THE
HOTEL ENGINEER Crowne Plaza Terrigal
going green with mySmart
PP 319986/101
Volume 15 No. 1
THE
HOTEL ENGINEER Adbourne PUBLISHING
Adbourne Publishing 18/69 Acacia Rd, Ferntree Gully, VIC, 3156 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160 Melbourne: Neil Muir Ph: (03) 9758 1433 Fax: (03) 9758 1432 Email: neil@adbourne.com
contents 11
3
Publishers’ Message
5 Sights and Sounds of a Hotel 11 Crowne Plaza Terrigal going green
with mySmart
15 Mandatory Disclosure of Commercial
Building Energy Efficiency
18 What is NABERS?
Adelaide: Robert Spowart Ph: 0488 390 039 Email: robert@adbourne.com
23 Regulation Update
Production: Claire Henry Tel: (03) 9758 1436 Email: production@adbourne.com
Administration: Robyn Fantin Tel: (03) 9758 1431 Email: admin@adbourne.com Marketing: Tania Lamanna Tel: (03) 9500 0285 Email: tlamanna@bigpond.net.au
27 Profile: Grant Slater 28 Fire training solutions for the hotel & leisure industry
31 Hotel Hospitality + Design 2010
28
33 Life insurance that doesn’t hurt the
hip pocket
34 Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort Hybrid Solar
Power Station
39 Back of House 43 Hiring and Retaining Engineering Staff in
a Difficult Environment
48 Balancing and Control of Small
Terminal Units
POOLS FEATURE 59 Ozone Swimming Pool and Spa
Sanitation
61 A Grand Change to Green
61
64 Nationally Recognised Training for
Hamilton Island’s Pool Technician
65 Water Quality Update 67 Shangri La Pool and Spa 70 Symutech has the answers for indoor
heated pools
72 Pool and Spa Heating Options 75 SIEMENS Water Technologies Case
History – Goulburn Aquatic Centre
80 Water Bifurcation – The Splitting of the
H2O Molecule
83 Deluge of orders from hotels
86
Product News
DISCLAIMER Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisers appearing in The Hotel Engineer comply absolutely with the Trades Practices Act and other consumer legislation. The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication.
Front Cover: Crowne Plaza Terrigal, NSW
Adbourne Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication. All original material produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors and all submitted editorial are the author’s views and are not necessarily those of the publisher.
THE
HOTEL ENGINEER
Publisher’s Message I n this issue we have brought together several case studies we feel will interest you, beginning with the recent refurbishment of the Crowne Plaza Terrigal (NSW) and its implementation of the mySmart Room control system which is already showing improvements to their energy bills. There is also a Profile on its Chief Engineer, Grant Slater.
We have had some excellent feedback since our previous issue on Lady Elliot Island and their Hybrid power station. Should you have missed it, remember, back issues are always available from our head office. As a follow-up, we have asked the architects (Peddle Thorp) to provide us with a brief on the ecologically sustainable design and economic benefits.
Many of our readers will have heard about the new legislation for mandatory disclosure of building energy efficiency to start soon in the commercial sector. This will also become reality for other buildings, including hotels and the like over the next year or two. Ian Knox of HFM Asset Management takes you through this in a special article.
Inside we have our regular update from Derek Hendry, and other articles on employment, superannuation, fire, and cooling towers; along with our annual feature on swimming pools in hotels. A big thank you to all who assisted in helping to bring this latest information to our readers around Australia.
NABERS has been used for some years in commercial buildings, but is relatively new in the hospitality area. It will come into effect with the mandatory disclosure of building energy efficiency, as Lynette Bourne from NABERS explains and provides you with a comprehensive understanding on NABERS and how to go about having your hotel rated. Peter Swanson, Director of WSP Lincolne Scott Audio Visual begins a series of articles on ‘Hotel Sight and Sound’. Should you have any specific topics associated with audio and visual, Peter will be pleased to bring you the latest information in this specialist area. So, please let us know.
view this issue online: www.adbourne.com click on ‘The Hotel Engineer’
As the premier magazine in Australia for hotel engineering and maintenance, we are constantly updating our mailing list. The Hotel Engineer remains free to all major hotels and resorts across this large continent. Anyone keen to be on our mailing list, or to receive an extra copy for their workshop, has only to contact our office by email or phone.
