The Hotel Engineer 15_2 by Adbourne Publishing

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER Novotel Brisbane Airport is taking off impressively

PP 319986/101

Volume 15 No. 2

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER Adbourne PUBLISHING

Adbourne Publishing 18/69 Acacia Rd, Ferntree Gully, VIC, 3156 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160 Melbourne: Neil Muir Ph: (03) 9758 1433 Fax: (03) 9758 1432 Email: neil@adbourne.com

contents 05

5 IPTV, VoIP and Triple Play Services 11 Regulation Update 17 Crowne Plaza Melbourne Sustainability Case Study

Facility Management of the Future

29 Energy Management using in-tap flow

Production: Claire Henry Tel: (03) 9758 1436 Email: production@adbourne.com

Marketing: Tania Lamanna Tel: (03) 9500 0285 Email: tlamanna@bigpond.net.au

Publishers’ Message

25 Efficiency Is Free – Ask For More:

Adelaide: Robert Spowart Ph: 0488 390 039 Email: robert@adbourne.com

Administration: Robyn Fantin Tel: (03) 9758 1431 Email: admin@adbourne.com

controlled Showers

35 Brisbane Airport hotel takes off

impressively

39 Hotel water saving equivalent to annual

needs of 40 family homes...

43 Ozone laundering in hospitality:

Nothing but the truth

46 Decontaminating Foul Air in Garbage

Chutes and other Closed Air Spaces

49 An Integrated Approach to Guest Room

Entertainment & Internet

51 Hotel Laundries 57 Case Study: Rydges Hotel North Sydney 59 OHS Legislation and Hotel Engineers

63 Mission seemingly impossible:

preventing slips and falls?

68 Back of House 71 Specifying Cooling Towers for

Commercial Buildings

78 Energy Case Study: Westin Resort Macau 80 Natural solutions the answer to rising

energy consumption

82 Bed Bugs – the problem and the solution 87 Chemical Emissions from Building

Products

90 Product News

DISCLAIMER Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisers appearing in The Hotel Engineer comply absolutely with the Trades Practices Act and other consumer legislation. The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication.

Front Cover: Novotel Brisbane Airport, QLD

Adbourne Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication. All original material produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors and all submitted editorial are the author’s views and are not necessarily those of the publisher.

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER

Publisher’s Message W elcome to our first-time readers. There will be a lot of you reading this magazine for the first time, as we have sent complimentary copies to a significant number of high-rise apartment buildings around Australia. Many of our features in each issue will be of interest to people behind the scenes in high-rise apartments as well as hotels. Should you be aware of staff or other engineers and maintenance people that would enjoy the varied articles we publish, do not hesitate to let us know so we can include their names on our database. There are several case studies in this issue, with a must read being the in-depth look at the Crowne Plaza Melbourne, taking in its approach to sustainability, the measures taken for energy savings, water conservation and waste management. It also allows guests to monitor all this in the hotel’s main foyer. Many thanks to Chief Engineer Robin Power for his assistance. Our front cover image is the new Novotel Brisbane Airport. A story inside tells how Kenlynn Property Holdings went about ensuring its new five storey building with a swimming pool on a sixth floor, keeps all noise out of the hotel. It is now likely to be a benchmark for other hotels that might be built within or near airports. We also chat with their maintenance manager Warren Keys. Paul Creek discusses laundry designing and types of machinery. There are two articles on the use of Ozone, taking in Ozone and its application in the

view this issue online: www.adbourne.com click on ‘The Hotel Engineer’

hotel laundry thanks to Shaun Petrie. Professor Mark Spence of Bond University has provided us with great reading about being rid of BOH areas of smell, such as garbage chutes and closed air space. We have also included the next part of Peter Swanson’s series on audio technology. Peter is the Director of Audio Visual with WSP Lincolne Scott consulting engineers, and this time looks at ITPV, VoIP and triple play. For some years JEM has been a respected and leading player in water management using flow control. Chris McDonald gives you a must-read feature for all engineers seriously considering the latest on this topic. Other stories include a complete guide to cooling towers, a look at standards and slippery surfaces, along with our regular updates from Derek Hendry, and something more on bed bugs. They just don’t go away! Until next time, good reading, and don’t forget we provide a copy of The Hotel Engineer through our growing database to readers in all States. As engineers, the magazine is sent to you at no cost. It is our advertisers that enable this to happen, so please let them know where you saw them.

Regards, Neil Muir Publisher, The Hotel Engineer

News

concern to safety in the workplace. Also a big thank you to Peter, what a comedian!

AIHE News – Victoria

he AIHE Victorian chapter have had some great turnouts at our recent meetings. It’s great to see everyone making the effort for some very enjoyable nights.

In Brief... • Methven recently acquired the exclusive licence from JEM Australia for the JEMflo pressure balance system. The new entity is called Methven JEM Hotel Solutions. The products offered will include the Jemflo stand alone technology and in combination with the Methven Satinjet technology to provide the Ultimate Hotel Shower – the best solution for the mandatory 9 litre per minute showers. • Methven is an established (124 years old), innovative shower and tapware manufacturer that produces an extensive range of Satinjet showers and complimentary tapware offering a solution for Hotel renovations and new build projects to suit any budgetary requirements. • Methven will provide a more national and global representation to service the hotel industry. • Now the major advantage of the Methven JEM solution is to minimise water and energy cost, provide pressure balanced showers and taps eliminating pressure and temperature fluctuations.

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

On June 23rd we went to the Grand Chancellor in Lonsdale Street with a big thank you to Philby. We had an excellent presentation from Clipsal with local rep Daniel Viola being joined by James Costello (National Manager - Strategic Applications Integrated Systems) who flew over from SA. Peter had a great door prize arranged by Middy’s Data & Electrical. Thanks to them for their generosity. Our July meeting will be a very exciting tour at MSAC so hope to see everyone there for another enjoyable evening. A big thank you to Lal for our June meeting venue and tour at the Grand Mercure Swanston Hotel. We had a terrific presentation from Soudi, risk assessment engineer who gave us a reminder of the obligations we have in

AIHE News – NSW

irstly, I would like to thank Neil Muir of Adbourne Publishing for his interest in the AIHE NSW Chapter and the opportunity he has provided me to contribute to The Hotel Engineer on behalf of the AIHE NSW chapter. I am pleased to see the NSW chapter continues to grow and there has been a great turn out at the monthly meetings this year. The meetings held are aimed at providing its members useful information on a broad range of issues with the hope that the members will be able to gain valuable information and that it will be beneficial for them in some way in carrying out their engineering operations. The April monthly meeting was held at Holiday Inn Potts Point with a discussion on ‘Fire Safety Matters Concerning the Building Code of Australia, conducted by Fire Services Testing Maintenance Pty Ltd. In May the meeting was held at the Observatory Hotel Sydney with a considerable increase in the number of members attending. There were two presentations on ‘Indoor Air Quality in Guest Rooms & Ventilation’ and ’Lighting loads’ presented by IAQ Consulting Pty Ltd. The June meeting was accommodated by Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney with a guest speaker from ‘Standards Australia’ who presented an ‘Introduction to Standards

ALL MEETING ENQUIRES FORWARD TO MEETING CO-ORDINATOR STEPHEN DOCHERTY 0439 031 191 stephen119@msn.com

Australia, Standards development Process and their Engagement with ISO and IEO’. Furthermore, arrangements have been made for all Chapter Presidents to meet in Melbourne on the 23rd July to discuss matters relating to future improvements to AIHE nationally, which I believe is essential for a muti-state professional body. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the committee and all members for their contributions and efforts which have been making the chapter a successful. Travelling through some of the comments from members it is encouraging seeing such comments as; “Congratulations on a great meeting last month at the Grace Hotel. I came away from the meeting thinking that this could be the turning point for creating a body that is more professional and which adds more value for its members….” In closing, I would like to mention that the general feedback not only from members but also from a few Hotel General Managers has been very encouraging, wherein their comments on ‘Recognition of Hotel Engineers’ is highly appreciated.

Regards, Anura Yapa Chief Engineer, The Menzies Sydney Managed by ACCOR

IPTV, VoIP and Triple Play Services By PETER SWANSON Director, WSP Lincolne Scott

Once upon a time, television signals in hotels were sent out over simple distribution networks and any TV could pick up any available channel. A dubious side effect of this approach was that typically every room received a different quality of signal – some with ghosting, some with loss of colour and some with the familiar, but far from comforting, “snow”.

fter an eon or two, technology moved on and the capability to limit access to certain channels was introduced, complete with a two-way communication system to the room enabling guests to purchase premium services like movies. Sadly, most of these systems remained analogue so even those who chose to purchase a premium service could still be afflicted with phantoms, bleaching or frozen precipitation! Complaints abounded from guests and there was even some anecdotal evidence that guests would not return to a hotel with poor TV service. Finally, digital television was introduced and the bar started to be raised. The traditional analogue systems were based on having your own “headend” where you de-modulated the Radio Frequency

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 5

(RF) signals broadcast over the airwaves and then re-modulated these and other channels (in-house information, movies, etc) to RF for transmission around the hotel. To do the same thing with digital TV is a far more expensive exercise, but fortunately in parallel to digital TV developments the ability to send video and audio over computer-based IP networks was developing rapidly. Many hotels now have television services based around IPTV which enables a higher quality of delivery, greater flexibility in what is delivered and the option to provide additional services such as in-room gaming and so on. IPTV relies on the ability to encode signals from TVs, DVD players or other devices into a network-compatible format such as MPEG-2 or MPEG-4. This then opens up the ability to select between these “live streamed” sources and recorded computer / server based files such as movies and enables features such as Video on Demand.

The fundamental implication of this choice is that every hotel room becomes part of a larger IP Network meaning that considerations such as cable route planning become much more important. As a rule, IP network cables should be no more than 90m from point to point in order to preserve the bandwidth of the connection. And that bandwidth is important when you consider that a typical High Definition video channel can be anywhere from 15MB to 25MB (roughly 5-10x the average home’s ADSL connection speed). While the planning for new buildings now includes considerations such as location of communications rooms to help with the 90m rule, it may be more challenging in existing buildings as neither traditional telephone nor TV services suffer this constraint. Within the room, it’s also important to be aware that unlike traditional “party-line” telephone approaches where you can

just daisy-chain from the main phone to the bathroom and other locations in an IP Network you need a dedicated point to each outlet. But, I’m getting ahead of myself here! One of the major benefits of an IPTV system is in pairing it up with telephone and internet services. The use of Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is now common in commercial offices, some homes and many hotels. VoIP means that telephone calls are routed over the internal IP network and can then be sent either over the internet or via traditional public phone lines when they leave the building (depending on the destination of the call and the system in place). Guests expect high availability of the phone service – particularly in the unlikely event of a power blackout in the hotel. This becomes a significant consideration when implementing a VoIP service as the traditional “PABX” system is much easier to back-up through a UPS at the

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 7

IPTV, VoIP and Triple Play Services (cont’d)

central rack room. VoIP on the other hand depends on the IP network, meaning that every network switch must be backed up with a local UPS (or a UPS-backed power outlet). It’s also important to bear in mind when selecting VoIP phones that only some phones feature “Power over Ethernet” which means they are powered by the network switch rather than a local power outlet. You definitely want a PoE capable phone if you are looking at a decent UPS back-up approach. I’d also note that when you are considering the details you need to be careful about how many ports the network switch can support with PoE – it tends to be less than the total number of ports. And, of course, the third prong of “Triple Play” is internet service. Once you have a dedicated network connection to the room, you can use that one connection to potentially provide any IP-based service, including external internet access. A significant consideration here is how much bandwidth you want to make available to guests as your link to the outside world. Anywhere that has a reasonable number of rooms and/or significant business patronage is going to need a decent ADSL, ISDN or cable-based service to provide sufficient bandwidth to be shared between the rooms. So, you may well need 4-5 network ports in each hotel room to cater to the television, guest laptop, main phone, bathroom phone and any additional outlets or phones. A common approach is to use a local network switch in the room

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

which can provide each of these services and in some cases wireless network access as well. It can also sometimes be possible to re-use the existing coaxial cabling to each room to connect to this network switch thereby removing the need for re-cabling. This, however, requires careful evaluation of the type of coaxial cabling in place, its quality, age and the way in which it has been wired back to the main communications room. You will also need to consider the need for power-backup and whether this can be achieved in a practical way to protect the phone service. By now, you are probably getting the impression that there’s a fair bit to think about in determining the right approach to a Triple Play IP-Network service – and it doesn’t stop with the design of the system / selection of features. If you proceed down the IP-Network path, you will also have a significant and complex IT system to maintain. But there are certainly paybacks in this respect, as the ability for monitoring, reporting, fault logging and so on is also increased with an integrated solution. As is billing and charging – the ability to efficiently offer additional services to guests and to personalise greetings and the like is certainly a plus in the operation of any hotel. In addition to room services, a number of Triple Play providers also offer integrated Property Management Solutions so that you can tie in the booking system for the hotel as part of the solution. This of course requires careful consideration in terms of your existing booking solution and whether you want to change it – or interface the Triple Play service to your current system. There is no question that IP-network based services are the way that all hotels will go over the next few years – and in fact many are already there. The key to success is planning the required service capabilities for your hotel by starting at a room level with the guest experience, then considering what capabilities you want across the hotel and any related facilities such as restaurants, convention centres or casinos. You can then evaluate market offerings against these needs. One of the most common root problems

in the IT-realm is not having a clear brief and being sold a system that actually does not meet all, or even many, of your requirements. By having a clear brief on what you need it is much easier to objectively compare offerings and to hold the suppliers to account when you come to drawing up contractual terms. You will also need to have a clear operational, support and maintenance plan in place, whether you decide to have in-house IT staff or use an outsource service. The ongoing support component can be a major cost factor so make sure this is planned for in addition to the initial capital expenditure of buying the system. And, as a final tip, don’t forget that it takes time to commission and finally configure such systems. You cannot expect that the systems will come online the day that the builder and trades contractors finish their work on the new building or refurbishment. Always allow a good period of time so that the hardware can be installed and tested, followed by a dedicated period of software configuration, scenario testing and troubleshooting. It is also worth running some planned failure tests – such as pulling cables out of network ports, shutting off power, etc. This allows you to see how the system responds in these situations and to either modify the system or your operational protocols to get to the most resilient solution for your hotel. For larger hotels, don’t be surprised if this whole process requires several weeks or more – if you plan ahead this should not be an issue and is far better than pressing the system into service and then continually troubleshooting on the run for the first few weeks or months! In conclusion, IPTV, VoIP and integrated Internet Service are increasingly common and can offer wonderful opportunities for selling additional services to guests, but they do place a very real operational and support burden on the hotel and this must be planned for in terms of ongoing support, maintenance and ultimately upgrade to new equipment over time. n wsplincolnescott.com

Regulation Update By DEREK HENDRY

VIC: Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations On 1 January 2010, the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 came into effect. Included in the new regulations are important changes concerning the regulation of cooling towers and warm water systems for the control of Legionella. The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (PHWA) was passed by the Victorian Parliament in 2008. The PHWA commenced on 1 January 2010 and supersedes the Health Act 1958. A single set of regulations, the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 came into effect on 1 January 2010 and replaces ten sets of regulations. The Regulations also include some aspects that relate to the regulation and management of cooling tower systems as currently regulated via the Building (Legionella Risk Management) Regulations 2001 and the Building Regulations 2006. For further information, go to the Plumbing Industry Website at www.pic.vic.gov.au

NSW: Exemption from Fire Safe Standards Hotel Engineers and Managers intending to alter their building should have an awareness of possible exemptions for compliance may wish to be considered. If any Category 3 fire safety provision is considered to be unreasonable or unnecessary in the particular circumstances of a proposed development, application may be made to the Commissioner (fire brigade) for an exemption from certain fire safety

schedules. (Category 3 examples are fire hydrants, fire hose reels, portable fire extinguishers etc) If any Category 3 fire safety provision is considered to be unreasonable or unnecessary in the particular circumstances of a proposed development, application may be made to the Commissioner for an exemption from certain fire safety standards. There are two situations when this may apply: • A Development Application is in effect for an existing building that does not seek any alteration, enlargement or extension of the building; • An application for a construction certificate for building work, other than building work associated with a change of building use. There is no timeframe specified in the legislation. It must be noted, however, that the fire safety assessment is made on the basis of documents and plans submitted. If the documentation is not complete, the NSW fire brigade cannot proceed and the application will be rejected.

AUST: Protection of enclosed electrical Equipment Hotel Engineers and Managers whose buildings are to undergo alterations should be aware that AS/NZS 3000 requires live parts of electrical systems to be inside a protective enclosure that is protected to a minimum IP standard.

Clause 1.5.4.4 of AS/NZS 3000 specified this level of protection to be provided as follows; • IPXXB or IP2X, and • IP4X for horizontal surfaces that are readily accessible The IP4X requirement can also apply to an enclosure provided by a floor and other components of a structure that when moved, could displace the electrical object. This means that barriers and enclosures must be firmly secured in place with adequate stability and strength to withstand any appreciable dislodgement. The degree of protection is expressed as an IP (international protection) rating in accordance with AS 60529. AS 60529 details how an IP rating is established for an electrical enclosure required to protect a person against hazardous electrical parts, protection of the equipment against solid foreign objects and against the ingress of water.

WA: Occupiers Liability Act A little known Act of the Western Australian State Parliament can present some significant consequences for Hotel Engineers, Managers, building occupiers and landlords should a building occupant be injured or killed whilst within a building under the control of someone else. The Occupiers Liability Act 1985 carries with it several far-reaching obligations for the occupier of property with regard to the safety of persons entering a building, or part, either legally or illegally.

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 11

Regulation Update (cont’d)

Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EPA) have included a reduction in acceptable noise levels and the adoption of the Environmental Protection (Noise) Policy 2008 (EPNP). The EPA does not discriminate between residential areas and commercial areas therefore many existing CBD buildings can be affected by a complaint from an occupier of an adjacent or nearby building. Obviously an investigation officer will need to take into consideration the age of the buildings involved and whether a building is either producing the noise or contains the receptor (complainant). Where a complaint is made against noise from an existing building it is important that any recent upgrades to plant and/or equipment can demonstrate that noise levels have not been increased. AUST: Building Clearance for Fire Appliances Commercial building owners and managers are being held accountable by Fire Authorities for not ensuring “open space” requirements around large isolated buildings. (This certainly will affect insurance payouts in the case of a major claim.) The Building Code of Australia defines a large isolated building having an area over 18,000m2. Open space must be provided around the building of at least 6m wide and not be obstructed to allow fire appliances to enter the site. Many sites containing large isolated buildings have their perimeters partially or fully blocked with debris or storage. A recipe for disaster.

For further information, go to www. essentialmatters.com.au Issue 70 – WA April 10. QLD: Are Your Buildings A Nuisance? Hotel Engineers and Managers must include acoustic attenuation in all mechanical plant upgrades to avoid the possibility of being an “Environmental Nuisance” as defined by the Queenland Environmental Protection Act 1994. Recent amendments to the

WA: New Asbestos Removal Licensing Hotel Engineers and Managers contemplating alterations to their building’s must be aware that Worksafe WA claims new occupational safety and health laws, which ensure only workers with the proper skills and knowledge can remove asbestos, will soon come into operation. From 1 June 2010, business operators removing more than ten square metres of bonded asbestos, including asbestos cement material, in a

workplace will need to have completed an approved training course and hold an asbestos license. Inadequate licensing by staff or contractors will certainly be a show stopper for any building works when you are caught out. NSW: Council Accredited Certifiers From the 1 March 2010, the Building Professionals Board (BPS) has introduced a framework for accreditation of NSW Council Building Surveyors who carry out building certification work on behalf of a council. Once accredited by the BPB, Council employees will be known as “council accredited certifiers” whose certificate of accreditation will allow the certifier to carry out certification work only as an employee of a council. VIC: Safety Alert for Insulation Installers WorkSafe Victoria has issued a Safety Alert titled “Electrical Risks to Insulation Installers”. This alert highlights the risks when installing insulation and working near electrical equipment in ceilings and provides guidance about how to identify and control all hazards. Facility/Property Managers must be alert to the fact that this is a general alert and appliers to all classes and types of buildings eg hotels, offices, factories, schools etc. n

About the Hendry Group Derek Hendry is the Managing Director of the Hendry Group of Consulting companies, including Essential Property Services. Derek pioneered the ‘private certification’ system of building approvals in Australia, and his nationally based consultancy offices assist clients in all facets of building control and essential safety measure audits. The Hendry Group publish an e-newsletter entitled ‘essential matters’, available online at www.emau.com.au, and their new service, BCA Illustrated (at www.bcai.com.au), offers 3000 illustrations explaining and interpreting the BCA as it applies to your building.

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 13

ADVERTORIAL

Preventative Maintenance and Modernisation of Lifts Creative multi-level building designs demand a creative approach to moving people throughout their space. Liftronic Pty Limited an Australian owned and operated vertical transport supplier uses it’s 25 years of experience in the market to supply a range of vertical transport options for its clients.

iftronic not only offers a large range of standard and customised lift and escalator products but also provides high quality modernisation and service products. Fine examples of Liftronic’s product range may be seen in many major shopping centres, bulky goods developments, museums, and railways stations across Australia. These products are cost effective, technically diverse and made to withstand the rigours of public use.

Liftronic Preventative Maintenance Property owners and managers are aware that the quality, presentation and reliable operation of lifts and escalators in highrise buildings have a direct impact on the overall value of their investment. They are equally mindful that the safety of their passengers requires critical attention and that it is their obligation to ensure that lifts and escalators comply with code requirements. Liftronic’s experienced service team performs preventative maintenance at regular intervals to ensure that lifts under its maintenance program are both safe and reliable.

