Application focus: Driveway heating

Driveway heating is probably not the first killer smart home application on a client wish list. However, if they live in the colder parts of the UK and rely upon a car for business, it may be something worth considering. During a recent eFIXX Live Feed event, we found this great system from Heat Mat.

By Gordon Routledge
Friday 5th December 2019

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Let's be clear; we aren't talking about heating the driveway so can you collect the milk barefoot. Instead, just enough heat to prevent frost, snow buildup and ice forming.

So how does it work?

It's a beefed-up version of the regular type electric heat mat systems you'd install under tiles in a bathroom. Special heat mat webbing gets laid under Tarmac, block paving or within a concrete screed. The cables then get routed back to a dedicated controller and paired with a sensor. The ground-mounted sensor measures the two essential ingredients for ice - moisture and freezing temperatures.

Richard Brook dragons den sockitz — Heated driveway system first fixed before Tarmac top coat.

VIDEO: Heated driveways join ANPR cameras and lighting in our product roundup.

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What about running costs?

The power consumption is around 270 Watts per meter squared. Or 6.7kW for a 5 x 5-meter driveway area or around a £1 per hour (based on 15p kWh)

Planning and control are the critical elements to keeping costs under control. The temperature and moisture sensor makes sure the system only operates when weather conditions dictate. For longer driveways, you don't need to heat the entire cross-section just the tyre tracks.

Dave Green, technical director of Heat Mat, says " A 20m driveway, with just tyre tracks heated, can expect to be defrosting for around 50 hours per year which equates to around £15 of electricity use."

For reference, Travis Perkins is selling 20Kg of Rock Salt for £5.63. Bad back and shovel not included.

Is available power the limiting factor?

Heating power demand is proportional to the area to be heated. In these changing times, when we are looking electric vehicle chargers, and electric heating, maximum demand can be an issue in many installations. Dave Green adds "You don't have to defrost a whole area at once as driveways exhibit quite a bit of thermal inertia. Heat mat driveway controllers will cycle power across several zones to reduce the maximum power demand."

Higher-end smart home control systems, such as Control4, already include drivers for driveway heating. Defrosting can then be incorporated as part of the overall smart home functionality. This approach adds a further layer of control with operation linked to property occupancy, work schedules and predictive weather patterns.

Commercial driveway heating applications.

Okay, so your clients may still be dreaming of a sweeping tree-lined driveway. Driveway heating is an ideal solution for many applications where winter access can cause issues, such as hospitals, care homes, hotel arrival areas and industrial facilities.