Regards, Neil Muir Publisher, The Hotel Engineer
News AIHE News – Victoria
H
i all, and what a great attendance for our first meeting of the year.
Thanks to Adam our generous host and new members Dawsons Pest Control for an informative overview of pest
problems faced in our industry. For April we go to the Grand Hotel (33 Spencer St, cnr of Flinders St where together with LG Electronics and Eco Hospitality Refurbishments will show us the latest in power efficient lighting in an apartment fitted out with their products as a showcase and ways to lower our carbon foot print. Should be a great display at
this magnificent old Hotel with much to learn. So a happy Easter to all and see you at the next meeting. ALL MEETING ENQUIRES FORWARD TO MEETING CO-ORDINATOR STEPHEN DOCHERTY 0439 031 191 stephen119@msn.com
The Sights and Sounds of a Hotel By PETER SWANSON Director, WSP Lincolne Scott
You walk into the foyer of a modern hotel and you are greeted by…what? Fine architecture, mood lighting, an ambience that reflects the brand, friendly staff, so far so good. But, what’s that noise grating in the background and the annoying flashing thing in the corner?
T
his is how audio visual systems can very easily be perceived if they’re not well implemented. That grating noise is the poorly installed sound system with poor equalisation and low quality loudspeakers and the annoying flashing thing is the crudely positioned portable digital signage kiosk which has inexplicably become stuck on the Thai restaurant menu while showing has a worrying menu box in the corner saying something about virtual memory… But it doesn’t have to be like this! The integration of audio visual systems into hotels is not a new phenomenon, but the sheer quantity and pervasiveness perhaps is. In amongst everything else it is easy to lose focus on the AV provision in a hotel, but it is in fact one of the things that has the greatest potential to please – or annoy – the hotel’s guests.
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 5
< In this article, I’ll be discussing some of the current audio technologies in use within hotels, their strengths, weaknesses and some future forecasting of trends. This is not the be all and end all of AV, but hopefully will give you a taste of some practical considerations prior to further in depth articles in coming issues. In these days of iPods, surround sound in cars and home cinemas people expect good quality audio. However, this is more easily said than done. There are three main technology contributors to quality audio production – processing, signal distribution and loudspeaker selection/ placement. Loudspeakers are generally the easy part of the equation as there are a wide variety of affordable, good quality options in the professional market. The main aim with loudspeakers is actually to make sure you have enough, of the correct type, positioned appropriately to give the listener a consistent experience as they walk across the hotel floor or ballroom. A new international standard by InfoComm, the AV industry association, helps to guide the performance requirements you can expect from sound systems in particular applications. And, yes, you can have too many loudspeakers! Processing likewise has become much easier to specify, design and install as a result of the digital revolution. What used to take 5-10 individual analogue boxes and half a rack of space can now be achieved with one integrated Digital Signal Processor (DSP) that is no larger than a PC. The main issue to watch for here is that your installer actually understands audio principles – the configuration of the DSP is just as complex as the old analogue systems and a poor configuration can make your wellspecified system sound awful. On a more positive note, DSPs can also open the door to much more intelligent control of your audio systems. Sensing microphones can be used to automatically, intelligently adjust levels depending on how noisy the foyer or restaurant is. Presets can be used to set different source selections for different times of day, or different functions and to group different zones together
The Sights and Sounds of a Hotel as and when required both for prefunction, outdoor or separable ballroom / conference room spaces.
PDA or other network-connected device. Cue flexibility and faster responses to guest requests!