Excellence in Customer service is Liftronic’s principal priority backed by high quality spare parts and industry experience. Liftronic’s service team is a sound choice for your vertical transport maintenance.

Modernisation Options Lifts are a vital part of your building’s infrastructure. After your existing installation has reliably serviced you for many years, you may wish to modernise it to meet your changing needs and/or government regulations. Liftronic provides you with a variety of options to upgrade your lift installation from car refurbishment to a full control system modernisation. Your building is a valuable asset, which requires ongoing maintenance and refurbishment. Liftronic offers you cost-effective solutions to upgrade or replace your lift. Liftronic have the ability to successfully carry out major or minor upgrades and modernisations of lifts/ escalators that have been installed by

Liftronic Pty Limited as well as those installed by other companies. At Liftronic, we are always aiming to provide you with the most advanced technology available to monitor lift operations. We do this by using the latest supervisory systems to suit the lift loads and speeds that are most appropriate to your building needs, the benefits include: •

Easier maintenance.

•

Greater energy efficiency.

•

Less wear and tear on machinery, and

•

Reliable operation.

•

Compliance to “new” Disability (access to premises – Building ) standard 2010

For more information on Liftronic products and services contact the Liftronic offices on 1800 663 922 “Elevate your expectations for reliable lift service solutions”

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 15

Crowne Plaza Melbourne

Sustainability Case Study Crowne Plaza Melbourne is situated on the banks of the Yarra River catering predominantly to business and leisure travellers seeking a comfortable stay in a convenient location.

s part of its commitment to sustainability, Crowne Plaza Melbourne, owned by Eureka Funds Management, has taken significant steps toward reducing the hotel’s impact on Melbourne’s natural and built environment. In September 2005, the hotel became involved in the Savings in the City Waste Wise program through Melbourne City Council. What started as a waste-savings program soon escalated into a comprehensive commitment to lowering carbon emissions through gas, electricity, and water and lowering the amount of land fill the hotel produced. Owners, management, and staff work together to become more in tune with the impact the hotel has on the environment. Five years on, Crowne Plaza Melbourne has seen annual savings of almost $60,000 from combined annual waste, water and energy costs, and was ranked 7th on Melbourne City Councils ‘Savings in the City’. Crowne Plaza Melbourne continues to be a pioneer within the hotel industry, trialling new energy saving products and programs such as the ‘Inncom’ guestroom energy management system. Inncom2 replaces the traditional thermostat with an

intelligent heating, cooling and lighting controller, which has wider temperature thresholds, and an infrared sensor which shuts of lighting and heating when the room is unoccupied. Crowne Plaza Melbourne holds bronze–level Earth Check benchmarking. Earth Check is a worldwide benchmarking, certification and performance improvement system assisting international organisations in attaining environmental sustainability, including climate change, waste reduction and non-renewable resource management. In 2009 Crowne Plaza Melbourne achieved ISO 18001 (International Organization for Standardisation) certification for Occupational Health and Safety policies. The two standards represent the highest international and national benchmarks for occupational health and safety management. The certification, issued by BSI (the British Standards Institution), is testimony to the properties’ effort and commitment to safety; and positions IHG as leader in the hospitality industry. Now that the hotel has achieved this certification, in 2010 it is currently pursuing ISO 14001 environmental management certification. Crowne Plaza Melbourne’s parent company IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) takes its impact on the environment seriously and is focusing on developing better ways to run their hotels worldwide. Environmental sustainability is at the forefront of the agenda and is shaping the way resources are being managed. “Corporate responsibility is about growing in a way that makes sense for our business while managing our impact on the environment and the community” (Andy Cosslett, CEO, IHG).

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 17

Green Engage

Accurate measurement and benchmarking of the project is imperative. Frank Hubbard believes “If you can’t measure something you can’t monitor it, and if you can’t monitor something how do we know whether it is going to have an impact on the business?”. Assisting the audit and ongoing monitoring process is IHG’s proprietary Engineering System Computer Aided Program (ESCAP) tool, which the company developed in response to an absence of a comprehensive thirdparty tool to assess the environmental, economic and social impacts of its hotels worldwide. Internal benchmarking through ESCAP allows the environmental committee to pinpoint gaps in the current environmental procedures, highlighting areas for improvement and opportunities to invest in new technology. For example, in late 2009, Crowne Plaza Melbourne implemented a LED light system for the foyer and public areas, supplied by Melbourne company Octalex. “This is an LED light system that really works” said Chief Engineer Robin Power, “It’s an excellent product for high access areas and has shown outstanding results.”

Environmental Committee

Crowne Plaza Melbourne has developed and implemented comprehensive long term environmental strategies to ensure the hotel continues to reduce its environmental impact and improve best practice.

IHG has begun trialling a new on-line system aimed at helping each property in the group reduce its environmental impact. Labelled ‘Green Engage’, IHG says early tests have shown potential energy savings of up to 25% for each hotel.

There are seven key strategies:

Green Engage software works by benchmarking hotels of a similar nature across the world, listing a series of actions that each hotel can take to reduce waste and the consumption of energy & water. IHG chief executive Andy Cosslett says “This is an important initiative for IHG, our hotel owners globally, and our guests. Green Engage is designed to help improve environmental performance, reduce costs and respond to guests increasing awareness of this issue... having the potential to drive up to US$200m of savings for our hotel owners.”

1. Establishment of an environmental committee 2. ‘Reduce, reuse and recycle’ initiatives 3. Water conservation and management 4. Energy conservation and management 5. Community benefits 6. Consider the impact and influence of all hotel practices 7. Future commitments

18 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

IHG is changing the way the company operates as guests and the wider community no longer perceive environmental practices as an add on proposition. “Traditionally luxury experiences and environmental actions didn’t go hand in hand”. Frank Hubbard, Director of Corporate Responsibility for IHG says “Industries like mining have had strong environmental policies in place for years, but the hospitality industry doesn’t conform to a similar code. We have looked beyond this and set about creating our own values”. The initial component in developing the hotels environmental strategy was the establishment of an environmental committee. The committee was established when the hotel joined the Savings in the City waste wise program established by Melbourne City Council. The committee ensures each hotel is complying with the environmental policy; framework; staff training and awareness; environmental management;

purchasing; people and the community; and destination protection, and have signed an ‘environmental policy commitment statement’ that details their commitments.

room temperature. Guests also have the opportunity to select an eco mode setting whilst staying in the room which produces a further reduction in energy consumption.

David Travers, General Manager comments “People are realists. They realise that changes to the way in which we treat the environment are crucial. Whenever we’ve thought to introduce a new environmental policy we’ve always been amazed at the buy-in from staff and understanding of guests.”

An additional audit by Sustainability Victoria was converted into an ‘energy management systems project’ (Total cost $180,000) that was implemented in 2008 and it was finalised in late 2009. Projected savings of 569,347kWh (14.3% of total annual consumption) of electrical energy and 1,716 GJ of natural gas energy (6% of total annual consumption) and a significant reduction in greenhouse gasses per year are forecasted.

The project started as a waste savings program to keep up with community norms and expectations. It has now escalated into a commitment to lowering carbon emissions through savings in gas, electricity, and water and lowering the amount of land fill the hotels produce. Since the project has started the hotels have seen significant cost savings from combined annual waste, water and energy reductions. Crowne Plaza Melbourne saves upwards of $50,000 p.a.

Energy efficiencies Energy generation accounts for 70% of Melbourne’s greenhouse gas emissions. As this grows by 1.6% annually it become even more important to conserve energy and reduce carbon footprint. The environmental committee was instrumental in organising an independent energy audit through AGL (Australia Gas and Lighting). The audit highlighted that lighting made up 38.7% of the hotel’s total electricity consumption. To reduce lighting consumption, the hotel has invested significantly in improving lighting types (mainly incandescent lighting being replaced with compact fluorescent lighting), and installing timers and sensors. Changes to lighting at the hotel annually save $15,000 in energy costs and $7,500 in maintenance costs. A refurbishment to all hotel rooms in 2009 was the perfect opportunity to trial new energy saving hardware. The Inncom5 energy management system was installed in all rooms -turning off lights automatically if the room is unoccupied, causing fewer shifts between higher and lower temperatures, and thus saving energy on maintaining a constant

20 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

As a result of the audit the following systems were implemented: •

Direct digital control (DDC) of 7 large Air Handling Units (AHU) that disperse chilled or warm air in public spaces

•

Supply of variable air fan speed control units based on weather conditions and humidity for AHU’s which are DDC control

•

Re-setting duty cycles on the heating systems to have longer off times during the early morning (1.00am – 4.30am)

•

Variable speed control unit for our hot and cold water pumps

•

Demand management and housekeeping

Waste management Before joining Savings in the City, only seven per cent of the hotel’s total waste was recycled. In 2007 the hotel commissioned a rubbish audit through Great Forests at a cost of $10,000. The report highlighted areas where the hotel could make a significant impact on waste reduction. As a result, the hotel is now recycling 87 per cent of all paper and cardboard, saving thousands of dollars in waste removal fees. Recycling is audited on an ongoing basis to ensure the hotel the program is fully utilised. Prior to the audit 93% of total waste was going to landfill. In 2009 this has decreased to just 13% of total waste. Crowne Plaza Melbourne uses the following initiatives to manage waste:

•

Recycling 87% of all hotel’s paper, glass, plastics and cardboard waste

•

All printers on draft, and establishing a ‘Think before you print’ policy

•

New compactors, receptacles and installation of cameras in waste areas

•

Introducing Eco-friendly amenities made from biodegradable Plastarch.

Remaining guest amenities are then donated to homeless shutters. This has decreased overall landfill from the guest room by a further 20% Since implementation an external audit from Green Globe showed Crowne Plaza Melbourne only produces 4.7L of landfill waste per guest, 52.1% better than the Best Practice Level. Additionally, Crowne Plaza Melbourne has made annual savings in excess of $7,000 in waste removal fees.

Water Conservation Water conservation is especially important in Melbourne’s severe drought environment. Crowne Plaza Melbourne works alongside the City of Melbourne’s Total Watermark Strategy which aims to use less water in 2020 than 1999. In 2007 Crowne Plaza Melbourne invested in a JemFlow water saving system to all guest rooms and back-ofhouse areas. This has created an annual saving of more than 30,000kl of water. In 2008 Crowne Plaza Melbourne conducted an environmental ‘guest engagement’ pilot program which gave guests the option of opting in to different in-room environmental initiatives, and invited their feedback. The pilot guest rooms showed an increase in towel reuse, a reduction in linen laundry, and a reduction in waste. Guest survey results showed 70% of guests supported environmental actions in the hotel. Following this success the program is now being implemented in all guest rooms, and rolled out to other IHG hotels in Australia and New Zealand. This combination of aggressive internal targets, implementation of new technology and a shift in staff culture will see Crowne Plaza Melbourne’s footprint significantly reduced in years to come. n

Robin Power with the enGauge screen in the foyer of Crowne Plaza Melbourne

An update on Crowne Plaza Melbourne’s enGauge screen Guests staying at Crowne Plaza Melbourne will no doubt have noticed the mySmart enGauge screen installed in the foyer with this hotel among the first selected to trial this great innovation to share the sustainability practices and achievements with their guests.

he enGauge screen scrolls through a number of animated slides that indicate, in easy-tounderstand graphics and statistics, what the hotel is achieving in the

22 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

areas of reducing power and water consumption, reducing waste and carbon emissions and so reducing the hotel’s overall carbon footprint.

“We also have installed a system called Inncom ‘INNcontrol’ in all of our rooms that controls and monitors our lighting and air-conditioning.

The facts and figures displayed are the real day-to-day, month-to-month figures so the screen can be used by everyone in the building to track exactly how the Crowne Plaza is going and what it needs to work on to improve even more.

“This means that movement sensors will know when you have left your room and will automatically turn off your lights – and then turn them on when you return.

Robin Power, the Regional Chief Engineer for the hotel, points out how it is making great headway, and the staff has already had much positive feedback from guests regarding the screen. “We live in an era when care for the environment is important to most people, and we want to assure guests that this hotel and its staff are very serious about reducing the impact that a large building and business such as ours can have on our surroundings. “Its not only guests that show a keen interest in this, as many of our sister hotels are watching and learning from us.

“In addition to this, we have also installed energy-saving long-life light bulbs throughout the hotel. The airconditioning in rooms will automatically turn itself off when guests check out at the reception desk.” Mr Power added how the air-conditioning in all guest rooms have an ‘eco’ button which reduces the overall power needed to run the unit for long periods. There are numerous additional things benefits, such as giving a ‘green tip of the day’ showing interesting information on water conservation, displaying current weather details, as well as seven-day forecasts. n

Efficiency Is Free – Ask For More Facility Management of the Future By John Brodie | Managing Director of Vim Sustainability and trainer with UNE Partnerships Facilities Management Program

Facilities management is facing a large range of challenges over the next few years as the world grapples with climate change and the related cost of carbon, worn out electrical supply infrastructure that requires billions of dollars to repair and renew, the advent of smart metering, carbon taxes or similar and the cost of changing to a renewable energy based and carbon reduced economy.

or most facilities managers this results in one outcome. Increasing power costs. Confirmations of, for example, 60% increase over the next three years in NSW (IPART,2010) and predictions of a minimum for the longer term of 10% per annum (Davis Langdon 2008) and 15% per annum (Clean Energy Council 2009) mean that power costs will have to become part of the balance sheet and risk analysis for any facility. If you are spending $40,000 per month on electricity it doesn’t take a lot of mathematical skill to work out a compound interest and net present value impact on your power bills over the next twenty years. Dollar figures with lots of Zeros are the outcome. The built environment contributes around 40% of the carbon to the climate change equation. Unfortunately for building owners but fortunately for those that live on the planet, the government has identified that one of the cheapest and easiest ways for them to control carbon emissions is through the built environment. Remember that around 97% of the built environment we need for the next 20 years already exists so it is the existing facilities that can provide the greatest opportunity for the most carbon reduction as they make up the largest percentage of carbon creators. Most of those facilities are usually inefficient in their design and often in their operation too. This methodology of carbon reduction mandated by the government at last

year’s COAG meeting in Hobart is that the building owners will pay for the reduction in carbon. Let’s face it. That is an easy and cost effective way to reduce carbon –charge the owner of the building –minimal cost to the government! This process is being implemented through the BCA (Building Code of Australia) Section J requirements which are significantly increased in performance levels in 2010 and have changed the focus of the BCA from energy efficiency to carbon abatement and through the implementation of mandatory disclosure energy efficiency auditing on all commercial class 5 building over 2000 sq metres under the new BEEC scheme. This proposed scheme, coming of age in July 2010, will mandate that any commercial building over 2000 sq metres that is being sold or leased must undertake a detailed audit and provide an output of the energy consumptions level of that building. In addition a range of sustainability recommendations must be made by the accredited auditor and all of this must be displayed and be a part of the advertising and sale or leasing documents. Naming and shaming is probably a better term and is possibly close to the intent. Really though is that a bad thing? If it actually saves you running costs as the existing or new owner while also reducing your carbon footprint it can’t be all bad! In all the inspections and audits we undertake of facilities we are always amazed at the amount of waste and

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 25

Efficiency Is Free – Ask For More Facility Management of the Future Sustainability is about efficiency. Nothing sinister. No rocket science. No cloak and daggers. Clear and simple it is about efficiency. Yet every single business we have been to is inefficient in some areas. Even the efficient ones!

inefficiency we notice. Yes it is so our job to notice those things as that is what we do but in many cases there is so much that can be done cost effectively to so many facilities to save resource wastage. The related costs of resource wastage can also impact on other areas of the facility. If you for example, have not implemented smart procurement then you will be paying to throw away and remove the waste you have incurred through your poor procurement policy. Which equates to buying something to just throw it out! The retail industry, for instance, disposes of large amounts of waste from packaging etc that could actually be removed from the production process. So instead of paying to ship the packaging here and there and then paying to unpack the item from the packaging then paying for the value it took up and the weight it created and then paying for someone to pack it up and remove it again wouldn’t it be better to just forgo the packaging in the first place? In many facilities we see the use of electrical lighting when daylight could be used as effectively. The British retail kings Tesco and Sainsburys, for example, utilise natural ventilation and daylight in the majority of their stores now because it is saving them so much money on running costs, and improving their internal environment so they are selling more. Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s and Walmart, the second largest company in the world, are all committing to carbon neutral retail stores. Carbon neutral …. not low energy, not sustainable but carbon neutral! That is a high level of sustainability commitment. Hands up how many readers believe they are doing that because they are simply wonderful corporate citizens? Hands up how many readers think there might be a dollar in it for the owners? Embracing a sustainable approach to your facility starts at the CEO or preferably the board making the commitment and then the required focus and related actions will follow. Once that commitment is made then the hardest bit is over. Sustainability is about efficiency. Nothing sinister. No rocket science. No cloak and daggers. Clear and simple it is about

26 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

efficiency. Yet every single business we have been to is inefficient in some areas. Even the efficient ones! And efficiency is available in new buildings as well as old. We audited a 12 month old aged care facility recently where the client was experiencing massive energy bills. The building was constructed under 2008 Section J energy efficiency requirements yet was chewing though power at a very high level. Upon inspection we found that the chapel had the air conditioning running 24 hours a day 7 days a week all year. Most of the time it was empty. The timer or sensor control unit was faulty and despite the building being empty the unit just kept going. Pumping out cold or hot air to cool or heat the empty chapel day in and day out. This wasn’t noticed as an issue for at least six months because the chapel was not used often. When it was used everyone just thought the A/C sensor was working because the A/C was on when they were in there. During our audit it was picked up and rectified and the power bill has dropped measurably since. In another facility we audited we told them if they spent $35,000 once on that facility changing lights, timers and providing switches and controls they could save $50,000 per annum on their power bills, every year. The client, who was extremely shocked at that information, indicated he had 10 other facilities with the same problem. We told him to do the math -10 x $50,000 per annum savings .That is serious money. And that is based on current power costs which are increasing rapidly as previously mentioned. That$ 50,000 per annum saving will shortly become $60,000 per annum then $70,000 per annum etc etc. The great thing about efficiency is it is generally free. So many aspects of sustainability are small tweaks and changes that add up to a serious saving. At a recent site investigation we noticed that the programming for the advertising signage lighting had one error in the timer porgraming meaning that for the last four years the external advertising sign had been turning on every Tuesday,

like clockwork, at 6am instead of 6pm and running 24 hours a day! Just what the world needs more of â&#x20AC;&#x201C;signage lighting running during the day. You will shudder when we tell you what that cost the client for the past 4 years. Only a little error but significant in electricity and maintenance costs. A recent energy audit for a retail client indicated we could reduce their power bills by around 35% per annum. With paybacks of around three years. The facilities use between $10-25 k per month and they have scores of facilities so the savings across their portfolio are significant. The use of renewable solar panels is becoming more and more prevalent and that is a great step forward from even two years ago. Mention someone turning their roof into a power generator in 2005 or 2007 and the padded van would arrive and the stretcher would be bought out for you. Now though, the

value of generating power is becoming more and more a reality. We do get concerned though those companies are purchasing renewables to create power before they get their house in order. If you have an inefficient facility and spend a lot of money to install Photovoltaics you are spending money on something you can get for free. Why would you do that? Making your facility, your business, more efficient in as many ways as possible should be the first step. Maximize those efficiencies before you go and spend money on renewables. You only need renewables once you have maximised your operating efficiencies, then they make great sense. All the homes we see installing renewables makes us wonder how much more effective it would have been to encourage those owners to maximise efficiency before spending on the renewables. Then the cost of carbon abatement for all stakeholders would be a lot less.

The use of efficiency in your facility is an overarching solution but one that is relatively simple. If you are trained to look for efficiency in all you do then you will see so many areas that are currently inefficient. Spend the time making your facility efficient before you then spend on other areas such as photovoltaics or wind turbines. Understand the way your building works and how everything within it is interrelated. Changing a light can affect the energy the light uses but also can affect heating and cooling loads. Is the changing of the light going to increase or reduce your overall heating and cooling loads? In some cases the changing of the light can have a detrimental effect on air conditioning; in many cases it has a good effect on air conditioning and related loads. There is no straight rule though. A building is a living breathing entity. Understanding the relationships between equipment and the built form

Efficiency Is Free – Ask For More Facility Management of the Future

The role of the facility manager is changing fast. Being aware and up to date of what is available or what the authority requirements are and what socially and corporately is expected of you is a different world to even 5 years ago.

and the built form and equipment with the inhabitants or the user is of prime importance. Neglect that and you are in trouble. Understanding and reviewing and revising and considering all the relationships in your facility will drive you towards efficiency.

from where the world is heading. Tenants as well as owners are also demanding improved sustainability from all their facilities. The facility manager is facing a range of challenges that he must be abreast of to ensure he keeps his facility operating as efficiently as possible.

The great thing though is that if you remember that efficiency is free, it doesn’t cost to become efficient, then you will realise you can ask for more… and more … and more. n

The facility manager that doesn’t embrace sustainability could be increasing risk to his company and to his own position. The challenge lies in embracing the changes and being ready for what the future holds. It is a new and changing world where efficiency is the key. Increased training that will improve your knowledge and understanding of the climate changed world and all it requires must now be seriously considered. No running way

Energy Management using in-tap flow controlled Showers By Chris McDonald - JEM Australia Pty Ltd

With the introduction of compulsory maximum flow rates for showers and taps the challenge for the Hotel Industry has been to to meet water restrictions and building code requirements and still provide guests with satisfactory showers.

he introduction of the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Scheme (WELS) has also meant that any shower heads purchased for the guest rooms will be flow restricted. The maximum flow rate mandated by the regulations is 9 litres per minute (3 Star WELS rating). The positive outcome of these regulations is that not only is water consumption reduced but energy consumption is also reduced, both resulting in utility cost savings. The water and energy savings generated by these regulations can be used to investigate and purchase the best solution for the guest and the hotel. Firstly assess how much water is saved and secondly how much energy is saved. Then consider what is the best shower solution at a flow rate of 9 litres per minute that will maximise the showering experience for your guests.

