Don’t leave guests in the cold

from AccomNews, Spring 2022

by Multimedia AU/NZ

Beyond “green-washing”: How accommodations can best communicate motivate sustainable choices

By Mike Parker-Brown, Industry Reporter

The shower experience should be seamless for guests with the water reaching optimal temperature easily. Accommodation providers must ensure that every guest has access to hot water at any point during their stay.

AccomNews investigates the diff erent types of water heating systems now available, the latest technology to hand, as well as ways to meet peak hot water demands. Making sure guests have access to non-stop, piping hot water is an absolute must for any accommodation provider. There is nothing worse for guests who fi nd themselves deluged in freezing cold water when only halfway through a shower. But it’s not just all about keeping the guests happy in the bathroom, a hotel’s hot water supply needs to be on tap for a multitude of reasons, in the laundry, the pool, the spa or sauna and even in some heating systems. AccomNews spoke with Automatic Heating Global Pty Ltd’s Director of Automatic Heating, Terry Plaisted to gauge an insight into the latest developments and how technology is shaping commercial hot water systems.

What’s the latest in commercial hot water systems?

We are experiencing an increased uptake of CO2 heat pumps with storage tanks to deliver carbon neutral hot water systems. Hydrogen ready hot water heaters are also entering the commercial market in response to environmental concerns.

How can the accommodation industry satisfy peak hot water demand?

The size of the hot water system needs to be engineered to ensure there is suffi cient capacity to meet the peak times for each facility. Built-in redundancy is also a must, so that if one unit fails, the system still provides hot water for the end user. When assessing the performance of a hot water system, we take into account the peak times, number of rooms and the type of accommodation. Bear in mind, the peak demand times of a resort will be diff erent to that of a hotel in the CBD.

Electric or gas?

We consider all options and capitalise on the effi ciencies of both electric and gas hot water systems when working with an accommodation facility. Dependent on the accommodation and building constraints, we assess the space available in the plant room and its access, the size and number of rooms in the accommodation facility, and the peak hot water demands. We then engineer a hot water system to meet the specifi c accommodation needs. An electric heat pump system that captures solar contributions can deliver lower emissions and increased effi ciencies and lower running costs. Surprisingly, these technologies can oft en be incorporated in existing capital works budgets and deliver long term savings and environmental benefi ts, as well as improved customer experience with steady hot water supply.

As an industry expert what do you think are the best methods to ensure hot water for all guests?

It is imperative that accommodation providers install a commercial hot water system designed to meet their maximum capacity needs, opposed to multiple instantaneous heaters designed for residential systems that aren’t effi cient in the long term. A commercial CO2 heat pump or high effi ciency condensing heater with storage tanks will lower the maximum energy demand and have a steady hot water profi le. A regular maintenance schedule will ensure the hot water system is always running optimally and catch any issues before they arise.