So, the last piece of the audio puzzle is the method of audio distribution. In a simple solution, you may only have some source devices, like a media server, DVD player or even an iPod, and perhaps a paging console. For more complex environments, you are likely to have local plug in points in various rentable areas like foyers, dining spaces, pre-function locations, conference rooms and so on. Traditionally, analogue cabling is used to connect microphones or a portable CD player / iPod to the system. This is however fraught with potential issues as analogue audio signals are very sensitive to electrical interference.
A related consideration for audio distribution is whether or not you’ll be integrating your Paging / Background Music (PA&BGM) capabilities with your emergency alert (EWIS). The main advantage of this is roughly halving the number of speakers and amplifiers. However, it does mean that your PA&BGM system is “upgraded” to be responsible for emergency alert as well. If you are looking to go down this path, it’s important to select a provider who understands the needs of both system types and the relevant codes and standards for voice alert systems. Otherwise you can end up with a solution that doesn’t sound as good as it should do – or far more seriously could risk lives through not performing as required in an emergency situation!
The new generation of distribution systems takes the microphone or CD player signal straight into the IP network realm from the back of the wall plate. These solutions immediately digitise the audio signal thereby preserving it at “source quality”. The same is true for paging consoles which can connect via any network port patched to the audio system rather than needing a dedicated plug in point. The great part of such solutions is you can then “soft patch” your chosen source or paging console to any zone in the system quickly, easily and remotely from a PC,
Now, in function spaces audio becomes a whole new challenge! The audio levels are much higher than for PA&BGM use and where microphones are used, they are that much closer to the loudspeakers which leads to feedback challenges. To achieve good quality audio, it can be tempting to go down the path of permanently installed sound systems designed to match the space. Certainly, if you have frequent events using the system
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 7
The Sights and Sounds of a Hotel
< this can be a good choice – and can help to cut down bump in / bump out times. However, the cost is often a lot higher and you become responsible for support and maintenance of systems being used and abused by clients so it’s important to have a clear plan that shows whether or not you can get a return on investment in the life of the system – and how to manage the use of this asset. Permanent installation often commits you to using a room or area in a given
configuration and again this can be undesirable – unless your space has a very obvious focal point such as a stage or other feature.
cables or good physical separation between the cabling – this may need to be 1m or more depending on the current drawn by the lighting circuits)
Temporary installation then falls into two main categories – firstly, temporary systems supplied by the venue / incumbent AV service provider and secondly temporary systems supplied by the user.
2. Interference between lighting circuits and AV power circuits (beat this with separate cable paths and separation of distribution boards – the level of segregation is proportional to the current drawn by the lighting circuits and is also affected by the type of dimming used)
In both cases, it’s important to plan for power, signal cabling and weightbearing structures whether using basic rigging points, “lighting” bars or full truss systems. If you do nothing else, do yourself a favour and make sure you have a dedicated power distribution board for all audio visual circuits. While the status quo is improving, far too many conference and event venues suffer from audio interference due to one of the following power-related issues: 1. Interference between lighting circuits and audio signal cables (beat this with steel conduit / ducts for the AV
3. Interference on the submain to the AV distribution board as a result of electrical noise generated by dimmers, HVAC plant, dishwashers and other “noisy” items (beat this by separating submains back to the main distribution board – sometimes you will need to go further with double conversion online UPS and other technologies) 4. Audio devices powered by circuits from different boards, leading to
potential ground loop issues (beat this by where possible using circuits from the same board and using appropriate signal isolation where the facility is too large to permit this) Planning for audio visual cabling has become easier in recent years as more and more devices can be interconnected using Category 6 (or other twisted pair variants such as CAT 5, CAT 5e, CAT6a or CAT7 to name a selection). Optical fibre is also increasingly common and can be of great help in solving some of those nasty interference issues both from the perspective of device isolation and the fact that optical fibre is immune to Electromagnetic Interference (EMI). If your facility wasn’t built with temporary equipment in mind, you may be quite limited as to what you can retrofit for suspension due to the significant impact that suspension of equipment has on the overall building. For new buildings, absolutely make sure that you are getting
rigging points, bars or truss where you need them and be clear not only on the weight of individual items (known as the point load), but also on the total load you want to support in the room (the distributed load). If you have a particular layout planned for each room and a “house system” that you will move between rooms, you may not need extensive infrastructure to support it. If on the other hand, you want to cater for all sorts of events, hire company manifests and production values, you will need to put in considerable infrastructure to give maximum flexibility. As usual, the best answer is to plan ahead. If you’re clear on both day one requirements and longer term aspirations you should be able to get the balance right in terms of the extent of your infrastructure – and don’t forget to plan for future access so that when CAT 6 and fibre become old hat you don’t have to rip the building to bits to put the next generation of cabling in!