When a shower is turned on, the hot tap is usually turned on full to allow the hot water to arrive at the hot water tap more quickly, then the cold water is added to provide the required showering temperature. The resultant flow rate for a non flow controlled shower is usually 18 to 20 litres per minute. Previously a flow rate of 12 litres per minute could achieve significant water savings using almost any style of shower head. To reduce the shower flow rate to 9 litres per minute presents a challenge in shower head design. The design must ensure that 9 litres per minute can be delivered in a manner so the shower feels comfortable and looks good. It is important that the consumer is satisfied with the quality of the shower as well as the savings.

How much water is saved? Before the Installation of Efficient Flow Controlled Showers Significant savings can be achieved in water usage in Hotels and Serviced Apartment buildings. The magnitude of these savings will depend on the number of people occupying the room or apartment and the ablution habits of the guests. Figures 1 to 3 (next page) show the calculations for usage of water in Hotel rooms with different room densities before flow control is installed.

After the Installation of Efficient Flow Controlled Showers We have based this comparison on a shower providing a flow rate of 9 litres per minute for the shower and 6 litres per minute for the basin. We have assumed the shower head selected meets the suggested performance criterion detailed further in this article. Figures 4 to 6 (next page) show the reduction in water consumption when a flow controlled shower system is installed to reduce the water consumption in showers and flow controllers are installed in the basins.

How Much Energy is Saved? Savings in Energy Calculations A large percentage of the water shown above as saved is hot water. Because water used in showers is warm water the hot water component of the total flow rate can be calculated. This can be calculated as follows: The highest showering temperature for most people is 42 degrees. But stored water must be at a minimum of 60 degrees C to prevent the growth of bacteria such as legionella. Assume an average cold water temperature of 15 degrees C. Under these conditions the percentage of hot water required to produce a shower at 42 degrees is 60%.

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 29

Therefore, 60% of the water saved in the shower is hot water.

Figure 1 – Occupancy Density of 1 – without flow control Fixture Type

Ave Daily Use

Flow Rate l/m

Times used/person

% of Total

75 litres

11 litre flush

6.8

22%

Bath

27 litres

180 litre bath

0.15

Shower

210 litres

1.5

63%

Basin

23 litres

TOTALS

335 Litres

100%

The hot water saved at the basin is estimated to be only 20% as some of the usage is cold water only. The energy required to heat the hot water can now be calculated by using the formula:

Figure 2 – Occupancy Density of 1.5 – without flow control Fixture Type

Ave Daily Use

Flow Rate l/m

Times used/person

% of Total

112 litres

11 litre flush

6.8

22%

Bath

41 litres

180 litre bath

0.15

Shower

315 litres

1.5

63%

= kilowatt of energy

Basin

35 litres

= quantity of water in cubic metres

TOTALS

503 Litres

100%

Figure 3 – Occupancy Density of 2 – without flow control Fixture Type

Ave Daily Use

Flow Rate l/m

Times used/person

% of Total

150 litres

11 litre flush

6.8

22%

Bath

54 litres

180 litre bath

0.15

Shower

420 litres

1.5

63%

Basin

46 litres

TOTALS

670 Litres

100%

Ave Daily Use

Flow Rate

Savings %

Litres/Room Saved

75 litres

Bath

27 litres

Shower

94.5 litres

55%

115.5

Basin

11 litres

50%

TOTALS

207.5 litres

38%

127.51

Figure 5 – Occupancy Density of 1.5 – with flow control Fixture Type

Ave Daily Use

Flow Rate

Savings %

Litres/Room Saved

112 litres

Bath

41 litres

Shower

142 litres

55%

173

Basin

17 litres

50%

TOTALS

312 litres

38%

191

Figure 6 – Occupancy Density of 2 – with flow control

30 |

Fixture Type

Ave Daily Use

∆t = temperature difference between the hot and cold water η = efficiency of the hot water supply system To calculate the actual energy required to heat hot water the system efficiency must be considered.

A centralised storage system (the most common) that is indirectly heated from a central plant can have an input to delivery point efficiency of 45% or less. In both cases the system efficiency allows for both standing and circulating losses, plus the heating medium transfer losses. These efficiency percentages are approximate and will depend on the piping system design and type of insulation used.

EXAMPLE Calculate the annual energy savings for a 250 room hotel with an occupancy rate of 75% and an average room density of 1.5.

Savings %

Litres/Room Saved

150 litres

Calculations:

Bath

54 litres

Before flow control water consumption

Shower

189 litres

38%

231

Basin

22 litres

50%

TOTALS

415 litres

38%

255

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

Flow Rate

1.28 = a constant factor

A decentralised continuous electric storage system will have an input to delivery point efficiency of about 85%.

Figure 4 – Occupancy Density of 1 – with flow control Fixture Type

Where

Water consumption in rooms in cubic metres = (503 x 250 x 365 x 0.75 )/1000

= 34,424 m3 per year

Energy Management using in-tap flow controlled Showers (continued)

To calculate the hot water consumption this consumption is then split into the shower usage and the basin usage as follows: Shower usage

= (315 x 250 x 365 x 0.75)/1000 = 21,558 m3 per year

To calculate the hot water consumption this consumption is then split into the shower usage and the basin usage as follows:

Basin usage

= (35 x 250 x 365 x 0.75)/1000 = 2,395 m3 per year

Shower usage

= (142 x 250 x 365 x 0.75)/1000 = 9,718 m3 per year

Basin usage

= (17 x 250 x 365 x 0.75)/1000 = 1,163 m3 per year

The remainder is the water used in the WC and bath The percentage of water that is hot:

Shower – 60%

= 12,935 m3 per year

Basin – 20%

= 479 m3 per year

TOTAL hot water usage

= 13,414 m3 per year

The energy required to heat this hot water in a centralised, indirect fired system that has a system efficiency of 45% is calculated below: kW

= (13414 x 1.28 x 45)/ 0.45 = 1,716,992 kW per year

After flow control systems water consumption Water consumption in rooms in cubic metres = (312 x 250 x 365 x 0.75 )/1000 = 21,353 m3 per year

The remainder is the water used in the WC and bath The percentage of water that is hot:

Shower – 60%

= 5,831 m3 per year

Basin – 20%

= 233 m3 per year

TOTAL hot water usage

= 6,064 m3 per year

The energy required to heat this hot water in a centralised, indirect fired system that has a system efficiency of 45% is calculated below: kW

= (6,064 x 1.28 x 45)/ 0.45 = 776,192 kW per year

A reduction in energy of 940,800 kW per year >

Utility Usage in Rooms

No Flow Control

With Flow Control

Savings %

Saving Quantity

Water in rooms only

34,424 m3

21,353 m3

38%

13,071 m3

Hot Water Energy

1,716,992 kW

940,800 kW

45%

776,192 kW

SUMMARY What is the best Shower system solution for a 9 l/m flow rate? Research has shown there are four main requirements for a shower experience. •

A pleasurable experience

•

Plentiful spray

•

Strong even pressure (water velocity)

•

Even and stable showering temperature

The first two items – a pleasurable experience and plentiful spray are dependent on the design of the shower

head. This design determines how the water is delivered to the body and if the delivery method makes effective use of the available water quantity. The diagram below is of a typical water saving shower head and shows some of the deficiency in the current designs.

Energy Management using in-tap flow controlled Showers

Figure 7 – Water and Energy savings per year for a 250 room hotel, 75% occupancy Occupancy Density of 1.5

developer. This has been done in an attempt to provide water conservation or to meet the requirements of the local Supply Authority. Generally the guest is dissatisfied with the quality of the shower so they will complain about these shower roses. The Hotel then replaces them with an unrestricted shower rose. The net result of this is the Supply Authority’s attempt at water conservation is neutralised and the money spent on the restricting shower roses has been wasted. These showerheads will save water but there is an amenity cost to the end user that can result in a negative attitude towards water conservation in showers. The main amenity costs when restricting shower roses are used are as follows: Not enough water.

The main faults with this shower are, •

A hollow centre to the spray pattern.

•

The spray is narrow and does not cover the body. This usually means the user has to move around constantly in the shower to keep warm and to rinse any soap from the body.

These problems have always been an issue for low flow shower heads. A recent design has solved these problems. A technology called “Twin Jet” has been developed and patented. This technology solves the problem of hollow centres in the shower head and is designed so the spray covers the full width of the body. The computer simulation diagram below shows how this is achieved. A strong even pressure and stable showering temperature are the two items that conventional restricted shower heads cannot always provide because a restrictor is fitted into the shower head or arm to provide the 9 litre per minute flow rate. However, the best way to provide stable showering temperatures and pressures is to install the flow control into the shower tap to provide pressure balance between the hot and cold water supplies.

In-Tap Flow Controlled showers Vs. Showers with Restrictors

•

Conventional restricted shower head – A flow rate of 9 litres per minute can appear to be insufficient when the design of the shower head cannot deliver the water in an efficient manner. This then results in guest complaints of “not enough water” and “poor shower pressure”

•

“Twin Jet” shower head – A twin jet shower head has been specifically designed to deliver a flow rate of 9 litres per minute and will even operate at flow rates as low as 7.5 litres per minute with a spray pattern that gives good coverage over the body.

Uncomfortable shower. •

Conventional restricted shower head - The velocity of the water discharging from the showerhead is too high. The high velocity gives the feeling of holes being drilled, by the water, into your body. This high velocity can cause pain and general discomfort to the user.

•

“Twin Jet” shower head - A “twin jet” shower head produces a softer shower spray to provide a comfortable shower with no narrow jets of water.

Dangerous shower. – Everyone has experienced temperature fluctuations in the shower when someone turns another tap on, we call this “thermal shock”. •

Conventional restricted shower head - when a restricted shower rose is installed the thermal shock is increased dramatically. There have been incidents where people have been scalded, or injured jumping out of the way of a shower when the temperature has suddenly changed.

•

“Twin Jet” shower head fitted with in-tap flow control – when the shower flow rate is controlled by the in-tap flow control the thermal shock is eliminated. The in-tap flow control balances the hot and cold pressures separately so that when they mix together in the pipe to the shower head any changes in the hot or cold pressures are absorbed by the individual hot or cold in-tap flow controller. This results in a shower flow that is stable in temperature and pressure.

Conclusion

Showers with Restrictors fitted into the arm or head of the showers.

The best solution for a hotel shower is the combination of a shower with “twin jet” technology and in-tap flow control.

In the past many Hotels and serviced apartments have been fitted with a restrictor or a restricted shower rose, by the building

There are showering systems on the market that provide the combination of these technologies that are 3 Star WELS rated. n

34 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

Brisbane Airport hotel takes off impressively By MAX AGNEW

Travellers to and from Brisbane Airport cannot help but notice the first hotel to be established there – the four and a half star 157-room Novotel Brisbane Airport. It was constructed and developed by Kenlynn Property Holdings, with KPH now managing it through a franchise with Accor as a Novotel.

he aeronautical surroundings make fascinating viewing for guests, but don’t for a moment picture the hotel standing on its own well away from other facilities. Opened this past December at 1 Airport Drive, the new hotel is right next to corporate offices and a supermarket with a childcare centre, all within walking distance of a golf course. The six storey hotel complex is the key to a rapidly expanding area that has officially been rated as the fastest-growing district around Brisbane. The excellent facilities it has for large or small conferences are proving to be a great attraction for corporate officials to stay overnight. Warren Keys, the hotel Maintenance Manager, says it is interesting for him to see numerous big company executives fly in from interstate or overseas. “Facilities for conferences here are really top class,” he said.

Kenlynn Property Holdings (KPH), was founded by Peter Flynn in 1963, initially producing six-pack blocks of units. The operation has spread its wings since, taking on numerous major accommodation projects. Other members of the Flynn family now involved with Peter in the family company include Scott, Anthony and Charlie. When KPH appointed Noel Robinson to be the project architect for this project, it was obvious that acoustics and environmental issues would play a major part in the designing of a structure that included numerous innovations that might not be required in your normal hotel project. Not only did he deliver, but Robinson topped it all off with a six-storey atrium and a dramatic glass-ended cantilevered rooftop pool with sauna and gymnasium, allowing for ample recreation space for guests. Marty Brennan, the genial Project Manager for KPH, admits he might be a little biased when claiming that numerous visitors to the new hotel have claimed it to be “one of the best Novotel hotels in the world.” “When the project was opened recently, we had an aesthetically magnificent building with numerous ‘quiet’ features – all part of this facility that our guests will most likely never notice,” he said.

ACOUSTICS Says Brennan: “Adding to the challenge for the architect was having to also deal with the coming of a proposed air-train station within 75m of the hotel, along

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 35

with Brisbane Airport planning to build a new parallel runway that would be 2.5km closer to the site for the hotel. “It was estimated that within a year or so there would be at least 100,000 cars per day using Airport Drive. This would be the first hotel to be constructed at this airport, and it just had to be right.” Marty Brennan remembers that they firstly needed to design and test out a double glazing system for the windows. What was available was not going to achieve the acoustic resistance his firm was insisting on. “We finally settled for installing a window suite with a rating of RW58 to all rooms. “In other words, we made the external walls into two complete systems, one being a steel frame and fire-rated plasterboard system, clad with fibre cement cladding and fully set. Then we built over the top of that system with a composite pre-finished panel.

“When combining these two systems we were able to achieve the ‘quiet’ rooms that we sought, making sure the rooms could be ‘blacked out’ so that airport arrival, at any time of the day or night, would allow guests to sleep comfortably.”

ENVIRONMENTAL All areas of environmental concern were studied when assessing the energy consumption. “We started with water by installing two huge stormwater storage tanks, and a third tank to store grey water,” explained Brennan. “For all the toilets and irrigation, a grey water filtration system was installed that generated enough Class A water to service the building. “If at any stage the grey water tank should run low, valves automatically kick in to the stormwater tanks,” he added.

Brennan pointed out that since the hotel came into being in December, no town water has been used at all to service these areas. “All the hot water is served to the facility via banked heat pump hot water units. This is reticulated throughout the building to maintain a constant temperature without the need to ‘boost’ energy consumption. “The heat pumps, of course, are served by the air around them with minimal power consumption.” Power consumption is not only expensive, but is considered a high impact carbon generator. The building management systems at Novotel Brisbane Airport are fully automated and can be controlled from the front-of-house. Marty Brennan added that the airconditioning is controlled from check-in. “The moment a room key is registered, the air-conditioning kicks in to a

comfortable ambient temperature that the guests can adjust if they wish.

“The breezes can do the job of several huge extraction fans.”

“This ensures energy is not consumed unnecessarily.

Marty stated when testing this system, it was quite incredible as the results were even better than expected with the smoke plume drifting straight up the middle of the atrium keeping all access ways clear.

“Power to all the suites is activated by smart cards. Once these are installed into the controllers in each room, the power becomes available. The moment the card is withdrawn, the power is cut. “The air-conditioning will remain an ambient temperature until the guest has checked out.” Brennan remembers when they were considering fire management; this was a more difficult issue. “Fire services require constant testing, and this generally results in substantial power and water consumption. “To overcome this we designed and constructed an operable roof to the atrium. In the event of a fire, this ‘fire inspection panel’ tells the roof to open, giving us an instant chimney.

For the reception, bar, restaurant and function facilities, the hotel opted for an automated C-Bus lighting control system to enable several settings to create whatever ambience the given situation required.

TECHNOLOGY Being an airport hotel, it was prudent for Kenlynn Property Holdings to incorporate air traffic information, something that had never happened before in Brisbane. “This was quite a breakthrough,” said Brennan. “The Brisbane Airport Authority had never set the FIDS system up for areas

Brisbane Airport hotel takes off impressively (cont’d) outside of the terminals, so we needed to get involved in the design and implementation of this system. “The function rooms were fitted with state-of-the-art technology that allowed complete interface with all formats. We knew that functions would operate on a global scale, so we had to be certain that international and regional equipment would interface. “This would effectively create a plug-andgo facility with full 5.1 Dolby sound and high definition projection. Throughout the facility there are LED menu boards that tell you where you are and how to get to where you need to be.” he said.

Wi-fi is available in all common areas, and broadband connection, along with LCD TVs with pay movies and Foxtel available in every suite. The building management systems incorporate: • Sales • Ordering • Power Management • Water Management • Direct to room movies • Monitoring of all air-conditioning units/ hot water systems • Ambient temperatures • Grey water production/consumption • Lighting levels All services are monitored and controlled. Among the major companies KPH used in the project were Ampac Solutions for the designing and manufacturing of the fire detection systems and the manufacturing of this equipment.

Clevertronics at Meadowbrook specialises in exit and emergency lighting products and monitoring systems were responsible for this throughout the building, with Eletech at Albion responsible for the installation of all lifts and their maintenance. All plumbing supplies came from PHD Plumbing. It has 20 outlets in Queensland that operate a fleet of a hundred service vehicles. This hotel provides all the latest facilities one would expect in any state-of-theart operation for accommodation and function centres. It also provides 24 hour room service and a fine restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as an all-day coffee and cake menu. Aesthetically it is a magnificent building that looks after its own waste and minimises any impact to its site. Novotel Brisbane Airport is likely to become a benchmark for future hotels to be constructed within or close to major airports. n

The Keys to the Maintenance Department

arren Keys, who moved from Novotel Brisbane to become the Maintenance Manager for Novotel Brisbane Airport, gives this recently opened hotel top marks. “It could well be given a five-star rating as it includes all the facilities corporate guests expect to find these days in the best hotels, which is one reason for it proving to be extremely popular for the business sector,” he said. Warren is a product of New South Wales, having grown up at Griffith at a time when certain fruit growers were producing more than the usual crops that put this town on the map. At a time when local citizens there, such as Robert Trimboli and his >

ADVERTORIAL

Hotel water saving equivalent to annual needs of 40 family homes...

ndependent research estimates a typical air-conditioned 200 room hotel, uses around 80,000 litres of water per day or 29,000,000 litres per year (based on 75% occupancy and 1.5 people per room). These figures vary of course, depending on hotel location, guest mix (corporate, business, holiday) and so on; but what doesn’t change, is every hotel, 200 rooms or larger, can save water equivalent to that used by 40 family homes (four people) every year—for larger hotels and resorts even more! How? By integrating commercial water recycling, as routinely as air-conditioning systems, as a standard facility in hotel infrastructure. Market suggests hotel customers increasingly select their preferred accommodation, resort or conference venue in part on ‘sustainability’ performance. Therefore, by definition, successful hotels of the future, will establish their sustainability leadership today. It’s an initiative that is good for both ‘the planet’ and hotel business results. Stretching objectives are often set for hotel Chief Engineers and Technical Directors to reduce hotel energy, waste and water costs; with targets increasingly beyond simply fitting low-energy light bulbs or low-flow shower heads. Given that water costs are increasing rapidly as Governments try to recover the massive costs of improving water and waste infrastructure—businesses being a key recovery target—the era of cheap water has clearly past and recycling water is the future.

due to ’unfriendly ’ levels of grease, oil, food particles & other contaminants—increasing treatment cost & complexity) Water recycling and reuse with Nubian technology, offers a compelling solution for hotels and resort sustainability performance. The technology safely treats greywater from basin, showers, baths and laundry sources to an extremely high water quality, suitable for a broad range of hotel reuse applications. The Nubian solution typically includes ‘five stages’: a pre-screen to remove coarse particles like hair etc, the second and principle stage is the Nubian vertical biofilter followed by full ‘triple barrier’ disinfection; with ultra-filtration, UV disinfection and chlorination stages. The result: a particularly high water quality suitable for reuse in toilet flushing, surface irrigation, vehicle cleaning, laundry and more... Guest room usage accounts for up to 50% of hotel water consumption. Recycling collects used water from showers and hand-basins and processes this for reuse. Plumbing is required to separate toilet waste from shower, bath and hand basin water. Although obviously easier to implement during a refurbishment, or a new development—as water/waste charges escalate (along with guest preference for sustainability), it becomes a compelling opportunity for established hotels.

Air-conditioning is a major hotel facility with several important concerns—it is a potential source of legionnaires’ disease and less dramatic perhaps, it consumes a lot of water and energy. Given the possible consequences of a legionnaires outbreak, hotels are acting to eliminate this risk with the addition of ultrafiltration to cooling tower systems. The second initiative is the use of recycled water for cooling tower make-up. Nubian Water Systems offer leading, low energy solutions in air-conditioning applications, to both minimize health risk and save water. Swimming pools there is no solution to water lost through evaporation, but there is to water lost in backwash operations and splash over waste (and showers if separate pool facilities are provided). Backwash and splash-over water can be collected, treated and reused for

Water usage will vary for every hotel with season, location and guest mix. For example, a hotel by-the-sea catering mainly for holiday guests, will tend to have higher shower usage compared to a city hotel catering for business/ corporate guests. However, all share a common opportunity for substantial water savings. Guest rooms are the largest usage area (can be 50% or greater if there is no laundry), followed by laundry, air-conditioning and, if open meeting areas are provided, public toilets. Irrigation of hotel grounds can also be a significant usage area, particularly in holiday resort locations; plus swimming pool facilities if provided. (Note: kitchen waste water is normally excluded from greywater collection

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 39

pool top-up water. Also, although not a ‘water saving’ initiative, Nubian supply solutions for automatic (and remote) on-line monitoring of pool water quality—’real-time’ measurement of chlorine, Ph and other vital parameters—providing immediate problem alerts or automatic adjustment of pool chemical dosing systems. On Premises Laundry (OPL). Although the main hotel laundry service (linen, towels etc) may be out sourced, many hotels retain an on premises laundry service for guest personal items. Two opportunities for water saving are: i) recycling final rinse water for reuse as pre-wash on the next load; and ii) more significantly, recycling of all washing machine waste water (except the 15% typically lost in evaporation). If the laundry service accounts for 5, 10 or 20,000 litres per day, a significant portion of this can be recycled. Public facilities can be significant usage areas if conferences and/or public meeting areas are part of the hotel business mix (or if swimming, spa or fitness club areas are open for public use). These areas offer an ideal reuse application in toilet flushing. n

From Sydney to Shanghai the biggest challenge is not about balancing State budgets it’s about our shrinking water resources. Installing a Nubian system is not only good for your home or organisation (which it is of course) it’s also good for your community, your town and your state. Water shortages threaten everyone’s way of life—water needs exceed available supply. So, installing a water recycling system it’s not only about the ’$’s’ cost & ’payback’, it’s also about the ’bigger picture’ of leadership, commitment to the community and contributing to a healthy, sustainable future for all.

