Dan Martindale, sales director at Andrews Water Heaters, commented: “Although statistics highlight the potential to increase revenues in the hotel industry, more guests bring more operational challenges. This includes greater energy demands on a hotel, especially when it comes to heating and hot water.

“Considering that heating can account for up to 60 percent of a hotel’s energy bills, a more efficient system can go a long way to help control operational costs, especially in this economic climate where energy prices are increasing. 

“Installing a higher output boiler would help to accommodate higher heat demand, but it still needs to provide hot water in the summer, even when space heating is not needed. What’s more, better insulation in modern buildings means that less heat is lost, so central heating can run at lower temperatures for a shorter time. Both factors mean that a higher output boiler may be oversized for the overall system, resulting in energy wastage.”

Mr Martindale continued: “One solution is to install a separate, dedicated water heater to cater to the hot water demand without wasting energy on heating. Separate space heating and hot water systems generally provide lower running costs, energy consumption and carbon emissions. This is because the hot water energy load can be more suitably matched to the water heater output.

“On top of this, since water is heated from a low mains temperature (at a supply temperature of around 10 to 60 degrees Celsius), high levels of condensing can be achieved, contributing to further savings. The heating system can also be switched off during summer to reduce the electrical consumption from boilers, primary pumps and secondary pumps. 

“The provision of heating and hot water is critical in hotels, and higher occupancy rates will inevitably lead to more demand for both. With a correctly sized and specified hot water system, hotels can ensure that their facilities meet customer expectations, and that kitchen and housekeeping operations can keep up with the pace. At the same time, their businesses can benefit from the energy and cost savings delivered by an efficient system.”