Operation & Optimization6 / 10
Controls, Setpoints & Sequencing
Weather compensation, load matching, and multi-boiler logic.
9 min read · Jacob Willis, Net Zero Lead · Last reviewed July 2026
A boiler doesn't run in isolation. It responds to demand from the building, heating water for radiators, heating a swimming pool, generating steam for a process. How that demand is sensed and how the boiler responds defines whether it runs efficiently or wastes energy.
In this lesson
- 01Demand signals: temperature setpoint
- 02The problem: constant temperature is wasteful
- 03Weather compensation: follow the load
- 04Sequencing: multi-boiler plants
- 05Setpoint problems and drift
- 06Demand-side control: load balancing
- 07Practical tuning checklist
- 08Sources and further reading