< associates, were becoming infamous for illegal drugs distribution, Warren Keys became Manager of the local cemetery. His keen sense of humour comes through when he says: “You could say that back then I had some former well known district identities under me.” A keen sportsman, in those days Warren played two football codes – a ruck rover in Australian Rules, mixing this with Rugby League. After five years in the cemetery business, he moved to Brisbane to become Maintenance Co-ordinator for the Churches of Christ, then responsible for 168 housing commission properties. “Most weeks I drove more than 3,500 kilometres. “This was a project where the Church would look after families down on their luck, allowing them to have a home for up to 12 months with a modest rental that might have been as low as $40 a week. Many of these families did later make a go of it. “I recall one former successful businessman with a servant and a maid that lost everything when the stock market took a sharp dive. He and his family were forced to rent one of these houses for some months. “He obviously worked hard, as later he was able to get back into the business world and make a success of his life again.” Warren later moved to Brisbane at Kangaroo Point to be a maintenance manager, a position he retained for nine years before a move to a similar position with Hillcrest Apartments. Eight months as maintenance manager on Fraser Island added to his expanding experience before accepting this role with Novotel Brisbane. The construction of Novotel Brisbane Airport had begun when he was appointed to his present position, allowing him to be involved virtually from the ground up in working on this six-storey project. While he is happy to work long hours in helping to keep the maintenance section operating smoothly, he is also the happy father of five offspring of various ages and one grandson. It can’t be all work, though, as he still follows both Aussie Rules and League, and there is another sport he has developed a passion for since moving to Brisbane – deep sea fishing. Warren says he has been saving up to purchase his second boat, and this seems likely in the coming months. Meanwhile, because of the considerable technical input that goes into the Novotel Brisbane Airport, when the hotel soon considers putting on an apprentice to the maintenance department, he says it will probably be someone prepared to learn about technical matters. n

Smart Rooms and Wireless Access Thank you for visiting us at the Hotel Hospitality and Design Exhibition 2010 in Melbourne. Another successful event for Vintech Systems! Only Vintech Systems was able to prove and display the true Smart Room Technology at the Exhibition â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with online Saflok, automatic mini bars and smart energy room control devices.

As usual, the system has the support of Vintechâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 24/7/365 technical expertise where Reliability is the Key. For Sales Enquiries please call Gidon Sattinger on (02) 9472 2000.

Our Vision

With the advent of the ZigBee Prostack platform, entering a guestroom becomes a customised experience, tailored to the unique preferences of each guest. When a guest presents a keycard or other credential to a lock, devices on the ZigBee network spring into action. For example, the lights adjust to the appropriate level, the television turns on with the appropriate channel and volume level, the powered blinds open or close and the temperature adjusts - all according to the guestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preferred settings.

Our focus and intention is to be as clear and accurate with you as possible. Our experienced staff and team are constantly working with a variety of budget and 5 star accommodation facilities nation wide, and continually have your interests in mind. We always aim to remain one step ahead of the game ensuring that your considerations are valid over the long term. We thus approach the market with the dedication to serving you for years to come. Our exceedingly strong and well established position in the marketplace with other products shows that we currently have the benefits of packaging a vast range of cost effective solutions by being able to offer more product solutions than ever before.

With Automatic mini bars, the hotelier knows exactly when the guest uses it and what he took . They know exactly what is consumed and when. No more shrinkage and total control over product expiration.

Our strong ethos and commitment to customer service extends to all our products. We will never compromise quality for price; and throughout - reliability is still the key! n

We showed our interface to Incomm and Control-4 systems.

Ozone laundering in hospitality Nothing but the truth By Shaun Petrie

Ozone generator systems for laundering first appeared in Australia back in 2004/05. The first system to be installed at an Australian hotel was in January 2005 at what was then called Eden on the Park Hotel (now Bayview Hotel) Melbourne.

he hotel laundry consisted of one Electrolux 80 kg and two 40 kg high speed spin washer extractors, complimented with dryers and a feeding folding stacking ironer, and towel folder. The laundry catered for 180 4 ½ star rooms at Eden on the Park as well as 200 rooms at their sister hotel Bayview on the Park. The laundry processed approximately 11 tonne per week. Today there are more than 500 Ozone Laundry Systems operating in laundries throughout Australia, it is estimated 400 of these are installed in healthcare laundries which include aged care and hospital facilities, however there are more than 50 in hotel laundries around the country. Some of these include Rydges, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Marriot Hotels. BENEFITS OF OZONE LAUNDERING Today there are several companies offering an ozone system for laundry, some have independently verified data on savings generated by installing their ozone system, others do not. Not all systems available deliver the utility savings suggested. Not all provide a level of wash quality deemed acceptable for hospitality linen. Like all new technology, there is good and bad. It’s also imperative that the company selling and commissioning these systems has extensive and intricate knowledge of the technology and the laundry process.

Ozone is said to achieve: • 10-40% water savings compared to traditional laundering • Gas and electricity savings in water heating for washers • Gas saving in tumble drying • Production gains or labour saving • Longer linen life • Chemical saving A return on investment for Ozone laundering technology, depending on the throughput of the laundry can be as fast as 12 months. It is best to speak with the ozone supplier to ascertain exactly what their system can and will achieve, as this varies significantly from brand to brand. One thing’s for sure, a good ozone system reduces operating costs significantly. If you outsource your linen, it may be time to revisit, as in house laundering with ozone could make the exercise much more viable than you think. Following is a detailed report on why some ozone systems work better than others. CORONA DISCHARGE VS UV LIGHT Corona discharge is the only type of ozone generation that delivers the required weight and ppm of ozone required for a good standard of laundering and to guarantee infection kill including bed bugs. The issue with Ultra Violet globes can be two fold. A UV light

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 43

Corona discharge, the only way to create consistent quality ozone for professional laundering

UV light globes will not consistently deliver quality ozone for professional laundering

may not deliver the weighted dosage required to produce beautiful white linen on an ongoing basis. Yes, the bacteria and viruses should be destroyed but the wash quality may not be guaranteed. The other issue with UV light is lumen depreciation which means ozone production can diminish each time the “lamp” is started. The initial depreciation could be high and may begin to level off until the lamp fails and needs to be replaced. UV light globes may last 12 months or longer until they fail, but in the meantime the ozone weight and ppm dosage can reduce from day one of operation. Corona discharge on the other hand provides a constant weight and ppm dosage. Corona discharge is much more expensive to manufacture, but it’s the only method available that works with professional laundering to provide consistently high linen quality and effective, guaranteed disinfection. There are several ozone distributors selling UV light systems in Australia. The systems generally work well for a month or two, then progressively the wash quality

44 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

drops to a point where colored linen looks dull and whites turn a shade of grey. Some ozone suppliers hide this problem by discretely adding hot water in the wash process and or organize the chemical supplier to add more bleach in an attempt to get the linen whiter. In the meantime the ozone system is not performing, and there is no guarantee the ozone dosage is high enough to kill all bacteria and virus on all wash programs. UV light ozone systems are very very cheap to manufacture. So cheap in fact that they are generally used for aquariums, garden ponds, spas and other small applications. Due to the low cost of UV systems, if they worked so well for laundering, it would be reasonable to suggest that ozone would be commonplace in all new domestic washing machines used for home. This obviously is not the case. Corona discharge systems are the preferred method for professional laundering. OZONE SATURATION and DELIVERY

Vacuum venturi, simple, efficient and reliable ozone delivery to the washers

The most reliable and foolproof way to ensure ozone is dissolved into the wash water is by vacuum venturi injection. The ozone dose is guaranteed. Some systems available today just push the ozone tubing into the breather of the washer which can result in ozone gas not being dissolved into the water. Others use a “bubbler” method which injects ozone into the sump of the washer by way of a tube with small holes. The holes tend to clog up with lint unless they are cleaned regularly, which creates extra maintenance and unreliable ozone dosage. FAIL SAFE DELIVERY SYSTEM Not all systems have an integrated fail safe device that disallows washing if the ozone dose cannot be guaranteed on a wash by wash basis. Unfortunately due to the varying dosages UV light provides, it is very costly to integrate a fail safe with a UV light ozone system. Corona discharge on the other hand is consistent with it’s dosage so a fail safe device can be fitted easily and economically. The Australian Standard AS4146-2000 suggests strongly that if chemical disinfection (I.e. Ozone) is to be used, the process must be validated, otherwise, how do we know if the bugs have been killed for every wash every day. You need to ask your ozone supplier how is the level of ozone dosage being monitored and what happens if it falls below the required level. Can the washer still be operated in this environment? Does the ozone system have control over the washer so if the dosage is too low or no ozone is delivered at all, the washer ceases it’s operation? NITROGEN ABSORPTION

Bubble method, ozone bubbles tend to go straight up above the water level in washer

When generating ozone, a by product created is nitrogen. It is essential that nitrogen is removed from the mix as it can lead to nitric acid levels in the wash bath. A quality ozone system used for laundering must have nitrogen absorption (sieve beds) included. Many systems do not. INDEPENDENT BENCHMARKING

Raw ozone gas being pumped into the washer, is this viable?

Some of the systems recently introduced to the Australian market have no independent benchmarking on aspects of ozone laundering. Water, gas, and

electricity savings are unsubstantiated. Bacteria and virus kill has not been tested thoroughly, on going wash quality has not been monitored. Some companies may have data they have measured in-house, but this is should not be relied upon. Demand independent data on all aspects for peace of mind. Do not take it for granted that it has been done. LAUNDRY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Today, for a relatively small cost, consumption data on water, gas, and electricity usage can be captured. Production can be easily measured, all automatically by a digital monoring system. A regular report can be generated via modem if required, which allows you to view a “snapshot” of how well the laundry is operating. This monitoring is a perfect tool to measure how well the ozone system is delivering on it’s promises. It also allows you to measure staff efficiency and will immediately flag any equipment inefficiencies like leaking

drain valves in washing machines and faulty thermostats or sticking gas valves in dryers. SITE REFERENCES Lastly, ask for site reference lists. Contact those references to ensure they are happy with their ozone laundry system. If the company cannot provide a detailed reference list with contact names and phone numbers, then it probably means they don’t have one. Listen to independent people who have no reason to tell you anything but their honest opinions. SUMMARY Ozone is a fantastic technology for use in professional laundering. It can save your hotel significant water and energy. It can also improve the production and extend linen life. However you must do your research, some systems available simply do not and cannot deliver.

View HOTEL ENGINEER online now! THE

Visit www.adbourne.com and click on ‘The Hotel Engineer’

Ozone laundering in hospitality

A laundry must be managed and treated as a cost unit, just like all facets of hospitality. This can be easiliy achieved through technology (monitoring) and or by competent trained laundry staff.

A laundry must be managed and treated as a cost unit, just like all facets of hospitality. This can be easiliy achieved through technology (monitoring) and or by competent trained laundry staff. Ozone at the end of the day is a great tool, however it is not the sole answer to having a perfect laundry. n

Decontaminating Foul Air in Garbage Chutes and other Closed Air Spaces By MARK SPENCE

Summer time is just around the corner, and one thing that comes with summer is an increasing awareness of those foul odours that stem from areas like garbage chutes, storage areas and grease traps that can cause residents and patrons to complain. These odours can stem from hazardous bacteria, fungi, and viruses, such as Salmonella, E-coli, Legionnaires, Meningococcal and Staphylococci – you have a fiduciary responsibility to address this issue.

ne means of doing so is by attacking the root cause of the odours by killing the bacteria, viruses and fungi by using controlled amounts of ozone. Many readers may be broadly familiar with ozone as you may have one or more portable units that housekeeping staff use to ozonate hotel rooms on an as-needed basis when, for example, a patron smoked in a room where they were not supposed to. The room is emptied of people, the unit turned on and allowed to run for an hour or two, then doors and/or windows are opened, and the offending odours are gone. The same principle can be applied to more demanding applications that require regular deodorizing.

46 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

Ozonating closed air spaces is more common than many building managers think. I am aware of well over 200 installed units, including in high profile sites like Conrad Jupiter’s Casino (Gold Coast) and World Tower (Sydney). Unfortunately there is still confusion surrounding the efficacy of this technology that I will endeavor to dispel. Let me do so by providing an introduction to the two broad approaches to creating and applying ozone. The two common ways of producing ozone are by either using UVC lighting or a corona discharge reactor. Let’s start with UVC lighting because it has a longer history. Conceptually units incorporating UVC lighting are very simple, sometimes referred to as a “bulb in a box”. In fairness, they are more complex than that and good units will incorporate additional methods to break-down bacteria and fungi; but the crux of the system is still the UVC ultraviolet germicidal light. There are two critical issues to consider with UVC based systems: First, the sanitization process requires that the contaminated air pass through the system (in front of the UVC light). These systems work exceedingly well killing the bacteria in the air that is exposed to the UVC light (some independent tests report a 99% bacteria kill rate), but has no effect on air that does not circulate through the system. It is therefore appropriate to think of this as a “local biocide”. For a metaphor, think of a medicinal skin cream that is very good at killing bacteria where it is applied, but has no effect anywhere else. A very relevant question therefore is: can the air in the

space being considered for ozonating be circulated regularly through the system? As a tangent, but relevant for clarifying this issue, in a swimming pool filters do not run 24/7 and often there are areas in the pool where the water does not circulate well, hence ozone systems for pools are combined with other forms of biocides. Returning to closed air space applications where the purpose is to not use other biocides, our view is that UVC-based products should be relegated to places where the air can be circulated well, for example, in reception areas and public toilets, and the air’s “starting start” is not laden with heavy particulates (e.g., airborne oils and dirt that will dirty the bulb and therefore lower its effectiveness). The second issue to consider with UVC systems is that although the life of the UVC bulb may very well be thousands of hours, the spectral output or wavelength emanating from the bulb actually degrades much earlier – yet, you could not tell by looking at the bulb. As it degrades, ozone output falls thereby reducing the effectiveness. Thus, if users opt to use this technology, be sure your provider regularly cleans the bulb, monitors the spectral output and replaces the bulb if necessary. A second approach to producing ozone is via a corona discharge reactor. Readers might be familiar with that fresh air smell immediately following a thunderstorm. In fact, that is ozone you are breathing that has been created through a corona reaction, the principle of which can now be replicated in a low voltage, safe environment. This technology has come a long way in the last decade and is now a very reliable means of producing ozone. Filtered, ambient air is forced through a corona discharge reactor (not much larger than a bulky pen), which causes the oxygen molecules to break down and recombine into highly unstable ozone (see diagram). Ozone wants nothing more than to revert back to oxygen, which it does so within minutes; but in their short lived, activated state, ozone is one of the most powerful biocides publicly available, again killing 99% of bacteria. Importantly, this approach disperses ozone gas into places where getting the air to circulate in front of a UVC light is impractical. To use a medical metaphor again, this approach is therefore more akin to a “broad spectrum biocide” – think of how a shot of penicillin disperses throughout your body. Thus, for example, our PuraAir units inject small amounts of filtered, dry ozone into the bottom of the garbage/refuse chute which disperses, travelling up the chute from the natural draft; in many cases fitted exhaust fans on the roof of the building leave the patrons and staff free of any airborne bacteria or viruses. An issue to acknowledge with corona discharge reactor technology is that the cost of the unit is going to be more expensive than UVC based systems (maintenance costs will be similar). Units such as ours would include as standard features sensors to monitor ozone output, our built-in patented COPS (Controlled Ozone Production System) as well as filters to remove unintended gas bi-products thereby ensuring there is no chemical residual. Our view is that these units are better suited for “hostile environments”: warm, high moisture areas with lots of airborne particulate matter in hard-to-reach areas – high rise garbage chutes and grease traps are a perfect

example. Like UVC based systems, these systems should be checked regularly, in this case to clean the filter and verify ozone output. For both approaches technology has come a long ways. If you have heard individuals relay stories about bad experiences with ozone, odds are that the stories are dated. Firms such as ours, PuraAir Australia, represent both technologies, and fully acknowledge that both approaches have appropriate applications. For either approach, there are dependable units available on the market as well as reputable installers – be leery of firms that claim otherwise. Regardless of what approach you use – we do not subscribe to a “one size fits all” solution – be sure it includes an on-going system maintenance contract. Like anything: be comfortable with, and monitor the performance of, your supplier; and get the right tool for the job. The benefits of ozone are many – and particularly so when compared to either ignoring those nasty smells or addressing the issue with liquid chemical alternatives. n Mark Spence PuraAir Australia A subsidiary of Ozone1 Pty Ltd www.puraair.com.au

48 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

ADVERTORIAL

An Integrated Approach to Guest Room Entertainment & Internet By ROSS CALDWELL

Converging all the key elements of a guest’s expectations of quality information, communication and entertainment into a single easy-to-use interface.

ifestylepanel Pty Ltd develops leading-edge in-room display and information technologies for use in the international hotel market.

We deal with the all too common difficulties and frustration guests have trying to work or being informed or entertained in their hotel room. The simple things, like access to the internet, movies, television and other hotel services, and being able to easily communicate with their business, family and friends while away from home. The LSP System meets those needs neatly and simply by integrating the range of guest services a hotel has to offer, such as movies, television, the Internet, Skype communications, hotel information, advertising and online shopping, all into a proprietary system driving a High Definition LCD display panel with easy-to-use remote control and wireless keyboard. Many international hotels are now facing high cost capital outlays to upgrade their outdated, typically analogue in-room entertainment systems, often having to deal with multiple vendors. The LSP System and business model allows the hotel to undertake such an upgrade with little or no capital outlay, and with little or no disruption to existing guest services. Installation is quick, efficient and leaves a tidy room setup. No set top box is required, no tacked-on hardware – the panel is cabled discreetly directly into the wall, and it can quickly start generating revenue for the hotel. Importantly, the hotel has only the one vendor to deal with. LSP controls and manages the entire process, from installation through ongoing provision and management of the system including movies and other entertainment content. The LSP system has simplified billing and reporting, providing integration with all leading PMS systems, and LSP can customise the software interface for a Hotel’s branding, and access to electronic compendiums and information pages. The LSP System allows for remote tuning to all panels in the hotel via remote access bringing a significant benefit as there is no requirement to visit individual rooms to manually adjust the TV. Guest laptop Internet access will work regardless of the Guest’s computer setup, be it DCHP or Static IP. Guest email does not require changes to POP or SMTP settings.

All the key elements of the Guest’s expectations of quality information, communication and entertainment converge into a single easy-to-use interface

Guest VPN is supported by the LSP system and Port forwarding requirements can be configured remotely by LSP support staff as and when required. The LSP System delivers: •

fast and secure internet browsing

•

access to WebMail services and inbuilt VOIP Skype service

•

discretion - all Internet history is removed from the system at the close of each internet session

•

view immediately or book movies to view later – with trick-play and bookmarking

•

discrete movie billing with non-disclosure of titles

The LSP System is an easy to manage service utilising dependable industry class hardware and software platforms, with full 24/7 support for Hotel staff and guests. LSP manages it all. LSP offers the Hotel a real point of difference. n Ross Coldwell is the Managing Director of Lifestylepanel Pty Limited and can be contacted at ross@lifestylepanel.com

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 49

Hotel Laundries By PAUL CREEK

Hotels come in many sizes from small boutique to large international organisations. Many seasoned travellers consider them a home away from home while others like to think that a hotel is something different from home where they can feel special and be literally spoilt.

he impact for the guest is usually the tangible front of house services – the concierge on arrival, the reception greeting at check-in or the various wait and bar staff during the fine dining experiences. A hotel is made up of many departments at the front of house however none can operate if all the back of house departments were non-functioning. The quality of service is measured by the seamless levels of interaction between the front and back of house staff. The “back of house” departments operate as the engine of the organisation performing many “taken for granted” services resulting in happy and content guests. The question is often asked what is the core business of a hotel? Is it the hotel service received? The answer is of course YES, however the core business could also be considered the engine of the hotel, the maintenance, the laundry, the cleaning, the kitchen because without these a hotel is just a block of rooms that has nothing to measure its performance against.

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 51

The laundry needs a specialist who is an expert in this field of dry cleaning, general production and a front line service attitude.

