14 December 2009 - Hot Air Runs Hotel Water System
One of the largest hotels in Central Australia is using hot air to supply hot water to its guests after installing 32 innovative heat pumps, entirely reducing its reliance on gas for water heating.
With a $50,000 grant from Alice Solar City, the Crowne Plaza Hotel is now supplying hot water to its 236 guest rooms by using a technology that works a bit like a refrigerator in reverse.
Solar heat pumps convert ambient heat 24 hours a day into hot water, with the units’ refrigerant extracting heat from conditions even as cold as minus 10 degrees Celsius.
“While solar hot water systems are an ideal technology for the Central Australian climate, they are not so effective when an organisation has its peak water use outside of direct sunlight hours, where a gas or electric boost must supply the load”, says Brian Elmer, General Manager of Alice Solar City.
“The Crowne Plaza falls into this category with its guests mostly using water during the early morning and late afternoon.”
“As part of the Alice Solar City trial we are very interested to assess the performance of heat pumps in Central Australian conditions.”
Crown Plaza General Manager Adam Glass says the hotel has decreased its overall gas consumption by more than 50%, with the heat pumps providing 100% of the hot water since the system was commissioned a few weeks ago.
