FACILITIES MANAGEMENT


CUTTING HEATING BILLS AND IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AT A UK HOTEL


The installation of LPG boilers, pumps and a bespoke Building Management System has enabled a UK hotel, health club and golf resort to save 30% on its heating bills, reduce carbon emissions, and improve its environmental credibility


T


ewkesbury Park is a privately-owned hotel, health club and golf resort in Gloucestershire


and, during the energy crisis, its combined energy bills were set to increase four-fold. Wanting to see if Combined Heat and Power (CHP) could be the answer to reducing costs, director Chris McIntosh got in touch with Helec, a Bristol-based independent M&E contractor, and asked them to review the hotel’s energy systems and see what could be done.


A site visit revealed that not


only were the hotel’s existing boilers fuelled by an expensive oil-based fuel source, but they were old and inefficient. This meant that Tewkesbury Park was spending more money than necessary to keep their water hot. Replacing this equipment would result in instant savings on fuel costs. Taking into consideration the


hotel’s need to not only save money, but also reduce carbon emissions, Helec recommended the use of gas instead of heating oil and, as natural gas was unavailable, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was chosen. Heat pumps were considered but were found to be unsuitable for the hotel’s needs.


ENERGY MANAGEMENT Working closely with the venue, Helec created a detailed project plan, encompassing civil works, plumbing upgrades, and the installation of CHP units. The planning was carefully prepared to minimise any disruption.


www.essmag.co.uk The old oil boilers were removed and replaced


with new Strebel S-FX320 LPG boilers. Next, six new Grundfos pumps were installed, integrating three Galu 2,500 litre thermal stores. These thermal stores enable a much larger heat output for short periods than the new boilers would be capable of providing on their own.


ENERGY SECURITY The remote location meant reliance on the National Grid came with connection issues and the very real possibility of outages. Now, with dual engines installed, operations can continue completely unimpeded by the possibility of power cuts. The result is absolute energy security. The installation of the CHP units and more energy-efficient boilers marked a significant milestone for Tewkesbury Park, not only with regard to addressing energy cost concerns, but also in enhancing overall efficiency and reducing the hotel’s carbon footprint. Transitioning from oil-powered


boilers to LPG boilers, alongside the installation of CHP units, has resulted in a substantial reduction in overall operating costs, with the additional bonus of further reducing the hotel’s environmental impact. In fact the hotel benefited from


immediate savings of 30% on heating bills, further electricity savings from the CHP’s reduced carbon emissions, and improved environmental credibility for


In addition to this, a bespoke Building


Management System (BMS) was implemented to monitor and control the energy distribution within the hotel. The BMS is managed remotely, making updates and improvements quick and easy. Two new CHP units were also installed: a 50kWe will operate almost continuously to satisfy the hotel’s base load; and a second unit (75kWe) which will top up any shortfall while also offering a standby power facility in the event of power cuts.


Tewksbury Park. Future savings are estimated at £114K (electricity) and £120K (heating) per year. “One of the impressive aspects of Helec is how


they handle a lot of the work themselves. From planning to implementation, they are there with you 100% of the way. The CHP units are a fantastic investment,” concluded McIntosh.


Helec https://helec.co.uk


ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Spring 2024 37


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