Could you imagine dirty linen, “grubby” towels, stained table linen, uncleaned bedrooms or lipstick on glasses?? How would the hotel appear then? It is with these points in mind that a hotel must consider the importance of the “back of house” services. Laundries are no different from the other departments and its quality will meet the high expectations of the guests such as the crisp ironed sheets, the fluffy bath robes and towelling and many other aspects of staying in the room. Quite often the core business is confused with the cost of running a department and therefore becomes a specialist area. The laundry needs a specialist who is an expert in this field of dry cleaning, general production and a front line service attitude. Employee costs become an issue and result in outsourcing the services. It is often the lack of experience and established systems coupled with the high utility costs which are the real causes of poor performance. A specialist manager would know how to operate a laundry, establish effective systems, keeping machines at capacity with little downtime and rostering the staff to ensure peak performance. An on-site laundry will create flexibility and additional service opportunities. A well managed laundry can be more cost effective than outsourcing. Outsourcing services must still be MANAGED. Staff costs and performance can be managed. Critical to this is ensuring the correct machine selection occurs – washers, dryers, ironers and folders.

52 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

There are two ways to resolve the issue of laundry costs. Firstly, review the practices in place and ensure the machines are loaded to capacity which use the correct levels of water, gas, electricity, chemicals and staff time. In conjunction with this improve the systems and introduce environmental initiatives such as Ozone reduction in water and electricity consumption up to 40%. The second solution, which is less popular is to increase the hotel room rate and other service charges. The laundry service to function well needs good linen supply, area to work, suitably appointed equipment, ozone and highly trained staff. Linen can be supplied one of three ways to a hotel: 1. A hotel can have its own on site laundry staff operating its own laundry 2. It can have its own on site laundry with contract staff running the laundry 3. Outsourcing all dry cleaning and linen needs. The least flexible is the last scenario.

Linen Enough linen, all white and of a high standard, is recommended which will allow the laundry to manage at its own pace and schedule rather than on a demand and supply basis. There is nothing worse than having phone calls from the housekeepers requesting short supplies to be delivered. An imprest or ordering system in advance would provide the suitable levels the sheet and towel replacement. The advantage is owned linen remains the hotel’s property and is not mixed up with linen going to many other hotels. This outsourced linen is subject to different levels of quality as it can be laundered along with the linen of many other hotels. Linen replacement programs may extend the life of the linen out to 3 to 5 years depending on the total laundering production completed. Small corrective and quality issues can be addressed quickly and cheaply e.g. linen staining. White linen is selected due to clean appearance and failure to fade. Triple sheet supply is well established as

even hygiene in hotels is now a serious factor. The room presentation and freshness should give the impression of the room being used for the first time.

Work area The required laundry work area is important and must allow a workflow exist that prevents cross-contamination of linen. All linen contained in linen bags will be received in the laundry via a chute or linen tubs. This area for sorting will be separate from the clean handling finishing area. All linen will be sorted into categories such as sheeting, towelling and table linen. The washing machines are loaded to capacity with one classification and set into operation. This process is continued until all washing is completed – if a full load is unable to be laundered, this will wait until there is additional linen available. Once all wash loads are completed they are removed to the clean area for drying, ironing, folding and eventual return to the guest service areas. A variety of processes will occur in the finishing area. Bedding will be conditioned (part dried) in preparation for ironing. All the towelling will be fully dried and mechanically folded. All completed linen will be packed onto storage trolleys for delivery to the guest areas. This will eliminate double handling that might occur if fixed shelving is used.

Equipment The selection of equipment is important. Outlined below are some of the key pieces usually selected and the most are designed to reduce manual labour as the laundry can be a physical environment. Washing machines – selection is made to meet expected throughput. A variety of washing machine capacity is available starting as small as 7 kgs through to 200 kgs and beyond. Commercial laundries which provide services to many organisations use tunnel washers. Calculations on machine selection are based on the expected linen levels being laundered and number of guest activities occurring. The rate is between 7 – 10 kgs per person. Dryers – a dryer is selected to match the capacity of each washing machine which

will eliminate a back log of linen waiting to be dried. Sheeting and pillow cases are usually only part dried for later processing in the ironer. Commercial 2-3 roll ironers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these machines have the capacity to iron 750 sheets an hour and depending on the complexity of the machine, they can feed, fold and stack allowing the operation to be undertaken by one person. Towel folder â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this is for the folding of all dried towels and will also stack. Dry cleaning equipment - An important addition to some laundries in the large hotels is the dry cleaning units and this is a very lucrative process for a hotel to have where they can provide a service to the guests and be able to charge for the service. A same day service or inside 1 or 2 hours is a fantastic service for the guests.

Staffing Staffing is another key factor and the competency of the staff is important. It is a physical role and staff selection must ensure this consideration is made. Staggered staff hours are important to get the best results and performance level. It is not necessary for all staff to be at work at 6.00am or at the same time in the morning.

Staff may actually be employed in the cleaning section at one part of the day and finish off in the laundry in the second part of the day which enables flexibility on site. Cleaning and laundry departments often work closely together and have common staff throughout. It is suggested a nucleus of laundry staff are always in place to ensure the high quality is maintained.

Ozone The last area is the utilities of the laundry. These are gas, chemicals, water and electricity. A laundry will use approximately 20 litres water/kg linen washed. An important inclusion for all commercial laundries is an Ozone system. Ozone is the generation of gas 0Âł that can be utilized in the laundry process that allows a cold water wash and electricity/gas savings of between 30 and 40%. There are two Ozone systems in the market place. There is Corona discharge and Ultra Violet. Corona discharge is generated by the passing of high voltages of electricity over air and then saturated into the water supply or directly to the machine. Ultra Violet is created when air is passed over an UV lamp causing the oxygen molecules to split into single atoms and attached to other oxygen molecules to form ozone. In both cases, it is the constant stabilising and non-stabilising effect that results in the effectiveness in the wash process.

Ozone is a cold water wash and pay back can be up to 18 months depending on overall activity. The advantages of an On-Premise Laundry: • Cost control and management of quality and stock levels are in-house • Linen deliveries will be more timely without additional delivery cost • Problems will be addressed quickly • Laundry staff will be part of the overall team and will “live” the overall service experience • Staff are more likely to provide input into quality improvement initiatives • Imprest systems can be well managed to ensure shortages are eliminated • A well planned laundry with the correct equipment and staffing attitude will be cost effective. • Able to undertake special tasks – curtains, mop heads, shower curtains, bedspreads without extra cost.

The disadvantages are: • Undertaking stock control will result in additional staff costs. • Staff are often inexperienced and management do not have time to provide appropriate training • Lack of laundry supervision/ management experience to ensure correct linen service procedures occur • High cost of setting up full laundry department and subsequent operational costs • Labour costs if laundry is not managed well could be high plus on-costs of 30%-40%

In summary Creek Solutions Pty Ltd believes a well planned and staffed laundry is a positive step forward. Each hotel should give individual consideration for operating a laundry service and it is encouraged that contact with a consultancy service is received for advice. A commitment

to building a laundry is positive and the process must be inclusive as “cherrypicking” processes may become costly. n Paul Creek Creek Solutions Pty Ltd 0425 356 134 paulcreek@creeksolutions.net www.creeksolutions.net PO Box 60 Croydon NSW 2132

Paul Creek is the Managing Director of Creek Solutions Pty Ltd. He started out working as a Manager for International Hotels throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand. He spent 11 years managing the daily operation and quality performance of the hotel support services at St Vincent Private Hospital. He undertook a similar role in large Aged Care Facilities in more recent times and for the last six years has been working as a consultant in Australia and New Zealand providing support to laundry, cleaning and kitchen services in the Hotel, Health and Aged Care Industries.

Case Study:

Rydges Hotel North Sydney Rydges Hotel North Sydney is perfectly situated for the discerning traveller, within close walking distance to the North Sydney’s bustling business district and only a short journey over the iconic Harbour Bridge into the CBD. Recently, as part of Rydges commitment to their “continuing revitalisation program” they have refurbished and created new areas throughout the hotel, such as the Mundo Global Restaurant & Bar located on the ground floor.

his funky new tapas and cocktail bar offers an eclectic and exciting menu of tapas style and small tasting dishes, while allowing guests to relax and enjoy the energetic atmosphere of Sydney’s North Shore. Another addition to the Rydges North Sydney refurbishment is their purpose built function rooms specifically designed for both conference and banqueting events. These new venues within the hotel are able to cater from a handful up to 300 people, offering state-of-the-art audiovisual facilities and lighting control in all the rooms. C-Bus gives Rydges intelligent control Clipsal C-Bus was recently installed for the new refurbishment at Rydges North Sydney, creating a complete lighting control and management solution for the hotel’s bar, restaurant and conference facilities. The Clipsal Sales Representative for the project was Louie Panuccio, who

worked in conjunction with Shannon Thomas Electrical to develop an end-toend lighting solution for Rydges North Sydney. Point Of View lighting designers also played an integral role in creating a design that provided Rydges with a look and ambience, which complemented the hotel. Initially, discussion around C-Bus began as just lighting control in the Rydges three conference rooms using DIN rail mounted universal dimmers in conjunction with Dynamic Labelling Technology (DLT) Switches. This eventually evolved into a full rewire and fit-out of the conference rooms and Mundo Global Restaurant & Bar using Infinity Dimmers. The hotel manager, Craig Simpson, was so impressed with the functionality of the C-Bus system, that the original specification expanded into a full installation in the hotels foyer, reception, conference rooms, bar, restaurant, lobby and lifts. The right hardware for a perfect environment Stainless steel DLT switches control all three conference rooms, which utilise Universal Dimmers working in conjunction with two Professional Series Dimmers, an 8 Channel Relay, a 4 Channel Universal Dimmer and an 8 Channel DSI Unit to control fluorescent lighting. Room linking also provides a single control point when two or more areas are used as one space. In the second stage of the installation the client requested that they had complete control of the lighting for the reception, foyer, bar and restaurant areas all from the hotel’s reception desk. The solution incorporated C-Bus’ new 12 Channel Infinity Dimmers, which were controlled

by Stainless Steel B&W Touch Screens in the reception area and a DLT Switch in the bar area. Twenty different lighting scenes were created to operate in all these areas 24 hours a day, from early morning through to late evening, but reception can override these scenes when required. It’s also possible to control and override lighting scenes and music in the bar and restaurant area from a single C-Bus DLT Switch behind the bar. In addition, the touch screens at the reception area can also control the audio and music throughout the hotel if necessary. A stunning final result Although there were minimal project challenges, such as wall chasing and concrete ceilings, a majority of the work was carried out at night as to avoid business disruption. This cost effective C-Bus lighting control and management solution exceeded the client’s expectations. Their deadlines and objectives were completely met, providing total control of lighting and audio for the specified areas from one central location. n To find out more about C-Bus or Clipsal Professional and Architectural Dimmers please contact James Costello on Ph: 0417 878 847 or visit clipsal.com/cis

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 57

OHS Legislation and Hotel Engineers By RICHARD MUMBERSON

Due to the heightened safety requirements imposed upon businesses, OH&S has become a compulsory factor in the operation of a successful business.

he introduction of recent OHS Legislation and concerns by business over whether they meet the strict new guidelines, and concerns that employers, employees and the general public may have with regards to air quality, noise and compliance issues have become more prominent in today’s world. In general, areas of concern stem from the type of operation or work environment. For example, air quality testing within a building or office, welding fume assessment for a fabrication operation. In many instances, staff members do not even realise they are at risk and just assume the condition are normal. This has been the case in Australia with regards to industrial deafness. Employees operate machinery producing noise levels in excess of 85 dB(A), i.e. the national TWA limit for an 8-hour period, for most of their working lives completely oblivious of the damage to their hearing. Cases like this can be avoided simply by the use of correct PPE (personal protective equipment), conducting regular audiometric testing as well as many engineered solutions. It is up to the operators as well as the owner of a business to ensure that all areas of potential concerns are addressed as they are legally obliged to do so. The onus is then on the owner/operator of the business to ensure the results of any assessment are presented and understood by all staff and visitors entering the business as well as implementing the necessary changes if non-compliance occurs. The implementation of a

management system is an excellent way to make sure that non-compliances do not occur in the future. The management system must be thorough, concise and constantly updated as regulations and legislations are revised regularly. The goal is to achieve an environment that complies with both social and environmental health and safety standards. To do this, business must ensure compliance with current Australian and/or International Standards, state specific legislation and quality assurance guidelines whilst adhering to the projects specifications and scope. Typical services include but are not limited to: • Indoor Air Quality Assessments – This an determine whether the CO, CO2, O2, temperature and humidity of the area is satisfactory. These are regularly conducted along with biological assessments when complaints of eye irritations, sore throats and allergies are made. This type of assessment can also be conducted for confined areas or mining operations. • Biological Assessment – This assessment is conducted to investigate whether mould and bacteria are present within enclosed areas, old buildings, and buildings with little or no natural ventilation. • Occupational Hygiene Assessments – These are typically conducted within manufacturing processes where atmospheric particulates have the potential to be hazardous to human

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 59

OHS Legislation and Hotel Engineers (cont’d)

processes. These include testing of VOCs, PAHs, Ammonia, SOx and NOx, formaldehyde, etc. • Occupational Noise Assessments – Usually conducted to determine the noise levels of manufacturing operations and whether they comply with exposure criteria, relevant standards and regulations. These are conducted via a combination of static and personal measurements of the affected area.

health. These include respirable and inhalable dust, quartz, welding fumes etc. Dust assessments are also conducted within office and building environments and calculated as total dust or aerosol concentrations. • Monitoring of Gases and Vapours – This type of assessment is commonly conducted when abnormal smells or odours are present or when certain chemical compounds that may cause ill health are used during manufacturing

• Occupational Noise Insurance Claims – Is instigated by an insurance company once a formal claim for acute and/or chronic industrial deafness has been made. Assessments are conducted on the exact area and operation that the claimant worked in. This allows for a accurate indication on the noise exposure levels experienced. • Noise Contour Mapping – This is a crucial aspect of an Occupational

Noise Assessment as it establishes the noise levels throughout the site, illustrating the noise distribution from the incorporated processes. • Occupational and Environmental Regulatory Audits – These types of audits are commonly conducted when a manufacturer or business does not comply with the provisions imposed upon them by the local Council or its Environmental Protection Licence. Final clearance is only given once all the recommendations are adhered too. A combination of these sampling events is common and in most cases, is dependent on the type of operation or process being monitored as well as financial and regulatory requirements. n

To ensure that your business doesn’t suffer as a result of OH&S non-conformances, contact IMC Environs at environs@i-m-c.com.au or on 0431 503 194.

Mission seemingly impossible: preventing slips and falls? By RICHARD BOWMAN

Slip resistance is simple in concept

How much traction do people require?

but complex in practice. People

Biomechanical studies indicate a typical coefficient of friction (CoF) demand between 0.16 and 0.22 when walking, although people with an ambulatory disability may have much higher demands.

will slip on floors that provide less traction than their gait demands. If we know that we are about to walk on ice, we change our gait, walking slowly and taking short careful steps. Our propensity to slip is therefore a function of how we are walking, how alert we are to possible changes in floor conditions, the ambient lighting, any evidence of a change in floor conditions, any warning signs, our footwear and its condition, the cleanliness of the floor, the intrinsic slip resistance of the floor, and the uniformity of that slip resistance, among other factors.

What is a safe level of slip resistance for a floor? In CoF terms, this very much depends on the method and conditions of test, as well as what intended use will be made of the floor. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends a minimum static CoF of 0.5 for walking surfaces in the USA. The American Accessibility Guidelines recommended a static CoF of 0.6 for accessible routes and 0.8 for ramps; however, these criteria were withdrawn as no test method was cited. In most of the world, static slip resistance results are considered less reliable than dynamic results. Static CoF criteria are largely irrelevant in Australia, except that such data appears on some product literature and websites. Several floor polishes are marketed in Australia as being slip resistant, having passed the ASTM D-2047 slip resistance test (dry static CoF ≥ 0.5). However, the (US) National Floor Safety Institute has found many ‘slip resistant’ polishes offer inadequate traction using a different static test method.

The NFSI says that since 80 percent of slip-and-fall accidents occur on wet floors, testing should take place under wet conditions. Although this argument is flawless, Australian slip resistance audits of most internal floors are primarily based on dry tests, even though fire sprinkler systems may operate during emergency egress. The recommendations in Standards Australia Handbook 197:1999, An introductory guide to the selection of slip resistant pedestrian surfaces, are entirely based on wet slip resistance tests, anticipating the contamination of clean dry floors. HB 197 will undergo a major revision after the Australian Building Codes Board has considered the outcomes of its current study into the effect of slip resistant design on the safety of buildings. There will also be significant simultaneous revisions of AS/ NZS 4586, Slip resistance classification of new pedestrian surface materials, and AS/ NZS 4663, Slip resistance measurement of existing pedestrian surfaces. AS/NZS 4663 states “the test surface shall reflect the nature and the purpose of the testing”. This allows a floor surface to be tested quite differently, depending on whether it is an audit, floor finish trial, or accident investigation. While the extent and type of cleaning performed on the surface must be reported, it is rarely possible to precisely interpret the degree of cleaning.

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 63

Preventing Slips and Falls

friction requirement for a given level of risk. Although test houses appear quite dependent and very comfortable in using the AS/NZS 4663 notional interpretations of the risk of slipping, these generic interpretations will soon be removed as they lack specific context. HB 197 recommends levels of slip resistance for specific environments based on an intrinsic understanding of the associated risks. Test houses may be doing their clients a disservice if they only provide notional interpretations of the risk of slipping of floors that were tested in atypical conditions. They will inevitably become expected to provide more realistic indications of falls prevention safety, where this will logically encompass analysis of more than limited sets of slip resistance data. How does our slip resistance vary? Taking new ceramic tiles as an example of a potentially slip resistant material, the slip resistance can vary across the surface of a tile and with the location and direction of testing. The slip resistance may vary within and between production batches, and particularly between different colours of some types of tile. Such variation has been a fact of life for many years and should not scare you.

Considering AS/NZS 4663, a dry CoF of 0.4 might be considered to represent a safe slip resistant surface. Test houses may perceive their clients want a ‘notional pass’ (CoF ≥ 0.4) for insurance purposes. Such results are notionally interpreted as the floor making a moderate to very low contribution to the risk of slipping, rather than a ‘high to very high contribution’ (CoF < 0.4). Since any dust picked up by the rubber test foot during testing tends to lower the result, test houses may attempt to remove as much dust as possible, perhaps fearing loss of auditing contracts. However, forensic inspections typically investigate several surface conditions. Floors that give a ‘safe’ result (after intensive preparation) might be shown to give unsafe results when tested in ‘often available’ conditions. Who has been fooling who?

64 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

Since most people have a traction demand of 0.22 or less, crowds successfully walk on surfaces that standards seem to deem unsafe. Pedestrians cannot differentiate between an available CoF of 0.39 and 0.41, as the 0.40 safety criterion has an in-built safety factor and rarely represents a realistic transition between ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ conditions. Spills and contaminated floors typify unsafe conditions. Floors with coefficients of friction of 0.36 and 0.34 potentially represent a slip risk of one in a million and 1 in 100,000 respectively, and a CoF of 0.24 a risk of 1 in 20. This assumes that an able-bodied pedestrian is walking on a level surface at a moderate pace while not turning, carrying, or pushing or pulling a load. Such activities would result in a higher

You might be disturbed to learn that some new ‘slip resistant’ finishes rapidly become slippery as they ‘polish’ due to wear. Your architects may have used an old result for a different colour and batch when designing the hotel. Were they aware how much the slip resistance might change? The 2009 Natspec slip resistance performance design note, NTN DES 001, advises “Reports have emerged of instances of ceramic tiles, selected for having a classification of minimal notional contribution to the risk of slip, which, over a short period of time, deteriorated to such an extent that they were re-classified as potentially being a major contributor to the risk of slip. Accelerated wear testing, now available, may provide a useful indicator of the potential reduction in slip resistance over time. This process involves subjecting the floor sample through a number of cycles of wear in

conjunction with wet pendulum testing. The number of test cycles may vary with the organization performing the test. Since pedestrian surfaces react differently to various wear mechanisms and exposure conditions, there is no single accelerated wear test method that will reliably apply to all materials and situationsâ&#x20AC;?. Oil wet â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122; slip resistance classifications relate to back of house areas (particularly kitchens) where staff should wear appropriately slip resistant footwear. However, the oil wet ramp test cannot be conducted in the kitchen. However, since the pendulum can be used almost anywhere and at any time, it provides the best basis for most specifications. It can be used to assess maintenance options and to study natural and accelerated wear. The pendulum is used for water wet tests in the Australian standards, but is used for dry slip resistance testing elsewhere. It can be used with other contaminants, and usefully permits a choice of two test rubbers. When conducting audits of premises, the slip resistance for a particular finish can vary considerably between different areas depending on the amount and type of wear. Besides wear, slip resistance also varies due to the type and amount of contamination, and the frequency and efficiency of cleaning. Pendulum test results can be used at all stages of a project and is the preferred method of testing for most pedestrian situations other than industrial conditions. The need for regular audits can be included in the architectural specifications, where remedial action can be required if the slip resistance falls beneath a specified level. The designer may balance the need for slip resistance by the use of lighting, drainage and other design strategies. Remediation blues If you have identified an area that requires remedial treatment, several candidate products claim to significantly improve slip resistance. However, your surface may react differently. Any induced slip resistance may be very short lived and might depend on the surface preparation. Many long-term warranties are based on the use of expensive cleaning products that continue to slowly etch the surface. Many treatments can change the appearance of finishes, some more than others. This can particularly become a problem when the floor contains more than one tile colour or stone type. Unevenly laid finishes might experience variable etching and cleaning problems. Appropriate trials should always be undertaken prior to use of such products and the recommended precautions should be observed prior to application. Post treatment slip resistance auditing is strongly advised. It is unreasonable to expect that treated surfaces will be uniformly slip resistant. What are hotel engineers required to do? Expert legal advice might reveal what is required to comply with the Federal and State laws, and all associated Regulations, Codes of Practice, relevant standards and

Mission seemingly impossible: preventing slips and falls? Good governance principles require employers to responsibly minimise the risk of slip and fall accidents.