So, maybe with all those considerations, a nice fixed system is starting to sound easier? In that case, it’s important to be sure of what you want the system to do and what is “out of bounds”. Speech is “easier” than recorded music on a system. Live music (particularly pop and rock) can be very challenging on a system in terms of output levels and ongoing energy requirements. In many cases, you’ll be looking for speech on a day to day basis with the ability to support background or “midground” music – but it’s generally a good plan to rule out support for live acts unless you have deep pockets. My number one recommendation in closing is to plan carefully from the outset whether you are upgrading or fitting out a new facility. If you have a clearly laid out set of functional expectations it is then far easier to plan a budget, nominate priorities and develop a design. n wsplincolnescott.com
Crowne Plaza Terrigal
going green with mySmart
Crowne Plaza Terrigal is nestled on the beach overlooking the serene waters of Terrigal Beach on the Central Coast. It is one of New South Wales’ most popular weekday and weekend destinations, and is a soothing space in which to unwind, recharge or be romanced. Only a 90 minute drive north of Sydney, Crowne Plaza Terrigal has undergone a complete transformation of all its guest rooms and has made way for a completely new design, incorporating energy efficient features as well as guest comfort and enhanced amenities.
T
he new guest rooms are a reflection of the surroundings; the design “upmarket beach house” is certainly felt on arrival. From completely new bathrooms with water-wise fittings throughout to custom made furniture using eco friendly products, energy efficient mini bars, lighting and RFID guest room door locks, this refurbishment has been ground-breaking in many ways including state of the art INNcontrol room controllers. Prior to the refurbishment mySmart presented the INNcontrol product to IHG Engineers during an Engineering conference at Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach. From there Chief Engineer, Grant Slater, was charged with constructing prototype rooms
to critique designs as part of the refurbishment due diligence. Grant undertook an ambitious plan to use smart technologies to reduce its impact on the environment and improve the level of service to guests. As part of this project and following its success at the Crowne Plaza Melbourne, my Smart was given the opportunity to develop an energy saving solution for the Terrigal hotel. Crowne Plaza Terrigal installed the mySmart Hotel Room Control System, which intelligently controls the air conditioning in each of its 199 guest rooms. In each room mySmart installed an E528 Smart Digital Thermostat and supplied the INNcontrol II client server application software which connects to the Property Management System creating an integrated room management system. Using motion sensing and door switches the system knows when the room is in use. The Smart Digital Thermostat can be used in stand-alone mode, control the room lights or integrate with the hotel’s check-in system.
Smart Digital Thermostat – E528 The Smart Digital Thermostat is more than a thermostat, it combines multiple features to enhance the guest experience as well as relay information to management systems. Features of the Smart Digital Thermostat include: •
Precision temperature control in room
•
Advanced energy management within room as well as the Property Management System/Building Management System
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 11
•
Customer programmable parameters including Make Up Room/Do Not Disturb for guest convenience
•
Balcony door monitoring and ecoMODE
•
Mini-bar, safe and smoke detector monitoring
•
On-board Passive Infrared Motion Detector for occupancy reporting to Housekeeping
Energy Management and Management Software (INNcontrol) This product assists with energy management and reducing energy costs by activating programmable temperature set-back when the guest is out of the room, or the room is not checked in. By “relaxing” the target temperature bands, the room’s heating and cooling can run up to 60% more efficiently. With the INNcontrol software, true energy saving and cost effectiveness is realised.
