How to Optimise Hospitality Experiences with Air Source Heat Pumps
For those in the hospitality sector, saving money without compromising on the quality services you offer is a key factor in sustainability.
As such, you want to keep your customers comfortable, but with rising energy bills, it’s not a surprise that some hospitality businesses have to compromise on their energy usage just to stay afloat. But that isn’t fair, is it? Thankfully, there are solutions out there, including air source heat pumps.
In this blog, we will show you how to optimise hospitality experiences with air source heat pumps.
At Helec, we are proud to offer an array of services to support building projects by using renewable, sustainable, and low-carbon technologies. Our 17 years of experience, provide us the expertise to professionally handle the services of design and consultation, all the way to installation and performance monitoring.
Introduction: What is an air source heat pump?
An air source heat pump, also known as ASHP, is a piece of technology that functions to create heat. It does this by converting outside air into water and heating it, this water is subsequently used in order to heat your home via your radiator/underfloor heating systems, and your hot water supply.
How does an air source heat pump help the hospitality industry?
The hospitality industry’s key component is in its name, hospitality. If the environment you have created is not a hospitable and comfortable environment, your business will suffer. Air source heat pumps allow you not to compromise on the comfort of your customers and your energy bills.
The essentials of air source heat pumps
Air source heat pumps make use of a gas called a refrigerant as its conduit for transporting the heat through the air source heat pump. Its nature allows it to be a renewable source of heat in your home, which makes an air source heat pump a great energy-saving tool in the long term.
For an in-depth understanding of heat pump operation, click here.
What are the environmental benefits of air source heat pumps?
To put simply, an air source heat pump is energy efficient by nature, as it produces more energy than it consumes. Air source heat pumps can provide up to three times more heat than electrical energy that it consumes.
The source required for an air source heat pump to work is air, which is a renewable resource. Compared to natural gas systems, air source heat pumps create fewer harmful emissions. Which in the long-term can contribute to the fight against global warming, especially if it is a standard installation in most homes, businesses etc.
What is more environmentally friendly than a heat pump?
Although heat pumps are a valid and more than beneficial option, heat pumps that are used on commercial sites can use a lot of electricity, so is there an alternative?
Self-powered heat pumps are on the horizon, we at Helec are happy to be a pioneer of our own self-powered heat pumps, with announcements coming in due course. For now, here’s a preview of what to expect.
Why hospitality should embrace ASHP’s
In particular, hotels face specific heating and cooling needs, having to cater for guests who are comfortable in conditions we deem to be too hot, or conditions that are too cold for others. On top of this, hotels need to find the right balance in common areas in their buildings to ensure that every guest is comfortable enough.
The hospitality industry as a whole serves millions of people daily, and as such, the job of catering for them individually eventually adds up the usage of mechanisms and processes that result in greenhouse gasses.
Despite this, industries in hospitality hold as many, if not more, responsibilities than an individual to ensure we do our bit to help the environment. Just like with recycling bins becoming standard place, other energy solutions such as ASHP’s can be too.
Operational cost and saving
When it comes to long-term financial benefits and incentives, it’s no secret that an air source heat pump will save you money, purely from the fact that its energy source is air, a renewable unlimited supply of energy.
If the heat pump is already heating the area enough, then it’s unlikely a central heating system would be needed to be used as much in conjunction with the heat pump system.
If you were using a mechanism that operates without renewable energy, the cost of operation would only present an increase in your energy bills, which is the last thing you want as a business owner.
In some cases, the changes to the environment caused by global warming may not affect us directly, or to the same degree that other countries, whose CO2 emissions are a mere drop in the ocean, are affected. As evidenced by floods that have occurred in Bangladesh.
But, with all this talk on saving money, we think it is more appropriate to share our case studies with you, which show you the real-world application and benefits of air source heat pumps and other technology we provide.
Comfort and experience
Air source heat pumps enhance the functions of heating systems by heating them without the need for the regular amount of power that they require. Of course, people can opt to have their heating on a lower setting, so regardless if a hot temperature is preferred, or lukewarm, air source heat pumps make it easy.
Whatever your sector in the hospitality industry, having a comfortable environment where people can relax only serves to benefit your business. Air source heat pumps prevent you from having to compromise between the stay of your guest and the cost of your energy bills.
As a result of your customers’ comfort, they can enjoy the services you offer. This results in a positive customer experience, which can lead to repeat customers, and a positive reputation, which entices more potential customers. This shows you the power behind simple temperature control.
Sustainability and brand image
An air source heat pump can strengthen a hotel’s commitment to sustainability as the renewable source of energy required does not need anything aside from voltage, and air. A hotel’s sustainability can be evidenced by publishing the results they’ve experienced after using an ASHP.
Eco-friendly USP
Having a brand reputation based on your commitment to eco-friendly solutions, evidenced by the solutions you employ, is a great way to attract customers who are conscious of their carbon footprint.
This not only helps the environment and your business but can also cultivate a community with a common understanding, something that provides a massive boost to any business.
Maintenance and longevity
Maintenance for an ASHP system should be conducted by an expert unless you have the correct guidance or expertise to maintain the system. Alternatively, we at Helec provide maintenance services for systems such as air source heat pumps.
Heat pumps can provide around 15 years of service, and considering they only require electricity in order to operate, it is not dependent on any other factors to begin working, making them reliable.
This becomes especially true of self-powered heat pumps, which literally power itself, whilst providing all the benefits of the non-self-powered models.
Challenges and considerations
Although ASHP’s are a no-brainer for sustainable energy solutions, it may be easier for some to get one than others. This is due to two factors.
- Cost – Understandably, air source heat pumps are not going to be cheap considering the technology they employ and the levels of work required to plan, install, integrate, and maintain the system.
- Installation – ASHP’s require space to be installed and work efficiently. This may mean some potential buyers of ASHP’s may need to compromise certain spaces in order to install one, which may cost them more money.
Looking to the future
They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, every building starts with the first brick. The same approach is taken with sustainability in the hospitality industry, on a micro level, we can see this with the reduced use of plastics for example.
As advancements continue, air source heat pumps show that we can achieve a greater level of sustainability, without having to compromise on the basic comforts that our customers need, or are used to.
Conclusion
To summarise, Air source heat pumps help the hospitality industry by helping the businesses that comprise it, and its users, by…
Business benefits of ASHP
- Reduces operational costs
- Provides a renewable source of energy that serves to highlight the business’s commitment to sustainable solutions.
- Can contribute to positive customer experiences, leading to repeat business.
Customer benefits of ASHP
- Their comfort is not compromised.
- They feel good for contributing to the environment by using mechanisms such as ASHP.
- The business becomes trusted in their eyes as the customer physically sees the commitment to sustainable solutions.
Get a quote on air source heat pumps today
We hope you are now better equipped when it comes to knowing how to optimise hospitality experiences with air source heat pumps
The team here at Helec thanks you for taking the time to read our blog. If you have any further questions, you can contact us here. Alternatively, if you want to enquire about our services, or for more information on our self-powered heat pumps, you can click here.
Our wide range of services enables us to be able to provide consultation, installation, and maintenance if you want it.
Our expertise provides us the ability to offer the following energy solutions
- Combined heat and power packages
- Complete CHP service and maintenance packages
- Thermal stores and buffer vessels
- Ground source heat pumps
- Solar thermal systems
- Large district residential heating systems
And more. See how Helec can help you today.