Authority requirements. Under the Building Code of Australia (BCA), occupiers must maintain essential safety measures. Employers, employees and other parties are responsible for the occupational health and safety of those who use buildings. Employers must train employees to ensure OHS requirements are fulfilled. The impending harmonisation of the work health and safety laws will certainly assist development and implementation of effective companywide falls prevention strategies.

no universal slip resistance criterion that fits all scenarios.

The extent to which slip resistance is required is not adequately defined or proscribed. It is thus advisable to consider some possible definitions or expectations. From an OHS perspective, an accidental slip might be considered prima facie evidence of insufficient slip resistance.

The objective of maintenance is to ensure that essential safety measures continue to perform at the same level of operation that existed at the time of commissioning and occupancy permit issue. If a relevant building surveyor (RBS) is appointed to ensure maintenance of the essential safety measures of a building, and the RBS fails to specify appropriate slip resistance audits and compliance limits, then the RBS would seem to be accepting liability for accidents attributable to insufficient slip resistance. Foreseeable environmental conditions include a consideration of whether the sprinkler system and emergency lighting might function as intended.

From a BCA perspective, AS 1428.1 establishes requirements for new building work: continuous accessible paths of travel and circulation spaces “shall have a slipresistant surface”, where “slip-resistant” might soon be defined as “A property of a surface that offers sufficient traction to prevent slipping”. An additional qualifying sentence “An accessible path of travel with a slip resistant surface will remain safe for normal stride and pace and moderate attention, given appropriate maintenance” would be in accordance with enlightened thinking (Natspec guidance, use of accelerated wear tests, and necessary maintenance considerations). Some architects specify remedial action if regular audits yield slip resistance results beneath a stipulated level. A definition “A walkway surface that provides more than the required range of friction for the range of pedestrians who will be using it under the range of expected conditions, who are wearing the type of footwear expected for those conditions, and who are behaving in an expected and predictable manner” is more applicable to hotel staff than guests, whose behaviour and footwear is less controllable. Since kitchen staff must often work under pressure with various spilt substances on the floor, such floors obviously require a higher level of slip resistance than most other floors. There is

66 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

This need for different levels of slip resistance in different situations partly justifies any lack of quantification of slip resistance in the Codes, but places great pressure on designers, employers and controllers of buildings. Some builders determine the slip resistance of some areas prior to handover, in order to demonstrate what was provided, possibly anticipating that it will decrease.

Good governance principles require employers to responsibly minimise the risk of slip and fall accidents. If a suitably instructed RBS has not been appointed, the responsibility presumably lies with the hotel engineer. n

Richard Bowman is a slip resistance and tiling systems consultant, and as Chair of the Standards Australia committees on slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces; fixing of ceramic, natural and reconstituted stone tiles; ceramic tiles; and ceramic tiling adhesives, he is always interested to learn of your experiences and ways in which the standards might be made more useful. Richard is the Principal of Intertile Research Pty Ltd, Tel +61 419 344 052; e-mail slipbusters@gmail.com.

Neil Weenink’s

Back of House Amongst other things plaguing the old Chief Engineer and periodically sending him off his rocker, are the bicycles and sailboats provided for guest usage. How attractive during the hotels opening; and how unsightly 6 months down the track! Why is it that guests ride the wretched bikes through sea water, and you would swear deliberately overturn the sail boats for the thrill, in both cases turning metal finishes to rust? The chrome or stainless quality being about 4 on a scale of 10 to begin with, it surely is a fast deterioration process.

he incoming GM was at odds with his wife on the whole notion of exercising, and sought a way of separating himself from the wretched bikes his wife had meanwhile purchased for them. She on the other hand leaned a little on the old Chief Engineer [as GM’s wives tend to do] to set up fresh water washing booths for both the bikes and boats to extend the life of same. At which point in the saga, indeed if memory serves, at the R&D stage of what became known as the Battle of the Bosses, someone discovered that the beach front fresh water lines had been cut by a person or persons unknown, which really blew the lid on the whole caboodle. When I was somewhat younger, I thought rust was a living organism; that you gave it a thwack by some means and it was gone. Then a bit later somebody told me

68 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

it actually preserved [if that’s the word] the metal beneath; try telling that one to the VIP visit from head office. Thing is, water alone does not cause steel to rust, but the acidic reaction allows oxygen to attack vulnerable exposed metal. Placing a steel wool pad in water and exposing it to air will cause almost immediate rusting. The air around the pad will actually feel several degrees warmer. Eventually the individual iron bonds will be destroyed from the heat and the entire pad will disintegrate. The above being put to the GM’s wife, that lady allowed she had not the foggiest what it was about but suggested plastic components might be an option, as were the toys of her grandchildren. The old Chief, never one of cool temperament had been slowly working up a considerable head of steam which now erupted into a fine display of choice verbiage, there being a lady present. “Madam,” says he, “Should you wish to heave those toys into the ocean for testing purposes I should be delighted to assist by attaching suitable weights to each – and indeed the grandchildren too should you be seeking consolation from that quarter.” And so it went on, the final score Management 6 Engineering 4, with the great debate on Bicycle Activities in Resort Properties still unresolved. With the sailboats, however, there is usually keen discussion, with the GM on these occasions an active participant. Here indeed we have the use of plastic in the hull and reasonable grades of stainless steel in fittings. Unlike the bicycle when the guest has only to fall a metre or so when the wretched machine, corroded beyond all assistance, goes into total collapse, the sailboat may last for a 12-month. Always of course depending on the skills or otherwise of those aboard. Usually 2 city folk, fresh from the office, and would-be sailors.

As with Neil and Madeleine. Jamaica 1975. IHC as it then was, 500 rooms just finished – Rose Hall Intercontinental Hotel. Totally totally co-generative. Amazing design way back then. Six big GM Diesel Electrics and so forth. We’ve written about this place but here is an additional snippet: Ian Fleming the fellow who wrote all the James Bond stories, lived in Montego Bay and the chappie in charge of construction of the Resort used Ian’s home when this was vacant. Also the twin Jaguars [his & hers] that went with it. And so with Neil & Madeleine nearby for the Resort opening, naturally we bunked in with the folk in Flemings home. Sipping Sundowners, overlooking the Caribbean and dreaming dreams… Great times and great memories. One only wishes he had at that time the awesome Aston Martins featured in later Bond movies! So we took out the 2-man sailboats off the beach fronting the Resort and thereby got into the battle of the sexes, as you do. First off I laid down the “I’m the Skipper and in total charge” and Madeleine says “ I have the tiller, and rope to the sail in my hand so if you’re not careful I’ll kwirk you over the side!” And she would have begorra. Management 6 Engineering 3. But Stainless Steel is an item worthy of much reflection and respect. When I was doing my F&T apprenticeship there was a Polish fellow down the end of the workbenches, who was the sheet metal specialist. Kidding you not he could make an apple from a scrap of 18 gauge. The toolboxes of all we apprentices, the ‘foreigners’ made under cover, and the sheer pleasure of witnessing his immaculate metal work was an extraordinary experience. We used ‘StayBrite’ stainless steel where required including the emblems on our push bikes so forth. The thing was, the darned finish never tarnished. And looking back, it was the great John Lamb on Shell Oil who pushed British steel

firms to ‘come up with a steel corrosion free’ for Diesel engine heat exchange components. ‘StayBrite’ was the first patented result, and it was this wonder product that we used in the hotels from the early 1960’s in condenser tubes and the like. So Madam, if our Owning Company had possessed the vision and the cash, maybe we too would have had the corrosive proof bits and pieces on the bicycles and on the boats! Happy sailing,

Neil

Specifying Cooling Towers for Commercial Buildings By John E. Rule

Chiller Electrical Energy Waste with an Undersized Cooling Tower

n recent times the growing concern for natural resources and how they are affected by commercial building activities has prompted the Green Star rating system. A key part of the challenge is to minimize energy consumed and engineers will apply stringent scrutiny to the performance and efficiency of chiller sets in particular, often to the point of insisting on expensive proof testing of the as-built product. The cooling tower on the other hand, being a cheaper, â&#x20AC;&#x153;simplerâ&#x20AC;? device and requiring only about one tenth of the electrical power is often given very little respect and purchased purely at the lowest price. The fact is that the expensive, carefully selected and tested chiller will not be able to meet its guaranteed efficiency and capability in the final installation unless the cooling tower delivers the water at the correct temperature. As a guideline, a cooling tower which is 15% undersize will lead to an increase in condensing temperature of 1ÂşC which in rough terms can lead to a chiller motor power consumption increase of 4%. Without scrutiny, it is possible for a cooling tower installation to be 30% undersize and to escape detection until it is too late. This can represent a chiller energy penalty to the project of 8% or more for the rest of its installed life. The extra cost for the correctly sized cooling tower would have been paid back in reduced energy bills in a very short time indeed.

Present Situation The commonly accepted practice when specifying cooling towers for commercial air conditioning is to declare the total heat rejection and temperatures at the critical time when the load is greatest and when the ambient has the highest wet bulb temperature. This seems to be an entirely appropriate description of the requirement. On the other hand when the high wet bulb is specified in this way it is a rare event that does not facilitate checking once the cooling tower is installed. The cooling tower will still be required to perform on those infrequent peak occasions, so there is a need to be satisfied that the tower will be able to do the job well ahead of time. Once contractors have left site it is very difficult to recapture their interest and deal with an undersized cooling tower installation. Designers have been aware for many years how uncertain they are that cooling towers will be correctly sized. Rather than provide a preference for suppliers they know and trust, it has been commonplace to increase the specified design wet bulb as a safety margin. Unfortunately this higher wet bulb increases the size for all of the cooling tower suppliers. The inflated wet bulb now makes thermal verification harder because it occurs more rarely, if at all. This paper deals with this issue and provides options to help protect owners from the energy loss that will result from an undersized cooling tower.

CTI Certification, An Option In the USA in particular the dilemma described above has been overcome with most cooling tower manufacturers receiving certification from an independent body which verifies the performance claims within literature and selection software. This process is called CTI Certification. Worldwide there are over 70 cooling tower lines making available more than 6,500 certified models to choose from. To obtain certification, the independent body tests a sample of the product line and compares the results to published claims. Every year, a re-verification test is performed on another model within the product line by the independent body to confirm that the as-built product is faithful to the original expectations. The confidence given to the industry has allowed specifications to include more factual design wet bulbs. Cooling towers can be sized neatly for a particular project without false safety margins. There is no

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 71

need to test the cooling tower beyond inspections for adequate ventilation, appropriately connected plumbing, shipping damage, checking of power supply, fan rotation etc... Field Testing of As-Built Product Within Australia, the specification of towers with CTI credentials has been spasmodic due to the limited availability of certified cooling tower manufacturers or distributors. The alternative is to ensure that cooling towers are evaluated at the time of installation to verify that they are going to perform satisfactorily on the hot day. The trouble is that the specified wet bulb is usually too high for comparison and the mathematics of linking the observed thermal performance on an ordinary day with precision to what is expected to happen on a hot day is fairly complicated. CTI certified testing agencies can do these tests and perform precise calculations but they are still reliant on the manufacturer to provide data which may itself beg scrutiny. Frequency of Wet Bulb Chart A shows a plot of the number of hours that wet bulbs occur throughout the year for Sydney, Australia.This data has been extracted from Reference 1. Reference 2 for Sydney suggests a design wet bulb temperature for comfort cooling applications of 22.7ºC. The data in Reference 1 suggests that this wet bulb is exceeded only 120 hours per year, or 1.4% of the time. The common practice in Sydney is to specify a 24ºC wet bulb which is exceeded for approximately 20 hours per year or 0.2% of the time. These brief periods do not represent the bulk operating time of the plant nor do they offer a time period where commissioning

72 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

can take place. The reality is that a refrigeration plant in Sydney will spend over 80% of its life operating at wet bulb temperatures cooler than 20ºC as plotted on Chart A. This paper argues that it would be more meaningful for a cooling tower to be specified to meet these more ordinary conditions and would allow it to be scrutinized during the commissioning process. This could only be satisfactory if there is knowledge that when specified and tested at these conditions, the cooling tower will perform satisfactorily on the hot(peak) day.

say 3 metres by 4 metres. The two main geometries of cooling tower are crossflow and counterflow. For each of these geometries, a cooling tower can be selected with say, a small airflow, a medium airflow or a large airflow. Obviously, a tower designed for a small airflow would require a large surface area and/or a high heat transfer rate. Likewise, a cooling tower with a high airflow could do the job with a smaller, less efficient fill pack. In view of this, an evaluation of six different cooling tower configurations as listed in Table 1 would cover a wide range of solutions available.

But All Cooling Towers Perform Differently - Don’t They? It is true that a counterflow cooling tower academically has to be modeled differently to a crossflow cooling tower because the waterflow patterns are different. It is also true that a cooling tower selected using a small airflow is going to respond differently to one with a high airflow. And a different type of fill media will behave differently as air and waterflows change. So it is not evident how much these differences make and how various towers might perform over the variety of operating conditions. If there were major differences, one would think that after so many years of cooling tower applications in comfort cooling, a designer would firstly select a variety of cooling towers which meet the critical design duty. Then he/she would compare and favor the tower brand or type that also provides the coolest water during the conditions at which the chiller will be operating longest. In the author’s experience this line of inquiry has never been pursued which suggests that cooling towers in practice do not behave all that differently to each other as wet bulb temperatures change throughout their operating range. Performance Comparisons To compare how different cooling towers perform for a typical project let us consider how they might be configured to satisfy a total heat of rejection of approx 1500kW by cooling 65L/s of water from 35ºC(EWT) to 29.5ºC(LWT) with an entering wet bulb of 24ºC(EWB). This duty is abbreviated to 65L/s@35/29.5/24 requiring a cooling tower with a footprint

TABLE 1 - Evaluated Cooling Tower Configurations CT Type

Airflow

Fill Bundle

Counterflow

Low

Large

Counterflow

Medium

Counterflow

High

Small

Crossflow

Low

Large

Crossflow

Medium

Crossflow

High

Small

Theoretical Evaluation Method of Cooling Tower Configurations For each cooling tower, once the airflow is chosen, a matching overall ‘KA’ value can be determined which will satisfy the duty. The KA value is the product of the surface area and the mass transfer coefficient. This is similar to the UA factor sometimes used in analyzing sensible heat transfer heat exchangers. However, because the driving force is an enthalpy difference not a temperature difference, the use of algebra cannot be used to create simple formulae as is the case for sensible heat exchangers. Instead, the author has employed the concept of finite element analysis.This is similar to those described in reference 3. Each cooling tower configuration under consideration is broken up into many, smaller heat transfer elements and the local heat transfer for each element is evaluated using the formula:

dQ= dA x K x (Hw-Ha) Where: •

dQ = small amount of heat transfer over the element (kW) >

•

dA = small amount of surface area in the element (m2)

•

= Coefficient of mass transfer (kW/ K (m2.kJ/kg))

•

w=Enthalpy of air using the element H water film temperature(kJ/kg)

•

a= Enthalpy of air using the element H air temperature (kJ/kg)

the leaving water temperature would be for the same heat load, air flow, water flow and KA value but at entering wet bulbs of 16ºC. It can be seen that the leaving water temperatures are different for each type of tower as the wet bulb falls. However, the difference between each is not as great as one would imagine. At a 16ºC entering wet bulb, the typical leaving water temperature is 24.2ºC (+/- 0.1ºC). This suggests that if the specification for the cooling tower were written to cool 65L/s of water from say 29.7ºC to 24.2ºC with a wet bulb of 16ºC, the tower should go close to satisfying the required 65L/s of water from 35ºC to 29.5ºC with a wet bulb of 24ºC.

The overall performance is the accumulation of all of the smaller steps of heat transfer. To analyze a crossflow arrangement, a two dimensional accumulated analysis is required. For a counterflow arrangement, only a single dimensional accumulated analysis is required. Computers are essential to deal with the amount of calculations. For the six cooling tower configurations under consideration, Table 2 shows the airflows assumed so as to cover the typical range. Crossflow cooling towers have higher airflows than counterflow towers. The KA value is determined by iteration so that it satisfies the example duty of 65L/s 35(EWT)/29.5(LWT)/24(EWB) with the airflow. The last column shows what

Actual Cooling Towers The above theory is encouraging, but there is a need to consider what happens with real cooling towers. The mass transfer rates can vary with temperature and the fans will perform differently according to whether they are in the wet or the dry air stream or hot or cold air. There are likely

to be other factors which also come into play. To evaluate how real cooling towers perform, the author has referred to the CTI performance ratings of 600+ cooling towers made by BAC’s principle in the USA and which have been extensively laboratory tested as part of the CTI program. The information is proprietory so individual models are not discussed. To test the variation between cooling towers, each model was evaluated to determine how much water it could cool at the example design temperatures of 35.0ºC/29.5ºC/24.0ºC. There were four styles of cooling tower in the range. For each style of cooling tower, the water temperatures for a 16ºC wet bulb were adjusted so as to minimize the average deviation from the original flows at 35.0ºC/29.5ºC/24.0ºC. Table 3, shows that the leaving water temperature falls between say 23.7ºC and 24.1ºC with a wet bulb of 16ºC. The variation is wider than the theory but is still reasonably small. The figures suggest that a reasonably close matching cooling tower would always be selected if the new temperatures were 29.38ºC/23.88ºC/16ºC.

TABLE 2 - Theoretical Leaving Water Temperatures for the Same Heat Load and Air flow CT Type

Airflow KA (L/s)

kW(kJ/kg)

Counterflow

30,000

77.0

LWT @ 24ºC EWB

24.33ºC

Counterflow

35,000

66.2

24.25ºC

Counterflow

40,000

60.3

Crossflow

35,000

63.9

Crossflow

40,000

58.0

24.19ºC

Crossflow

45,000

54.3

24.17ºC

29.5ºC

LWT @ 16ºC EWB

24.20ºC 24.23ºC

TABLE 3 - Actual Leaving Water Temperatures for the Same Heat Load and Air flow Cooling Tower Type

No. of Models

Avg. Temp. (ºC)

Max. Deviation

Counterflow - Induced Draft

214

29.51 / 24.01 / 16EWB

2% of flow

Counterflow - Forced Draft

215

29.24 / 23.74 / 16EWB

2% of flow

Crossflow - Induced Draft

175

29.39 / 23.89 / 16EWB

1% of flow

Crossflow - Forced Draft

29.39 / 23.89 / 16EWB

1% of flow

Total of Evaluated Cooling Tower Models 654

29.38 / 23.88 / 16EWB Average

TABLE 4 - Actual Variations (K) of Leaving Water Temperatures No. of Models Water is Cooler than 29.5ºC by between 0.2 and 0.3K

Water is Cooler than 29.5ºC by between 0.1 and 0.2K

Water is Cooler than 29.5ºC by between 0.0 and 0.1K

116

Water is Warmer than 29.5ºC by between 0.0 and 0.1K

345

Water is Warmer than 29.5ºC by between 0.1 and 0.2K

Water is Warmer than 29.5ºC by between 0.2 and 0.3K

74 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

What About the Design Day? Before we could adopt new temperatures in a specification relating to milder conditions, we need to check that once a cooling tower is selected what temperatures that tower would achieve on a design wet bulb day. To perform this analysis, the average temperature from Table 3 (29.38ºC/23.88ºC/16ºC) was used to establish what the flow rate capability was for each of the 654 models of cooling tower. The entering wet bulb was then changed to 24ºC and the deviation from the target leaving water temperature of 29.5ºC determined. During the analysis the author calculated the standard deviation for the whole group as 0.09K. The actual variations are grouped in Table 4. The maximum variation of +/-0.3K is consistent with statistical theory that virtually all leaving water temperatures should be within 3 standard deviations of the average (3*0.09=0.27 K). Note that only twelve (2%) of towers would have

TABLE 5 - Examples of Design Temperatures to Include in Specifications Location

Day

Hobart

Cold Day (base)

EWT (ºC)

LWT (ºC)

EWT (ºC)

31.56

26.06

13.00

33.25

27.75

16.00

35.00

29.50

19.00

31.27

25.77

15.00

33.10

27.60

18.00

35.00

29.50

21.00

30.48

24.98

15.00

32.70

27.20

18.50

Peak Day

35.00

29.50

22.00

Cold Day (base)

29.63

24.13

15.00

Intermediate Day

Temp. Range 5.5

Peak Day Adelaide

Cold Day (base) Intermediate Day

5.5

Peak Day Cold Day (base) Intermediate Day Melbourne

Intermediate Day Sydney / Perth

32.26

26.76

19.00

Peak Day

35.00

29.50

22.00

Cold Day (base)

29.38

23.88

16.00

Intermediate Day Northern NSW (Coastal Area)

5.5

32.13

26.63

20.00

Peak Day

35.00

29.50

24.00

Cold Day (base)

29.10

23.60

17.00

32.00

26.50

21.00

35.00

29.50

25.00

28.96

23.46

17.50

Intermediate Day

31.93

26.43

21.50

Peak Day

35.00

29.50

25.50

Cold Day (base)

28.80

23.30

18.00

31.85

26.35

22.00

35.00

29.50

26.00

28.13

22.63

20.00

31.53

26.03

24.00

35.00

29.50

28.00

30.96

25.96

20.00

33.93

28.93

24.00

37.00

32.00

28.00

Intermediate Day

5.5

Peak Day Brisbane

Central QLD (Coastal Area)

Cold Day (base)

Intermediate Day

5.5

Peak Day Darwin (1)

Cold Day (base) Intermediate Day

5.5

Peak Day Darwin (2)

Cold Day (base) Intermediate Day

5.0

Peak Day

a leaving water temperature warmer than 0.2ºC above the targeted 29.5ºC. Other Design Conditions The concept of focusing a specification on duties at lower wet bulb temperatures would be incomplete unless it were evaluated for designs having other peak design wet bulbs. For example, in Darwin the typical peak duty might be specified at a wet bulb of 28ºC and for New Zealand as low as 19ºC. The author has analyzed the ratings of the above group of certified cooling towers to determine design, entering and leaving

76 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

water temperatures at typically 8ºC below a variety of design wet bulb temperatures. These are shown in Table 5 together with the expected water temperatures at an intermediate wet bulb. The target (peak) design day water temperatures are all 35ºC/29.5ºC but could be developed around various design conditions. To allow the uncertainty to be evaluated, the standard deviation is given as zero for the base value at the coldest wet bulb temperature, and then evaluated as the wet bulb increases to the intermediate temperature and to the design wet bulb. It would be expected that 95% of cooling

towers would be within two standard deviations and virtually all cooling towers would perform within 3 standard deviations. Example: Consider a location (Brisbane) requiring target water temperatures of 35ºC/29.5ºC with a design wet bulb day of 25.5ºC. By referring to Table 5, the specification should also specify base (cold day) conditions of 28.96ºC/23.46ºC/17.5ºC, as well as the intermediate conditions of 31.93ºC/26.43ºC/21.5ºC. If the cooling tower were field evaluated and shown to

perform at the 17.5ºC wet bulb condition day it could also be expected to cool close to 35ºC/29.5ºC/25.5ºC. The author has calculated the standard deviation at the peak wet bulb condition for the 654 models to be 0.09K. Statistically 99.7% of all cooling towers should be within 3 standard deviations or say 0.3ºC of the target. Half of the cooling towers would cool better than desired which means that there is little chance that any cooling tower would only cool to 29.8ºC instead of 29.5ºC. Conclusions The analyses presented in this paper offer tools which allow buyers to take more control when choosing an appropriate cooling tower and maximize energy efficiency. This is a far better approach than trying to recover from a failed system which only becomes evident when it is needed most. The specific approaches that should be taken are: 1. With CTI certified towers available to the market, there is every reason to specify that the cooling tower be CTI certified. Utilizing CTI certified cooling towers provides certainty that the manufactured product possesses thermal integrity and obviates the need for testing. The owner has confidence that the overall system will

consume electrical energy at the rate originally envisaged. 2. Whether CTI certified product is available or not, the inclusion of lower wet bulb duties (as shown in Table 5 of this paper) within the specification allows the installer to confirm tower capability during commissioning and without having to wait for an elusive wet bulb day. The analyses in this paper show that inclusion of predetermined appropriate values for performance at low wet bulbs gives reasonable confidence that the tower will be adequate for the peak duty day.

