Combination Plant with SmartPlate EV

Compact Footprint
Image of combination plant
Image of combination plant

Boost Efficiency, Simplify Installation and Lower Costs

AERCO’s SmartPlate® EV indirect water heaters can be paired with several of our high-efficiency boiler solutions to create a smart, powerful combination plant that promotes system-wide energy efficiency in an ultra-compact design without compromising performance.

Our gas-fired Benchmark and CFR boilers as well as the electric Benchmark E boilers come with features which enable a direct two-way communication between the boiler units and the SmartPlate EV indirect water heater for optimal control and communication as well enhanced diagnostics and configuration capabilities to help ensure the system operates together at peak performance.

Read more about how advanced design features improve system-wide efficiency and create additional cost savings in this HPAC Engineering article.

5 Reasons to Choose a Combination Plant

 
Greater Efficiency

Greater Efficiency

Because a combination plant provides heat for both domestic hot water and space heating, and their loads tend to occur at different times of the day, the combination plant is able to reduce the peak design load and lower the overall heating capacity required by the system. As a result, a combination plant typically uses less gas-fired equipment to provide heat for the system as compared to two separate plants and is able to achieve greater efficiencies and increase energy savings.

Additionally, if pairing with our Benchmark boilers, the dual return feature, when paired with a low temperature application such as the SmartPlate EV, allow engineers to take full advantage of diverse load demands specific to a site and design a customized system that maximizes operation efficiencies by keeping cold water separate and creating a much larger condensing zone thereby enhancing boiler efficiency up to an additional 7 percent.

SmartPlate EV water heaters also minimize radiation losses and maximize boiler efficiency by utilizing the Benchmark’s boiler water as little as 5°F above the required potable water temperature.

Lower Installation Costs

Lower Installation Costs

A combination plant requires much less venting and gas connections compared to separate boiler and water heater systems that are installed individually.

Built by the same manufacturer, all three boiler solutions and SmartPlate EV are designed to work together seamlessly. The units feature common components as well as piping and fittings that connect easily, allowing you to save valuable time and money during installation.

And because the boilers provide heat for domestic hot water as well as space heating, you only need one redundant boiler instead of two redundant units (a redundant boiler and a redundant water heater).

Easy to Operate

Easy to Operate

The Edge Controller and mobile app significantly streamline and simplify startup and operation of the plant. With enhanced diagnostics and configuration capabilities, you can view and trend multiple parameters to optimize unit and plant performance. Up to 16 Benchmark, Benchmark E or CFR boilers and six SmartPlate EV water heaters can be connected and controlled via a single Edge Controller.

All three boiler solutions can write the domestic hot water setpoint on the SmartPlate EV units and all information can be sent to a MODBUS or BACnet BAS without the need of an external gateway device.

Compact Footprint

Compact Footprint

While the Benchmark boilers and CFR are some of the most compact boilers in the industry and easily fit through a standard doorway, the SmartPlate EV measures a tiny 24”x32” and features vertical piping that reduces the overall footprint even further and provides additional design flexibility.

Customizable to Fit your Needs

Customizable to Fit your Needs

The SmartPlate EV combination plant provides several options to best fit your building needs whether your project is new construction or retro-fit, including using temperature boost or swing valves to handle different supply temperature needs for space heating and domestic hot water.

Questions & Answers

Discover The Products

Benchmark Platinum front

Benchmark

750 - 6000 MBH

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Benchmark E

Benchmark E

216 kW - 684 kW

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CFR

CFR

1500 - 3000 MBH

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SmartPlate EV - Square

SmartPlate EV

500 - 4500 MBH

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Let's Discuss Your Project!

 

Contact an AERCO Specialist