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Heat Pumps Offer New Energy-Efficiency Opportunities for Hotels

It’s a great time for hotel facilities to upgrade from traditional packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs) to clean, state-of-the-art heat pump technology for heating, cooling, and water heating needs.

Heat pumps ideally suited for hotel rooms pull warmth from the air and use it to heat in the colder months, while during the summer, it moves indoor heat outside. Heat pump water heaters can also be potentially used to extract heat from the air surrounding the unit to heat the building’s water.

Heat pumps are two to four times as efficient as conventional oil, propane, or electric resistance heating systems. PTACs have historically been used for self-contained heating and air conditioning systems in hotels and motels, but heat pumps are the most energy-efficient technology available and with incentives from National Grid, they can provide a cost-effective HVAC solution.

Heat pumps also:

  • Allow hotels and motels to heat and cool with a single unit so they can save energy and money year-round. Heat pumps have been an efficient source of heating and cooling for many years but advances in technology now allow businesses to address heating needs more effectively.
  • Significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As an all-in-one heating and air conditioning system that is environmentally friendly, they are extremely efficient and affordable to operate—all without the use of fossil fuels.
  • Last longer and are more flexible than conventional HVAC systems. Heat pumps can be installed to fit within the existing building envelope sleeves and can heat and cool either individual rooms or your whole building. Heat pumps can also last 15 to 20 years, depending on usage frequency. 
  • Require less maintenance. Heat pumps require less maintenance than traditional HVAC systems. Once a year, some elements of the system must be checked but can be easily accomplished by a hotel facilities person. However, a professional installer should perform a system check every three to five years.

At any given time, 25 percent of hotel rooms are unoccupied, allowing contractors to install the system without significantly disrupting guests. They can set up timetables for installation in open rooms that is convenient and less disruptive. Heat pumps can also include built-in controls that turn off the system when the room is unoccupied and can be connected to the security system for monitoring as well. These added controls save even more energy and offer added security.  

There are also many myths about heat pumps, particularly regarding cold-weather performance. But, over the last five years, heat pumps have become much more efficient and are able to run effectively at cold temperatures. Combined with other electrical heating systems they can handle even the most challenging temperatures.

How do I get started?

To understand the types of HVAC systems and other improvements that can be made at a hotel, facilities managers should start with and an energy assessment.

These assessments need to be conducted properly, so leave it to trained experts who know the essential steps to take and what to look at in order to formulate an energy-savings plan that makes sense for an individual property.

Qualified contractors will be able to ensure the equipment being installed meets the current standards and is eligible for incentives. The contractor may also be able to provide other energy efficiency and weatherization improvements, which may be eligible for even greater incentives when combined with heat pumps. Because of the incentives, it’s also a great time to replace older and broken heat pumps.

Hotels can receive technical support and assistance throughout the process, as well as save with financial incentives from National Grid. The National Grid program is designed to incentivize and simplify adoption of efficient electric heat pump systems in hotel heating and cooling applications. No matter what the hotel has been using for heating, they may be eligible for financial incentives for switching to high efficiency heating and cooling. For more information about heat pumps, in Massachusetts visit ngrid.com/heatpumps-ma and in Upstate New York visit ngrid.com/heatpumps-uny

The editorial staff had no role in this post's creation.