Infrared heating for warehouses in Preston
Commercial infrared heating design and installation for warehouses across Preston, Lancashire. Warehouses are the classic case for infrared. High ceilings make warm-air heating hugely wasteful — the heat rises and the floor stays cold. Infrared warms people, racking and the floor directly, so staff feel warm at ground level without heating thousands of cubic metres of air above them.
Is infrared heating a good fit for warehouses in Preston?
Yes. Preston records about 1896 heating degree days a year (milder than the UK average of ~2000), and for warehouses the practical win is zonal, on-demand radiant heat rather than warming a large air volume — a typical 18 m² occupied zone works out around £266/yr at the current price cap.
Preston at a glance
- Region
- North West England
- Heating degree days
- 1896/yr
- Avg temperature
- 10.5°C
- Zone cost (18 m²)
- £266/yr
Climate figures: Open-Meteo 2024 archive for Preston. Costs are indicative estimates.
Why infrared suits warehouses
Typical building: Large volume, high roofs (6–12 m), frequently opened loading doors and often little insulation.
- Heats surfaces and people at floor level, not the wasted air near the roof.
- Instant, zonal control — heat only the packing or picking areas that are occupied.
- No wet pipework, boilers or annual servicing across a large footprint.
- Recovers quickly after loading doors open, unlike warm-air systems.
Typical specification
High-output ceiling- or wall-mounted infrared panels or radiant tubes zoned by work area, controlled per zone with occupancy timers.
Sizing guide: Typically zoned rather than whole-volume; radiant output sized to the occupied work area.
Estimate a running cost for Preston
| Heating type | Est. kWh/yr | Est. cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
Infrared panels Low upfront cost, zonal on-demand heat, no maintenance. | 1,086 | £266 |
Air-source heat pump Lowest running cost (COP ~3.2) but high install cost; £7,500 grant. | 435 | £107 |
Gas central heating Cheap fuel today, but fossil and being phased out of new builds. | 1,547 | £96lowest |
Old electric / storage heaters What infrared usually replaces — resistive and always-on. | 1,392 | £341 |
Indicative estimates using the degree-day method, real local climate data and the current Ofgem price cap. Heat pumps show the lowest running cost because they move ~3× more heat per kWh — infrared's advantages are upfront cost, zonal control and zero maintenance, not kWh efficiency. Your actual costs depend on tariff, usage and building fabric.
Infrared for warehouses in Preston: FAQs
Reviewed by the Infrared Heat Solutions technical team · Last updated July 2026 · Data sources: Open-Meteo (Preston 2024 climate), Ofgem price cap