Features of the INNcontrol software include: •
Real time control of energy usage in rooms with temperature setback
•
Manage information from intelligent devices – energy trend data
•
Automatic load shedding and peak demand algorithms
•
Interface with PMS, BMS and other hotel systems
•
Reporting of malfunctioning equipment
Benefits to Crowne Plaza Terrigal Installation of the components commenced January 2009 with a staggered handover of completed floors until completion in May 2009. The energy savings have reduced carbon emissions substantially, over a 100 tonnes each month or 1,200 tonnes each year which is equivalent to removing over 400 cars from our roads for one year. The hotel saw a
Crowne Plaza Terrigal
going green with mySmart
compared with the previous November and 49% in December 2009 compared with December 2008. These savings are from reduction in guest use of air conditioning and lighting. The mySmart system also saves damage to the hotel room ceilings from condensation when the balcony doors are left open with the air conditioning on. On average Crowne Plaza Terrigal previously had to replace six room ceilings each year. This led to lost revenue for about a week each as well as the actual cost of the renovation works.
< total reduction in energy of 11% across the whole site, compared with 2007. In rooms only, where the mySmart Hotel Room Control System is in place, the saving in November 2009 was 57%
Further in winter the hotel previously suffered a heating thermal overload problem that required engineering staff to reset the AC in rooms. This has now ceased as the system is programmed to run on time. This equates to some 300 hours per year in man-hour savings and a better guest experience. Grant Slater, Chief Engineer in charge of the refurbishment at Crowne Plaza Terrigal
said: “Crowne Plaza chose the mySmart solution based on the energy efficiency component and the user interface, as it is simple to understand and operate”. The mySmart solution included comprehensive training of hotel engineers, front office and housekeeping. With a full understanding of how the new system works, there has only been positive feedback from staff; staff are happy with the system as it is easy to use and straightforward to advise guests about operation. The diagnostic capabilities of the system allow engineers to attend to guest queries, often knowing prior what the issue is and why and how it happened. The mySmart Hotel Room Control System has enabled Crowne Plaza Terrigal to make significant reduction in energy use across the building. This not only improves the hotel’s carbon footprint but leads to significant cost savings on energy – all while delivering a better experience for its guests. n
Mandatory Disclosure of Commercial Building Energy Efficiency By IAN KNOX
The Federal Government has recently enacted legislation related to the Mandatory Disclosure of Commercial Energy Efficiency.
S
tarting in the second half of 2010, up to date energy efficiency information will need to be disclosed to prospective buyers or tenants when office space covering 2000m2 or more is sold, leased sub leased. The scheme is part of an ambitious plan to drive more energy efficient homes and workplaces.
National Strategy on Energy Efficiency Australian, state and territory governments agreed to phase in the disclosure of commercial building energy efficiency through the National Strategy on Energy Efficiency announced in July 2009.
The parameters for the implementation of phase one were agreed by governments in November 2009.
What difference will disclosure make? Energy efficiency disclosure creates a more informed market that rewards better performing buildings and stimulates greater investment in energy efficiency. Disclosure will •
The disclosure scheme will happen in two phases
Deliver consistent, credible, comparative and meaningful information about building energy efficiency
1. Phase one – office buildings covering 2000m2 or more (BCA Class 5 Buildings)
•
Allow energy efficiency and energy costs to be considered by prospective buyers and tenants
2. Phase two – expanding disclosure to other commercial building types, including hotels, shops, retail, schools and hospitals. (timeframe yet to be advised – potentially 2012)
•
Provide building owners with information on how their building rates, and
•
Encourage more efficient buildings, lower energy use and lower emissions
Who needs to disclose? Building owners need to meet the requirements of the scheme if they are selling or leasing office space with a net lettable area of 2,000 metres or more. Tenants who are sub-leasing office space with a net lettable area of 2,000 m2 or more will also need to comply. New office buildings will be exempt from the scheme until they have sufficient energy use to obtain a rating.
