HOTELS & HOSPITALITY CHOOSING THERIGHT PATH
Hot water systems are big energy users in the hotel sector, so what opportunities are there for FMs to reduce the carbon intensity of domestic hot water generation to support sustainability goals? Neville Radford, National Sector Manager at Baxi, discusses.
In the hotel sector as in all industries, sustainability is high on the agenda. As guests’ green expectations evolve, identifying opportunities to minimise the environmental impact of the building becomes more imperative. Take the hot water system, one of the big energy users in a hotel. Associated with guest comfort, the system needs to be highly reliable and efficient to meet the high volumes of hot water demand as sustainably as possible.
How, then, to choose the best approach to decarbonise hot water? Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet as each hotel will have unique requirements and be at different stages on the net zero journey. However, hotel building types do share a similar pattern of usage, with a peak in the morning and evening and low demand during the day. In addition to meeting peak demand, the hot water system must produce temperatures sufficient to keep the domestic hot water (DHW) stored above (60ºC or higher) to prevent the growth of Legionella bacteria.
Given that new hotels will be designed for net zero, our focus here is on identifying achievable solutions for older hotel buildings.
Energy-efficient system A practical approach for facilities managers of smaller or independent legacy hotels is to improve the efficiency of the hot water system to reduce energy consumption and increase use of renewable energy technologies. Let’s consider these stages in more detail.
Many existing hotels rely on direct gas-fired water heaters (DGFWH) for DHW generation. A key benefit of using DGFWH in hotels is their ability to meet the sudden peaks in hot water volume demand efficiently with reduced energy loss.
It is, however, worth noting that Approved Document L of Building Regulations now effectively rules out non-condensing water heater replacement in favour of condensing models which are up to 20% more efficient. Planning ahead is therefore key when making the upgrade to minimise disruption. Taking the opportunity to reassess the hot water demand is also advisable as it may have changed over time and could point to a smaller water heater being required. This will reduce capital expenditure and future running costs.
Your chosen solutions provider will be able to offer free site visits, sizing advice and technical support.
Hybrid hot water system If gas is to be kept in the building, the next step on the roadmap for legacy hotel buildings might be to consider using a hybrid heat pump solution for DHW generation.
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Using a mid-temperature ASHP to pre-heat the cold mains water from 10ºC to 50ºC, with a DGFWH raising the temperature from 50ºC to 60ºC will deliver significant carbon savings.
This design satisfies the hot water requirements safely and efficiently by reducing the amount of energy required to raise the hot water temperature to a useable and safe level, with the majority of demand being met through renewable energy.
Experienced solutions providers can provide support with technical design, ensuring optimal heat pump contribution and performance.
High temperature heat pumps High-temperature heat pumps that use environmentally friendly natural refrigerant R290 (propane) now offer facilities managers more flexible, space-saving solutions to meet the DHW demand in existing hotel buildings. Baxi’s Auriga HP+ high temperature air source heat pump (HT ASHP), for example, can deliver up to 80°C flow temperature to ensure adequate legionella control. However, accurate sizing and technical design are critical to achieve optimal performance and savings, so ask your chosen solutions provider for support.
Understanding the options With no one-size-fits-all solution available, achieving lower carbon hot water generation can seem a daunting process. Specialist hot water solutions providers like Baxi can help you to make the right choice, using your measured energy data to engineer a series of options with their carbon, energy and CAPEX impact.
www.baxi.co.uk/professional/products/commercial- heating-and-hot-water-solutions
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