Specifying Cooling Towers for Commercial Buildings

3. A focus on selection of cooling tower duties at milder conditions results in a choice of cooling tower that would be best for the chiller during the bulk of the operating time. The performance on a hotday would be regarded as the exception instead of the key duty as is the present case. References: 1. Design temperature data for Australia, The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air conditioning and Heating.1987 2. Mechanical Engineering Services Design aids, Australian Construction Services. DA9a, 1982 3. ASHRAE Handbook, 1983 Equipment

CHART A - Frequency of Wet Bulb Temperatures - Sydney

About the Author John E. Rule graduated from the University of Sydney as a Mechanical Engineer in 1968. After two years National Service in the Artillery and serving in Vietnam, John joined F. Muller as a Research Engineer. The work at F. Muller combined product design with pure research into areas of heat transfer and mass transfer, wind tunnel testing of fans and acoustics. After 10 years in both engineering and field sales with F. Muller, John relocated he and his family to the Central Coast of NSW. John then joined Baltimore Aircoil Australia on the NSW Central Coast as the Marketing Manager. John is presently the Engineering Manager and has worked for B.A.C. for the past 30+ years.

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 77

Energy Case Study:

Westin Resort Macau By Robert Allender

Let’s face it. Many hotels get off to a good start with their energy management efforts. They get the audit, form the energy team, and print the stickers. But a year or three later and any attempt to find the remnants of that effort would too often come up empty handed.

Hotels are energy intensive operations, and the 200 room Westin Resort Macau is no exception.

s well as providing air conditioning and lighting around the clock, hotels like this one have large laundries for washing and drying all that linen and for cleaning all those uniforms, large kitchens for preparing endless meals, SUV-sized dish washing machines, banks of lifts and escalators, pumps and fans and motors almost beyond counting, and an ever-growing population of computer equipment besides. Where The Westin Resort Macau is different is in its recent passing of a milestone that makes its owners one happy group of people – US$3 million in accumulated energy savings. Some entire portfolios of hotels might match that sum. But one single property? What secret do the owners, managers, and staff of this resort possess? The answer lies in one word: perseverance.

78 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

Not at The Westin Resort Macau, though. In 1994, shortly after opening, they commissioned a full energy management assessment and laid out a three-year roadmap of changes and improvements that would take their hotel to where technology and management experience would allow. Yes, they did adopt compact fluorescent lighting and other technologies that are now commonplace, so giving the owners a 10-15 year cash-flow advantage over the competitors. Yes, they did identify their greenhouse gas emissions before the term ‘carbon footprint’ had even been coined (continuing annually ever since). And, yes, they did adopt a departmental accountability strategy pushing responsibility for energy consumption out to the kitchens and laundries and health clubs which were actually using the energy, rather than continuing the perverse tradition of making the Chief Engineer responsible for a resource over which he had no control whatsoever. But it was not the starting of these practices that delivered US$3 million to the bottom line; it was the persevering with them. Note that The Westin Resort Macau saved three million dollars. But they didn’t save energy. To describe using the right amount of energy as ‘saving’ energy is entirely misleading. What really happened is that the team running the hotel figured out how much energy they really needed to satisfy every need of every guest and colleague, every hour

of the day, and under every different weather and business volume condition. Then they worked hard to ensure that they only used that amount of energy. Anything more, after all, would be excess. Surplus. Waste. What the team running The Westin Resort Macau accomplished was that they saved three million dollars in cash by not wasting three million dollars worth of electricity, gas, and fuel oil. Pure and simple. Not that energy management is the only sphere in which this property has excelled. For example, water efficiency has also been this hotel’s watchword since day one. One hundred percent of sewage is treated in their own sewage treatment plant in a far back corner of their site, and used to water the 18-hole championship golf course located on the hotel’s rooftop (yes – rooftop!). Awards such as Macau’s Green Hotel Award, Best Business Hotel, and Best Sports Hotel and Top 100 Resorts in China have filled the trophy cabinet. But when the most daunting challenge facing the planet today is global warming, and when most of that global warming is caused by energy use, then energy use is where a hotel’s focus ought to be. For a small hotel to have saved not US$3,000 or US$30,000 but US$3 million in unneeded energy use, that’s cause for some celebration. n

Robert Allender Managing Director, Energy Resources Management, Hong Kong Telephone: +852 2528 2285 Email: allender@hotel-energy.com

Natural solutions the answer to rising energy consumption By JOHN BRODIE

RISING energy costs and increasingly stringent regulations governing carbon emissions has resulted in growing demand for renewable energy and greater efficiency within the commercial built environment.

summer and under heating in winter due to poor design which results in constant mechanical control to maintain a comfortable work or living environment.

Energy consumption in commercial buildings, particularly hotels, is a major contributor to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carbon equation in both construction and operation.

All buildings have an inherent level of inefficiency and this applies to many brand new buildings as well and to address poor comfort levels the answer is often to simply install powerful airconditioning, artificial lighting and other stop-gap measures.

n order to comply with ever changing regulations and ensure a building remains energy efficient and cost effective throughout its lifespan, a forward thinking approach to design and implementation of energy solutions is required.

For many businesses reducing carbon is not the main driver however significantly reducing financial running costs can be highly motivating. Those who fail to seek out and embrace more efficient energy solutions will eventually fall behind their competitors and find it increasingly difficult to meet industry and government standards and keep costs to a manageable level. Innovative new systems that deliver viable energy solutions capable of minimising cost while maintaining comfortable internal environments are essential in both new projects and the refurbishment of older buildings. Air conditioning is one of the major contributors to energy consumption and emissions output in the built environment with as much as 40 per cent of total energy use in commercial buildings attributed to artificial temperature control. Existing buildings are generally very uncomfortable with overheating in

80 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

Sustainability is about efficiency and if you are intending to do something about your rising power costs and maintenance bills it is important that the decision is made at the highest level of management that something is to be done about improving comfort and efficiency. Once that decision is made and supported by senior management one of the most important steps is completed. The direction is clear and staff know they have to follow that direction. After that we suggest a building inspection that will include an energy audit and building design review. The two major areas where a building owner can save money is in reducing electrical costs and in improving the comfort of the buildingÂ through improved shading or ventilation options, increased insulation and general building operational management improvements. If you combine these initiatives electrical and maintenance costs will reduce significantly.Â

A detailed AS level 2 energy audit, (a level of diagnostic audit defined under the Australian Standards) using an accredited auditor, has an accuracy of around +/- 20%. These audits also look at a range of ROI and paybacks that will generally provide impressive short term financial benefits for the business. The main energy consumers in a hotel are lighting and electricity. In addition, in many facilities we visit and diagnose, adding natural daylighting systems, improving the glazing or shading of the windows or maximising air flow/ ventilation through the building can significantly reduce the heating and cooling loads of the air conditioning and improve the comfort levels of the occupants. There is a range of day-lighting and natural ventilation options available that will reduce running costs significantly both new and old buildings. Retro fitting these systems into old buildings is simple and cost effective and paybacks can be as little as three years in the case of natural day-lighting and around five years in the case of natural ventilation systems. In new buildings these systems will deliver lower energy costs and minimise carbon output with the added benefits of significantly reduced maintenance costs and a healthier and more comfortable internal environment from day one. The concept of natural ventilation using prevailing wind, temperature and pressure caused by the difference in height between the building roof and floor has been in use for centuries as it helps maintain premium oxygen and temperature levels with a constant flow of fresh air.

each installation by distributing fresh air throughout a building when the carbon dioxide levels become too high and ensuring hot air is removed. There is nothing else like this on the market in Australasia and the increasing demand for renewable energy systems that can lower running costs has created demand for sustainable solutions such as the Monodraught range. Natural Ventilation and other low energy output systems such as natural daylighting is no silver bullet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they will not cure all energy issues in one hit but when combined with other strategies they will save money and lower energy consumption and carbon output.

VIM Sustainability recently secured sole Australian distribution rights to Monodraught Windcatcher systems, which have been in successfully used in more than 7000 installations in Europe.

Sometimes there are only small increments across a range of savings but added up they can become significant and save operators substantial amounts in the long-term. Reinstalling superior energy efficient lighting, or adding sensors to the system, improving monitoring will all make measurable savings and result in less waste.

Monodraught units are fully automatic, programmable and individually engineered to function optimally for

If we can promote the financial benefits of improving efficiencies across your facility there will be greater appeal as

not only are you reducing running costs and keeping money in your business, you are also improving the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internal comfort for inhabitants while at the same time improving the environment for the future of us all. n

About John Brodie John is a construction professional with more than 30 years experience in a variety of contracting disciplines covering project management, design management, architecture and building. John is passionate about practical sustainability in the built environment and has promoted sustainable building since the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to architects, clients and authorities. Focusing on providing sustainable yet practical concept design, construction and operational management strategies, John offers solutions for all components of the built environment. This includes building thermal and energy assessments using the latest software packages and providing detailed sustainable design science solutions. www.vim.net.au

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 81

Bed Bugs – the

problem and the solution By Stephen Doggett | Department of Medical Entomology, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead NSW 2145

A survey of Australian professional pest managers in 2006 revealed that bed bug numbers had risen by an unprecedented 4,500% since the start of the new millennium.

nfortunately for the commercial accommodation sector, the vast majority of these infestations had occurred within your industry. The big problem is that bed bugs are expensive and these nuisance insects have probably cost the Australian economy well over $100million during this period. Not only is bed bug control extremely pricey, but these insects bite with the result that guests often suffer considerable physical and mental trauma. In many parts of the world this had lead to an explosion in litigation, with one motel in the US being sued for $20million after a guest was horrendously attacked. Not surprisingly, the motel’s reputation (and balance sheets) will take years to recover. Fortunately since the survey above was undertaken, bed bug infestations in Australia have not continued to increase in the exponential fashion that they did between the years 2000 and 2006. The Global Financial Crisis with the downturn in travel and tourism has probably been one contributing factor for this. Bed bugs are largely spread via luggage, and so the higher the guest turnover, the greater the risk of bed bugs. Despite the levelling out of bed bug numbers there has been a major change in patterns of activity over recent years in that infestations have spread into the wider community. Along with the accommodation industries, Doctors’ waiting rooms, hospitals, the transport system, cinema complexes, socially disadvantaged groups and even wheel chairs have not been immune. In other words, where a head lies or a bum sits, bed bugs can be awaiting! Clearly

82 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

bed bugs have become a societal problem. The implications of this for the accommodation industry is that there is now a greater reservoir of potential infestations and as the economy bounces back, we may see rates again rising rapidly…time will tell. However bed bugs are still problematic and infestations continue apace, and it is important to be prepared and know how to deal with bed bugs if they make an unwanted appearance, more of this later. One positive consequence of resurgence, particularly over the last three years, is that research on bed bugs has flourished, particularly in the area of chemical and non-chemical means of control. This period has also seen many management devices coming onto the marketplace including mattress encasements, and a range of traps, monitors and barriers. But do these devices actually work? There is no doubt that mattress encasements are an effective bed bug management tool and offer several advantages. For an infested bed, encasements can contain the infestation without the need to discard the mattress and the better quality encasements have an inbuilt membrane which bed bugs are unable to bite through. It is considerably cheaper to purchase an encasement than a new mattress! Encasements have no edge beading and so there are few areas for bed bugs to hide compared to the average mattress and ensemble, which make great bed bug motels. Being white, it is much easier to see bed bugs and their signs on an encasement than a

mattress. The two better encasements on the market, which have been scientifically tested and shown to be effective, are the Protect-A-Bed (www.protectabed. com.au) and the Mattress Safe (www. thebedprotector.com.au). Broadly speaking we can define barriers as devices that aim to prevent bed bugs from climbing onto the bed and biting the sleeping victim, whereas traps (and monitors) aim to detect bed bugs and/or to reduce the overall bed bug population. Barriers work on the assumption that the bed has been cleared of any active infestation and the device will then inhibit access onto the bed for any bugs remaining in the room. One barrier, the ‘Climbup Insect Interceptor’ (CII, www. insect-interceptor.com) has been shown to be very effective. This device has several advantages: it is cheap, just a few dollars each; simple technology with little maintenance; and can act as a monitoring tool. However, the CII is quite obvious and almost screams out, “Yes folk, we have bed bugs!”, and is thus unlikely to be used in the commercial accommodation sector. Bed bug traps are far more diverse in their nature and operation, but all act as monitoring devices mostly via trapping live bed bugs. Most have some sort of a lure to attract the insects, such as heat, carbon dioxide or various other chemicals. Some traps are disposable and only a few dollars each, while others are well over a thousands dollars and require daily replacement of consumables. A number of traps have attributes that may limit their use either due to their physical size or perceived occupational health and safety issues. Regarding physical limitations, some traps are over 10cm tall, while most beds with casters in motels have a clearance to the floor of around 6-8cm, which makes placement of the trap problematic. The trap can not be placed in an obvious location within a hotel room while in use, as the guest would not want to stay in a facility where there may be a perceived risk of bed bugs. The hotel certainly does not want to risk their reputation by announcing that they have an infestation. For some hotels whereby the bed frame consists of sheets of timber nailed together, there is

no space available at all underneath. In motels with ensembles or solid bed bases, bed bug traps could only be employed while the room is closed during the treatment process. A number of bed bug traps utilise mains power and power cords may not been seen as being desirable under the bed for risk of fire, or around the room for the tripping risk. Additionally, a few devices have a canister of compressed carbon dioxide and it may be probable that some hotels would not want a high pressure gas cylinder within their rooms. Such devices may even have insurance implications. Now to the most important question; do bed bug traps work? It is highly probable that all the devices will trap bed bugs to some extent and are likely to assist in the early detection of these insects. How reliable and effective they are however, is presently unknown as to date no traps have been tested and demonstrated efficacious via independent scientific investigation. Thus presently, it is not possible to recommend any of the bed bug traps currently on the market. Even though bed bug management is clearly the most rapidly evolving area of research for any pest in the world today, the reality is that there is no magical silver bullet on the horizon for bed bug control. So just what is the best way to rid your property of this nuisance pest? The reality is that most pest managers consider that bed bugs are the most challenging of all insects to eradicate. The reason for this is that the current generation of bed bugs are highly resistance to most of the insecticides used today. This means that treatments must be very thorough and repeated, often on several occasions with heavy infestations. Multiple control methodologies should also be employed encompassing nonchemical means of control such as steam and vacuuming, as well as the use of insecticides. To ensure that ‘best practice’ is occurring, the ‘Code of Practice for the Control of Bed Bug Infestations in Australia’ should be consulted. This is a freely available document from www. bedbug.org.au and aims to promote best practice in the eradication of active bed bug infestations and the management

of potential infestations. On this site you will also find pest managers who have received specific training in bed bug control. The Code of Practice is a living document and is updated regularly in order to maintain relevance and to keep up to date with the latest technological innovations in bed bug management. Since its first inception in 2006, there have been six versions; three drafts that have been open for public comment and three final editions. The 3rd Edition is now available for download and has seen many changes, including: • The need for Pest Managers to have a Bed Bug Management Plan, • The need for those in the accommodation industry to have a Pest Management Policy, • Updated information on control via heat, • An enhanced section on pest identification, • What to look for in a mattress encasement, • Information on bed bug traps and barriers, • A section on how to choose a Pest Manager for bed bug control, • High risk factors in bed bug control, • New information on insecticide efficacy and resistance, • Bed bugs in rental properties, • Control on aircraft, & • Potential insecticides. In addition, the whole section on bed bug prevention has been totally revised to take in account the four key phases of a bed bug infestation (i.e. the Introduction, Establishment, Growth and eventual Spread of an infestation). Unfortunately, with the resurgence of bed bugs, the hospitality industry is seen as a potential cash cow by some less scrupulous companies who are keen to make a fast buck. There all sorts of unsubstantiated reports of products claiming to control bed bugs, when often there is little science (or questionable

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 83

Even though bed bug

To compliment the recent release of the 3rd

management is clearly

Edition of the Bed Bug Code of Practice

the most rapidly evolving

and to assist the hospitality industry and

area of research for any pest in the world today,

other accommodation provides in bed bug management, a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bed Bug Management Policy for Accommodation Providersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has

the reality is that there is

been released. Presently this policy is a

no magical silver bullet

draft and can be downloaded from

on the horizon for bed bug control.

www.bedbug.org.au. To ensure broad acceptance of the Bed Bug Management Policy, feedback is sought from industry stakeholders. The draft policy is now open for public comment and all submissions should be sent to Stephen Doggett, c/o Department of Medical Entomology, Westmead Hospital, PO Box 533, Wentworthville NSW 2145,

science) to back up the claims. If there is no scientific data produced by an independent body for a product then it will not be endorsed within the Bed Bug Code of Practice. Thus our advice is, if the product is not in the Code, use it at your own risk! n

84 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

or email: stephen.doggett@swahs.health.nsw.gov.au. Closing date is 31st September 2010 and all submissions will be considered in the development of the final release of the policy, which is expected late 2010. It is important to realise that this policy has been developed to assist you and your industry, and so please make it stronger by offering your comments.

TOUCHCHECK T

ouchCheck is a premium integrated self service check-in and check-out solution developed for the hotel industry.

Touchcheck was developed in 2004 for be integrated into the Accor, Formule 1 hotel chain across Australia. This became the first fully stand alone card issuing self service kiosk in the market. The TouchCheck Hotel Check-in and Check-out solution allows for both external and internal kiosk solutions via TCP/IP connectivity from the kiosk hardware across the hotel LAN to the Micros Fidelio/Opera server in a secure area in the hotel. TouchCheck also offer full compatibility with the MICROS Credit Card payment gateway or Verisign/Paypal Credit Card payment gateway for 100% payment upfront only – no pre-authorisation, and compatibility with VingCard (VC3), Onity (HT24 / HT28) and Saflok (6000) Electronic Room Key systems for guest security. TouchCheck offers an inexpensive self service Checkin, Check-out solution to enhance your guests experience. Freeing up time for staff to undertake other activities. The return on investment for TouchCheck is 12-18 months depending on the throughput. TouchCheck allows guests to Checkin remotely offsite. Allowing multi-channel marketing for the hotel. By decentralsing the installation of a hotel branded TouchCheck kiosk, the hotel can capture spontaneous traffic at the airport or other public venues to secure additional business.

