Case study: Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa

Located in the stunning surrounds of Methven on the Southern Island of New Zealand Aotearoa, is Ōpuke pools – a brand new, opulent thermal pool and spa resort offering an unrivalled relaxing experience in the beautiful landscape of the Southern Alps

Built on the values of hospitality, family, appropriate action and stewardship, Ōpuke Thermal Pools’ vision is to provide a world-class experience with sustainability at the heart of its operations. It sources water from the Rangitata River that is fed by the glacial meltwater emerging from the spectacular Southern Alps and will source power from its large array of solar thermal collectors. These occupy approximately a quarter of the site and will serve as the primary pool water heating system – even on the shortest day in winter, 100% of the pool heating load will be met by the solar array.

The resort offers a variety of experiences and facilities including a mix of indoor and outdoor tranquillity pools, solar tubs and discovery pools – all with varying temperatures and health benefits, as well as a day spa where guests can get pampered with facials and a variety of massages.

Project requirements and challenges

The new resort needed a quiet, flexible and highly efficient heating and cooling solution for the various spaces within the building, including the massage rooms and reception/common areas.

With Methven regularly reaching sub-zero temperatures during winter, and the large floor-to-ceiling glass windows of both the common area and the other rooms, the proposed solution would need to be reliable and robust and be able to handle the cold ambient temperatures the area would experience. The quality of installation and overall product is key and reflects the clean and modern design of the newly constructed space.

MHI’s solution

After careful consideration of all aspects and requirements of the project and working closely with experienced and trusted contractors, a mixture of ducted indoor units, compact ceiling cassettes and high wall systems, combined with MHI’s highly efficient KX series of VRF systems were ultimately chosen for the project. Boasting an EER of 3.47 and COP of 4.12, the KXZR series of high COP heat recovery VRF systems offer a quiet, flexible, and high-efficiency solution for the project. These are connected in multi-format to a number of FDUM series of indoor units as well as several FDK high wall systems and FDTC series compact ceiling cassette. This particular system services the numerous smaller spaces such as private massage and treatment rooms.

The medium-static, slim profile fan coils of the FDUM series were perfect to heat due to their super quiet operation and their hidden design, with the only visible portions being small grilles which blended perfectly with the modern and sleek design of the interior spaces.

Two KXZ VRF systems were paired with two large-capacity FDU series ducted indoor units each to service the larger common areas within the facility. These slim profile units offer a reliable, and highly efficient solution for these spaces while also being quiet during operation to match to tranquil atmosphere within the resort.

The result is a high-performance yet efficient climate solution for this stunning new tourist attraction.