Author: admin Date: June 25, 2009

Buderus: Profile of a Heating Brand

CATEGORIES: ENERGY CONSERVATION, GREEN, GREEN LIVING, HEATING OIL SAVINGS

If experience counts, Germanys vernerable Buderus, with nearly 300 years in the heating business, is hard to beat. Though its one of Europes oldest companies, Buderus has been operating in the US only since 1990. BBT (Bosch Buderus Thermotechnik) North America imports and distributes hot water boilers, domestic hot water storage tanks, climate and energy controls, panel radiators, and other hot water heating accessories, which are sold and serviced through an extensive network of dealers 45 in New York state alone. In 2007, BBT North America was named the National Association of Oil Heating Service Managers (NAOSHM) Manufacturer of the Year. Since 2004, Buderus has been part of Bosch Buderus Thermotechnik heaquarted in Wetzlar, Germany. Bosch, formally Robert Bosch GmbH, is probably most famous for its automotive division which introduced electronic fuel injection with the 1967 Volkswagen Type 3, eventually making the carburetor obsolete. But Bosch also makes and sells household appliances and much more, all built with world-respected German engineering. The BBT division is the worlds largest manufacturer of heating and water heating products. The history of Buderus in Germany is one of those old-fashioned success stories. In the early eighteenth century, Johann Wilhelm Buderus was an administrator at the Friedrichshtte ironworks near Laubach, Germany. In those days before electricity or even steam engines, the foundry made cast iron products including stove plates. Buderus, a careful businessman, had invested heavily in the iron works and already owned a major share of the business before he took it over in 1731. Buderus soon became a leading stove producer, manufacturing the Lnholdt stove which was the highest quality stove in the world at that time and sold worldwide. Johann Buderus died in 1763. For a time, the company was successfully managed by his widow, Elizabeth, and later by his sons and subsequent decendants, who continued to grow the business. By 1835 the Buderus company operated ve iron works, producing cast-iron furnaces, ovens, cookware, and irons.

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In the middle of the 19th century, with industrialization well underway, a new technology for blast furnaces operated in iron works started replacing the old processes. Traditionally, these furnaces had been powered by charcoal, but this was gradually being replaced by coke as the new fuel. In 1864 the rst coke-powered blast furnace started operations at the Main-WeserHtte iron works. Six years later, in order to secure supplies of raw material, Buderus relocated to the town of Wetzlar, its current location, where the company was also operating iron ore mines. The newly-built iron works and foundry was close to a railroad connection that made it possible to ship products quickly to major German cities. In 1878, new processes were making the production of very thin cast iron possible. Buderus started making modern coal-fueled room furnaces. 1895 saw the production of cast iron sectional boilers in the Lollar ironworks. The rst radiator plant in Europe was also built at Lollar in 1898. That year, the rst Buderus patent for a cast-iron furnace was registered. Buderus acquired Eisenwerke Lollar AG in 1905. Shortly thereafter, the company established a testing facility for furnaces and radiators. In 1911 Buderus established its own distribution company for heating products and supplies, which soon extended through much of northern Europe. Buderus has played a key role in the development of modern heating technology, starting from the rst German-built, oil- red boiler around 1930. World War II interrupted production at Buderus plants, but by the early fties, the company started making an expanded line of consumer products, including ovens, furnaces, cast-iron radiators, cookware, sheet metal for roofs, and plows. In 1953 the new Buderus subsidiary Omnical GmbH began making steel furnaces for central heating systems. The oil crisis of the 1970s and the rising concern about environmental pollution accelerated the search for cleaner and more e cient heating technology. In 1977 Buderus introduced a new oil burner series under the Ecomatic brand name, based on new low temperature technology. The systems were equipped with energy saving electronic controls that reduced the water temperature in the boiler depending on ambient temperatures. The Ecomatic also featured cleaner and more e cient burner technology that cut down fuel use and emissions. From the late 1980s onwards Buderus accelerated its growth course in Germany and abroad. 1994 saw Buderus acquire the Dutch company Ne t Fasto Holding B.V., the European market leader for wall-hung condensing appliances. The takeover in 1997 of Solar Diamant, a leading producer of solar technology in the Mnsterland region, enabled Buderus to expand its commitment to renewable energy sources. The year 1999 marked the 100th anniversary of Buderus shares on the Frankfurt and Berlin

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stock exchanges. In that year the company sold its ve millionth cast iron furnace. In late 2002 UK manufacturer of oor-standing oil- red boilers Boulter Boilers of Ipswich, England joined the Buderus Group. This was followed in November 2003 by the Czech heating appliance manufacturer Dakon, a long-standing Eastern European brand of wall-hung boilers and solid-fuel boilers. Buderus was nally acquired by the Bosch Group in 2004. Among its most popular products in the US, the Buderus G215 Oil Fired Boiler has an Energy Star Rating of 86% plus. The G215 has a three-pass system which allows heating water to ow through the system three times, maximizing heat extraction from the burner. These boilers are heavily insulated to keep the water at a high temperature even after the boiler has gone into standby mode. The G215 is made using a proprietary Buderus material a silicone-injected cast iron designed to resist corrosion for many years of service. Their newest o ering, the G125BE, is a state of the art oil red hot water boiler that operates at nearly 90% e ciency. The low-temperature burner re-circulates the combustion gases resulting in complete combustion, producing minimal emissions and virtually no soot residue. The burner is approved for use with B5 bio-diesel fuel. An online review of the Buderus boilers had this to say: Buderus has a very good reputation for quality. They are on the pricy side for a boiler but the quality is unmatched. To locate a Buderus dealer near you, visit Buderus.net.

Buderus G215 Oil Fired Boiler (image: wetheadmedia.com)

Buderus G125BE Low Nox Oil Burner (image: buderus.net)

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This article was posted on Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 11:31 am and is filed under Articles, Energy Conservation, HVAC, Heating Oil, Heating Oil Equipment

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