TouchCheck® Testimonials TouchCheck’s consultation and installation process was smooth and trouble free. Our staff embraced the introduction of touch screen check-in and out kiosks as they view the technology as a means of assisting and support them with their workloads and relieving the burden of late night shifts which are so often a safety concern for hospitality staff. For Formule 1 installing TouchCheck touch screen kiosks is a win win solution: our customers feel highly valued and now have an additional means of checking-in and out conveniently and effectively, our staff are provided with additional assistance and our human and technology resources are fully utilised. Larry Raffel, General Manager Formule 1 Hotels As Marketing Manager of Ibis Hotels I saw TouchCheck’s hotel express check in and out solution as a way of introducing a new service within the hotel market. This technology provides a competitive advantage to our hotels and assists in selling the ethos of convenience and high customer service at all our Ibis Hotels. By offering a tailored solution for the hotel industry TouchCheck’s product places us in the position of providing additional benefits to our customer base from real time payment transactions through to increased recognition of our brand through our customised kiosks. We are also exploring TouchCheck’s additional benefits of directional technologies to assist customers locate hotel amenities, local sites and attractions and even in the future advertising which will provide us with an added return on investment. For hotels seeking a competitive edge as well as increased levels of customer service I recommend TouchCheck’s hotel express check in and out solutions. Michael Parsons Marketing Manager Ibis Hotels “... self check in via kiosk is excellent due to achieved efficiency in operational costs through less staffing”. Eoin Loftus, General Manager & Development Manager Majestic Hotels

Chemical Emissions from Building Products By Subbalakshmi Yerramilli and Robert Schiller, CETEC Pty. Ltd

People generally spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors and therefore, the condition of indoor air has a vital impact in human health. Today, buildings are designed to be airtight to save energy, resulting in less fresh air intake and the potential for a general build up of pollutants in the indoor environment. The overall quality of indoor air is influenced by thermal acceptability and air contaminants.

any researchers have investigated the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within new and established buildings. With established buildings the total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentrations though low are higher than found in outdoor air. However, much higher VOC concentrations can be detected in new or renovated buildings, persisting above ‘‘baseline’’ levels for several weeks or even months. Indeed up to 96% of VOCs found in large office buildings following construction had resulted from materials used to construct and furnish the building.

The World Health Organisation defines VOCs as organic compounds with boiling points between 50°C and 260°C, excluding pesticides. The term encompasses a very large and diverse group of carbon-containing compounds. There are probably several thousand chemicals, synthetic and natural, that can be called VOCs. Of these, over 900 have been identified in indoor air. They include acetone, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents, from sources such as paint, adhesives, carpets and cleaning agents. Formaldehyde, a very volatile organic compound, can also be found inside buildings. It can be found in products such as composite wood (MDF, plywood), foam insulation, textiles and adhesives. South Korea has regulations for the acceptability of building products for indoor use. Building products must be tested to set criteria that include a requirement for chemical emissions. Those products that fail are banned as construction materials. In Germany there is the Committee for Health-Related Evaluation of Building Products that has a mandatory scheme for the use of selected construction products which may present a danger to human health or a significant deterioration of human comfort. However, in Australia there are no regulations for chemical emissions from building materials. Instead organisations formed to drive the adoption of “green building” practice; e.g. Green Building Council of Australia, have provided guidelines for the emissions of VOCs and formaldehyde from building materials. Industry Associations have followed (e.g. Carpet Institute of Australia) with

the development of environmental certification schemes that include the consideration of material emission limits. Architects are now universally requiring certified sustainable products. The emerging trend is that building material suppliers are required to provide documentation of their product’s conformance to material emissions limits in order for the product to be used in a building. CHEMICAL EMISSION TESTING OF MATERIALS Throughout the world there are different approaches to testing chemical emissions from building products. This includes small chamber or large environmental chamber. A small chamber is used to test representative portions of whole materials; e.g. carpet. A large chamber is used to test whole items; e.g. furniture. The emissions from materials are collected for a specified period and this may vary depending on the emission test method; e.g. at 1 day, 7-day, 14 days or 28 days. Emission acceptance criteria can also vary either focussing upon the TVOCs emitted or consideration of the actual chemicals present in the emissions and their toxicity profile. It is important to have a clear understanding of the time period for emission collection and the acceptance criteria when comparing different materials or assessing a product with respect to an emission limit (e.g. Green Building Council of Australia). Imported product may have emission data that is not compatible with Australian requirements.

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 87

Chemical Emissions from Building Products (continued) TYPICAL BUILDING PRODUCT EMISSIONS The Green Building Council of Australia Green Star scheme has been a driving force in Australia for the testing of emissions from building construction, furnishings and furniture. The extent of reach has gone beyond those particular products specified to be tested as per Green Star. In the recent years CETEC has been actively assessing a wide range of materials used in buildings. This has enabled manufacturers/suppliers to obtain emission data for their product to demonstrate compliance with relevant criteria. As that same time CETEC has established a VOC emission “fingerprint” database of various building materials that is used in CETEC’s indoor air quality investigations. Table 1 shows some typical values for building products currently used in Australian buildings. In most cases the guideline requirement is to have less

than 0.5 milligrams per square metre per hour at 24 hours or seven days depending on the product. This guideline requirement has been established through organisations such as Green Building Council of Australia via the Green Star rating scheme. Such guideline requirements have evolved into defacto regulations or architectural requirements for the acceptability of a product for use in a building. Most Australian manufactured building materials have been capable of meeting the acceptance criteria. Over the last few years TVOCs and formaldehyde levels have been reduced to satisfactory levels. Feedback is also provided to manufacturers/suppliers of building product about the indoor health impact of their product as it relates to TVOCs, VOC species and Formaldehyde. Building materials originating from nonAustralian sources can show levels of chemical emissions above the acceptance criteria. As well there is the potential for

Table 1 Typical chemical emission from building product/ material. Application

Material

Carpet (Australian) Flooring

Carpet (non-Australia n) V inyl (Australian) V inyl (non-Australian) Rubber Cork P lasterboard Cement Sheet

Fit-Out

MDF P lywood P articleboard High Pressure Laminate B amboo Ceiling Tile Fibreglass Insulation P olyester Insulation Rubber Insulation

Furniture Items

88 |

Natural Wood Foam S teel/Aluminium O il-Based Glue Water-Based Glue P lastic (PP, PE, ABS, PVC) S tone/Marble Fabric

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

Typical Chemical Em ission

Criteria Acceptance

mg/m /hour

0.1 – 0.3 TVOC 0.04 – 0.01 4-PC 0.2 – 0.7 TVOC 0.04 – 0.01 4-PC 0.05 – 0.2 4 0.5 - 2 0.1 – 0.4

<0.5 24 hours <0.05 24 hours <0.5 24 hours <0.05 24 hours <0.5 24 hours <0.5 24 hours <0.5 24 hours <0.5 24 hours

<0.05 – 0.2 TVOC <0.02 Formalde hyde 0.02 – 0.1 TVOC 0.01 – 0.04 Formaldehyde 0.1 – 0.3 TVOC 0.1 – 0.3 TVOC 0.1 – 0.3 TVOC <0.05 TVOC <0.05 TVOC 0.1 Formaldehyde 0.1 – 0.4 TVOC <0.01 – 0.05 Formaldehyde 0.05 – 0.2 TVOC <0.03 Formalde hyde <0.05 TVOC <0.01 Formalde hyde 0.1 – 0.5

<0.5 7 days

0.2 – 0.5 TVOC 0.1 – 0.6 TVOC <0.01 TVOC 5 TVOC <0.05 TVOC <0.05 – 0.2 TVOC <0.01 TVOC 0.05 – 0.2 TVOC

<0.5 7 days <0.5 7 <0.5 7 <0.5 7 <0.5 7 <0.5 7

days days days days days

<0.5 7 days <0.5 24 hours <0.5 24 hours <0.5 24 hours <0.5 7 <0.5 7 <0.5 7 <0.5 7 <0.5 7 <0.5 7 <0.5 7 <0.5 7

days days days days days days days days

compounds with known toxic effects to be present. Non-Australian manufacturers would appear not to be as diligent in seeking to minimise the indoor air quality impact of their product. Paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants are not represented in Table 1. This is because the voluntary schemes such as Green Building Council of Australia Green Star do not emphasis the emission testing of these products. For products such as paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants VOC content is used as a measure of environmental impact. Unfortunately VOC content and chemical emissions results are not that comparable. Thus a low VOC content product may not necessarily be a low VOC emission material. IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY The focus upon limiting emissions from building products should be positive for improving the indoor environment. The European experience has been that attention to the chemical emissions of materials has led to reduced present of some VOC chemicals. For instance some relatively toxic substances (e.g. benzene, halogenated hydrocarbons) are now less likely to be found in the indoor environment. The Australian outcome has been that formaldehyde levels in new buildings have been reduced to relatively low levels. This has been achieved through the formaldehyde minimisation requirements specified by Green Building Council of Australia Green Star scheme. It is very likely that a new building will have formaldehyde levels less than the World Health Organisation limit of 0.1 milligrams per cubic metre. There has also been a reduction TVOCs found in new buildings, though not necessarily to benchmark levels. More than ten years ago it was possible that a new building could provide up to 5 milligrams per cubic metre level of TVOCs. Now it is probable that the TVOCs in a new building will be of the order 0.3 to 1.5 milligrams per cubic metre. Nevertheless, the expectation should that a new building, especially a “green” building would attain less than 0.5 milligrams per cubic metre TVOC. n

International experts coming to SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show Australia

PLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show is recognised as the must-attend event for manufacturers, retailers, pool builders, contractors, architects, landscapers, engineers and service technicians to stay ahead of market directions as the wet industry continues to expand and take on new dimensions and international trends. Alongside the 100+ exhibiting companies there is a two day seminar program with additional pre show workshops and site visits. The SPLASH! Environmental Awards will be presented at a gala dinner on the 29 July. Don’t miss the SPLASH! Andrew Simons Memorial Golf Day on the 30 July 2010. Register to attend the expo for FREE now at www.splashexpo.com.au FOR THE FIRST TIME - Three of the most well-known and respected experts in the field of swimming pool design and construction, Skip Phillips, David Tisherman and Brian Van Bower, will be heading to Australia to take part in

SPLASH! on the Gold Coast on July 28 and 29. As co-founders of Genesis 3, they are recognised internationally as playing a major role in professionalising the industry, introducing the concept of “Watershaping” to swimming pool design, and generally raising the bar in terms of creative design and construction. “We are excited to be attenging the SPLASH! show,” says Brian Van Bower. “We view the pool industry from a global perspective and see the potential for sharing ideas and knowledge from all points of view.” Genesis 3 has presented programs in Germany, France, Italy, Indonesia, Spain and many other countries. In addition they have organised educational tours of water related architectural projects worldwide. “Our students come from all areas and backgrounds but come together with a shared passion for becoming better in design, renovation, service and construction of water-related projects,” he says. The SPLASH! program will include “The Beauty of the Edge: Vanishing Edges, Perimeter Overflows and Wet Deck

Projects” by Skip Phillips, considered by many to be the leading authority on these applications. The program will also include David Tisherman’s “Understanding the Elements of Renovation”. Genesis 3’s participation at SPLASH! is sponsored by Pentair. The SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show is taking place at Jupiters on the Gold Coast from 28-29 July 2010. Visitor attendance for the 2008 event exceeded 1500 with delegates from fifteen countries and every state of Australia. The event provides unparalleled networking opportunities for the industry, on the exhibition floor and during post show features including the Welcome Reception, SPLASH! Environmental Awards and the Andrew Simons Memorial Golf Day. The Workshops and seminars cover a range of local and international topics and the complete program will be available early in 2010. Visit www.splashexpo.com.au to register and for more information.

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER

Product News

INTRODUCING The E-Z-GO® RXV™ Experience “Game Changing” technology today… A revolution in Golf Car Design and technology… As the world’s leading manufacturer of golf cars and utility vehicles, E Z GO now unveils its new, much anticipated fleet golf car. E-Z-GO has raised the bar with the new RXV, which sets a new standard for the golf car industry. Engineered to deliver reliability, superior performance operating efficiency, and safety, achieved through an array of enhanced features and innovations. The E-Z-GO RXV represents a major step forward in golf car technology. The new vehicle delivers exceptional value through reduced energy and maintenance costs, and an unsurpassed experience for golfers through best-in-class power, control, comfort and safety. The RXV’s classic yet contemporary lines make it a smart addition to the E-Z-GO family.

EXC ELLENC EINMO T IO N Numerous innovations make the RXV a “Game Changer” for course operators and golfers AC DRIVE MOTOR (ELECTRIC): Unprecedented for an electric golf car, the RXV’s drive train uses an alternating current motor, not the traditional direct current motor, generating more power and longer operating times between battery charges. Incredibly the RXV is up to 30-percent more efficient than direct-current golf cars, boasting a 48-volt motor enabling a 10-percent improvement in daily range. DUAL-BRAKING SYSTEM (ELECTRIC): A fail safe park brake automatically engages when the RXV stops, requiring now foot pedal engagement. The industry first auto braking system brakes automatically on steep slopes when needed and can easily hold a 40-percent grade. This “drive by wire” system maintains constant speeds safely and easily. THE RXV WARRANTY – AN INDUSTRY FIRST The reliability of the new RXV is backed by the most comprehensive warranty in the golf car industry – a limited four year, bumper to bumper coverage on most items, with three years on the primary running gear. E-Z-GO’s batteries are guaranteed to last for four years, 1,200 rounds, or 23,000 amp hours – whichever comes first – for 36 holes of golf a day every day.

“Our passionate and talented E-Z-GO team considered every safety, mechanical and ergonomic element of the golf car, producing a vehicle of exceptional quality,” says John Garrison, President of E-Z-GO. “In designing the RXV, we listened to our customers and incorporated the feedback into the vehicle. Our goal was to completely re-imagine the golf car in a way that produced measurable results for course owners, along with performance that truly enhanced the golf experience. I’m proud to say our team has delivered on all counts.” “E-Z-GO has raised the bar with the RXV, which sets a new standard for the golf car industry,” says Jack Nicklaus, owner of a record 18 professional major championships and the designer of more than 260 golf courses internationally. “In my mind, E-Z-GO is without question the premier golf car and utility vehicle provider.”

OPERATIONAL SAVINGS: • NO brake cables, drums, or pads • NO lubrication required • ALL bearings are sealed • Low front end maintenance • NO brake pedal adjustments • NO accelerator cable adjustments NUMEROUS OTHER BENEFITS OF THE RXV: • 360 degrees Energy transfer bumpers • Kawasaki high-performance 6.7Kw engines (Petrol) • Improved golfer experience • Fresh exterior styling • Environmentally friendly operation • Enhanced safety design features

Our Passion is Customer Satisfaction and Quality

The RXV and all E-Z-GO products are available from the Exclusive Australian Master Distributor

AUGUSTA GOLF CARS PTY LTD Unit 8 / 2 Link Drive, Yatala, QLD, 4207

Phone: (07) 3807-8895 Fax: (07) 3807-3899 E-Mail: ezgo@ezgo.com.au Website: www.ezgo.com.au

90 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER Bugs Make Haste with Waste

locked drain lines caused by fats, oils and grease can lead to expensive and reactive plumbing expenses…but an environmentally friendly and cost effective answer exists. Environmental Biotech has developed non pathogenic, vegetative bacteria that eradicate fats, oils and grease commonly found in restaurants, hotels and food processing facilities. The Grease Eradication System works through a process of bioremediation – the environmentally friendly bacteria have been specifically trained to remediate (eat) waste products and consequently reduce associated foul odours.

Product News

in the food business…grease” said Ted Fritz, Managing Director of Environmental Biotech. “We employ more workers in the food industry than anybody else. Our millions of bacteria work 24/7 and they don’t take any sick days, but we do compensate them with all the grease they can eat!” Established in Australia in 1994, Environmental Biotech franchises in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia have installed hundreds of Grease Eradication Systems in hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, hospitals, schools and food processing plants. Basically, anywhere that food is prepared could use a GES for grease related problems.

“We deliver bacteria to the market place where they are put to work solving one of the most aggravating problems facing anyone

The specialised, live bacteria are injected into the clients’ drain lines and grease traps where they go to work consuming the grease. They are then carried away as the water flows through the system where eventually the bacteria die and are dissolved, eliminating the fat from the system. This extends grease trap life and saves money.

Now validated for PCI PA-DSS (payment card Industry)

A revolution in corridor lighting

nnQuest Australia, who are the distributors of the roomMaster 2000 property management system are delighted to announce roomMaster 2000 V13 has been accepted as a fullycompliant PCI PA-DSS application from the Global PCI Security Standards Council. roomMaster 2000’s PA-DSS certification not only helps motels comply with PCI DSS requirements, but it also helps motels meet Visa’s July 2010 deadline for their merchants to use only certified payment applications. This may even help hotels avoid fees imposed by processors for using non-compliant software.

The Grease Eradication System is completely automated and requires no attention from the clients’ staff. Each franchise has trained technicians who regularly service their clients’ drain systems including replenishing the system with fresh grease-eating bugs. Environmental Biotech has sought approvals from various water authorities and councils and has met stringent regulations to be able to offer their services. “We’ve spent a lot of time and money obtaining the various Water Authority approvals around the country,” said Fritz. “They wanted to ensure that our bacteria would not harm their infrastructure. The tests were successful and gave our customers complete confidence that they were not only eliminating a grease problem but also complying with Water Authority regulations”. For more information on Environmental Biotech and its services or to contact your nearest franchise please franchise please visit: www.environmentalbiotech.com.au.

ith the new Modul L63 by Nimbus, KODA Lighting brings a totally new development to corridor lighting. Modul L63 is the latest in LED luminaries from Nimbus. At only 10mm thin, this light mounts directly to the ceiling with ease. The shape and surface diffuses the light producing 95% downlighting with a wide beam and glare reduction. This results in a very even, almost ceiling height illumination of walls, and represents a totally new development in solutions for corridor lights.

Obtaining the certification is part of InnQuest Software’s ongoing commitment to providing its clients with the best, most secure, and most affordable motel software possible. Existing clients, as well as prospective clients who are looking for a new motel software system, can feel confident that selecting roomMaster 2000 will ease their efforts in PCI compliance. roomMaster 2000 is currently one of the most affordable full-featured property management systems with the PCI PA-DSS certification.

As with all Nimbus LED.next lights the Modul L63 emits a warm glow comparable to the traditional incandescent bulb. It uses up to 70% less energy, is twice as efficient as low voltage halogen and is maintenance free lasting up to 50,000 hours. Modul L63 is 100% recyclable, contains no mercury and produces a high light output while running at safe-to-touch low temperatures. Nimbus LED.next from KODA Lighting: Lights of the future.

For more information about PCI DSS and its requirements, please contact your merchant services provider or visit www.pcisecuritystandards.org

The Nimbus LED.next Modul L63 is available exclusively from KODA lighting. Visit www.kodalighting.com.au or call (02) 9699 6007 for more information.

Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 2 | 91

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER

AXX is an advanced development discovered out of investigating methods of combating germ warfare by the British Ministry of Defence who had a remit to assess the risk of bacterial attack on the British Isles in the 60/70’s. This in turn had been initiated by observations over a hundred years prior by Louis Pasteur who had documented that the atmosphere in high altitudes and sunny days reduced the incidence of infection and effectively killed bacteria and viruses.

The answer lay in the natural occurrence of airborne Hydroxyl Clusters. Modern technology and electronics allows the BAXX to achieve the aim of eliminating airborne pathogens by using cold plasma to strip a hydrogen atom from some of the natural water molecules (H20) contained in the air around us, leaving them as unbalanced hydroxyl clusters (-OH). These clusters seek and attach to airborne bacteria and virus cells and recover their missing hydrogen atom from the cells wall to return to a natural water molecule again (H2O). In that instant, the bacteria/virus metabolism and cell wall is disrupted and the cell dies.

Product News Hydroxyl clusters will also land on surfaces and kill surface contamination by the same method. These same Hydroxyl Clusters can reduce and eliminate odours as well – particularly so on odours based on ammonia compounds or ethylene or waste decomposition. The use of stripping away hydrogen atoms from airborne water molecules to form hydroxyl clusters is unique to the BAXX cold plasma technology which naturally kills all airborne pathogens including MRSA, C.Diff(Spore Form), Norovirus and Bacteria. BAXX introduces technological breakthroughs and advantages such as– •

It doesn’t require any consumables other than electricity. No filters to clean, no chemicals or liquids to replenish, no service required. Install it and leave it to do its work. Electrical consumption is a mere 120watts – the equivalent of two 60watt light-globes.

•

The case of the Baxx is in 316 stainless steel which makes it ideal for health care facilities, hospitals and any other moist environments where a germ free environment is paramount.

Thus nature’s way of eliminating airborne pathogens has been reproduced.

Baxx Australia www.baxx.com.au Ph: (02) 9939-4900 Fx: (02) 9939-4911 ssyme@baxx.com.au See ad on page 28 of this issue.

Fast, Hygienic and Saves You Money... It’s a Hand Dryer The Ultra High Speed Hand Dryer, JET DRYER is now available in Australia. Currently sold all over Korea, UK, France, Vietnam, Russia and Israel, the JET DRYER is the latest hand dryer to upgrade to in your bathroom. “Paper towels have become an expensive and environmentally unfriendly option for drying hands,” said Jeremy Kronk, Managing Director of JET DRYER. “Alternatively the older hand dryers are noisy and unhygienic i.e. they don’t filter the air they blow onto your hands, basically adding bacteria back onto your hands during the drying process”. “There’s no better time for businesses to consider these issues and find a better solution, like JET DRYER.” The JET DRYER dries the hands fast, hygienically and saves money and the environment. Fast – Because it dries your hands in less than 10 Seconds Hygienic – The Jet Dryer uses antibacterial filters to clean the air for a healthier drying experience, plus the surfaces of the units are specially coated to eliminate bacteria build up. Savings – Both the environment and costs savings of up to 90% compared to Paper Towels, or lower power usage than most of all the other hand dryers… For the price of 1 paper towel, the JET DRYER can dry 10 pairs of hands. Added Bonus Features – Noise Absorption Module keeps noise down to 65dba considerably less than other hand dryers, plus the unit can have an aromatic fragrance added to enhance the whole experience. Call 1 300 071 041 or visit www.jetdryer.com.au or email: info@jetdryer.com.au

92 |

Vol 15 No. 2 |

Hotel Engineer