of just five months, while the installation of ValveWrap flexible insulation on 340 unwrapped fittings contributed an additional 189,000 kWh and 82,000 kg of CO₂ savings, with a payback period of 13 months.
The installation of Optiburner units at Newcastle United Football Club's St. James' Park proved to be a highly effective energy-saving measure. The clear, measurable reduction in gas consumption and emissions, achieved without compromising heating system performance, underscores the Optiburner optimiser's value as a practical, efficient energy optimisation tool. This case study illustrates how targeted energy-saving technologies can deliver significant financial and environmental benefits in large-scale facilities.
Contact us for a no-obligation consultation. Our energy efficiency specialist will explain how the Optiburner boiler optimiser works and create a customised optimisation plan tailored to your business. This plan ensures a strong ROI, maximises energy savings, and reduces carbon emissions. We also offer full maintenance of the boiler optimiser as part of the package, giving you complete peace of mind.
During the site visit, our skilled engineers will carefully assess the compatibility of your boiler and heating systems. This thorough process is crucial to designing an optimal boiler optimisation setup that maximises energy savings, reduces fuel consumption, and guarantees payback within 2 years. We will then schedule an installation date that works best for your business.
Our highly-skilled engineers will install the Optiburner units in your boiler room and ensure everything complies with current health and safety regulations. The Optiburner software will be updated and fine-tuned for your boiler type to ensure maximum performance and energy savings. The installation process is quick, minimally disruptive, and guarantees the safety and efficiency of your operations.
After installation and testing, our engineers will recommend supply and fit options, including retrofit installation and valve insulation. You will receive quick training on operating the Optiburner units and using the remote download feature to monitor and report energy savings easily. Expect to save 15% or more on energy bills over a year, with results in the downloadable Savings Report directly from the Optiburner system.
