At the height of the energy crisis, Tewkesbury Park, a privately-owned hotel, health club and golf resort in Gloucestershire, found its combined energy bills set to increase four-fold. Director Chris McIntosh wanted to see if Combined Heat and Power (CHP) could be the answer to reducing their power costs. He contacted Helec, a Bristol-based independent M&E contractor, asking them to review the hotel’s energy systems and see what could be done.
An initial site visit revealed that the hotel’s existing boilers were fuelled by an expensive oil-based fuel source. In addition, they were old and inefficient. Taking into consideration the hotel’s need to not only save money, but also reduce carbon emissions, Helec recommended the use of gas instead of heating oil. As natural gas was unavailable, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was chosen. Heat pumps were considered but were found not to be suitable for the hotel’s needs.
Project Planning and Collaboration
Working closely with Tewkesbury Park, Helec created a detailed project plan, encompassing civil works, plumbing upgrades, and the installation of CHP units. The planning was carefully prepared to minimise any disruptions to the hotel’s busy day to day operations.
The old oil boilers were removed and replaced with new Strebel S-FX320 LPG boilers. Next, six new Grundfos pumps were installed, integrating three Galu 2,500 litre thermal stores. These thermal stores enable a much larger heat output for short periods than the new boilers would be capable to provide on their own.
A bespoke Building Management System (BMS) was implemented to monitor and control the energy distribution within the hotel. The BMS is managed remotely, making updates and improvements quick and easy. In addition, two new CHP units were installed: a 50kWe will operate almost continiously to satisfy the hotel’s base load. A second unit (75kWe) will top up any shortfall while also offering a standby power facility in the event of power cuts.
Result: Energy Security, Efficiency Gains and Environmental Impact
This setup now provides Tewkesbury Park with absolute energy security. Their remote location meant reliance on the National Grid came with connection issues and the very real possibility of outages. Now, with dual engines installed, operations can continue completely unimpeded by the possibility of power cuts.
The installation of the CHP units and more energy-efficient boilers marked a significant milestone for Tewkesbury Park, not only with regard to addressing energy cost concerns, but also in enhancing overall efficiency and reducing the hotel’s carbon footprint.
Transitioning from oil-powered boilers to LPG boilers, alongside the installation of CHP units, has resulted in a substantial reduction in overall operating costs, with the additional bonus of further reducing the hotel’s environmental impact. The hotel benefited from immediate savings of 30% on heating bills, further electricity savings from the CHP’s reduced carbon emissions, and improved environmental credibility for Tewksbury Park. Future savings are estimated at £114K (electricity) and £120K (heating) per year.
Chris McIntosh, Director of Tewkesbury Park Hotel, is impressed by the outcome, “One of the impressive aspects of Helec is how they handle a lot of the work themselves. From planning to implementation they are there with you 100% of the way. The CHP units are a fantastic investment.”