What will be required under the scheme? When a commercial office building with a NLA greater than 2000m2 or more, any or part of such a building that is greater than 2000m2 NLA, is to be sold, leased or sub leased, an appropriate energy efficiency rating and assessment report of the building must be disclosed:
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 15
Mandatory Disclosure of Commercial Building Energy Efficiency (continued) •
•
•
In any advertisement about the sale or lease (disclosure requirement is limited to an appropriate star rating, excluding Green Energy) To prospective buyers and tenants ( a valid Building Energy Efficiency Certificate (BEEC) and an Energy Efficiency Assessment Report (EEAR)) To a central registry ( a valid BEEC and EEAR)
In all cases a building energy efficiency certificate will need to be disclosed. The certificate will include three components. 1. A National Built Environment Raring System Rating (NABERS) Energy base building rating 2. Tenancy lighting details 3. Energy efficiency guidance
If a building has inadequate metering to obtain a base building rating, a whole building rating will be required. For buildings that have been substantially refurbished within the previous 12 months, the scheme will allow the star rating to be modeled in accordance with the NABERS Energy simulation protocol. For sub leases, the NABERS Energy star rating will only need to be disclosed if an existing rating is available to the tenant who is sub-letting the space. Building energy efficiency certificates (BEEC) will remain valid for 12 months Energy efficiency assessment reports (EEAR) will be valid for 7 years
When will disclosure occur? When office space is advertised for sale or lease, a NABERS Energy Certificate must be included in the advertisement.
When prospective buyers or tenants enquire about office space, they must be provided with a valid building energy efficiency certificate as early as possible in the process, free of charge whether requested or not. Prospective buyers or tenants will also be able to access the certificate at an online registry using a unique reference number.
Are there any penalties? Compliance and enforcement details have not been finalized as yet but provisions could include: •
A maximum penalty of $100,000 for each offence of non-disclosure
•
Publishing the name of the organization who have not complied on a publicly accessible website n
Ian is Managing director of HFM Asset Management. www.hfmassets.com.au
What is NABERS? The NABERS rating tools make it simple for hotel owners and managers to measure the environmental performance of their premises. NABERS translates energy and water bills into an easy-to-understand star rating. The star rating lets you know whether your hotel is more or less efficient than other hotels, and helps you to identify opportunities to save money and make your hotel more ‘green’.
N
ABERS is a national, government initiative, managed by the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) on behalf of Federal and state governments. NABERS offers Energy and Water ratings for hotels, and can also rate offices, shopping centres and homes.
Why you should rate your hotel now The coming Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure (CBEED) legislation will require all office spaces over 2000m2 to be rated with NABERS before they can be sold or leased. It has been suggested that this legislation may be extended to hotels in 2012. Hotel owners and managers should be preparing to rate their buildings soon, to be ready for this change. However, there are many other reasons to rate your hotel. NABERS is the only rating tool that provides a reliable benchmark of the actual environmental performance of a hotel compared to other Australian hotels. Most office building owners, managers and occupants are now using NABERS as a central pillar of their sustainability agenda to understand, improve and communicate their environmental performance, and NABERS can be used in the same way for hotels. Many buildings are rated every year with NABERS, as a way of tracking and managing energy and water use, and to promote their environmental initiatives to stakeholders and the community. Office buildings using NABERS to measure their environmental performance have reported an average improvement in energy and water efficiency of approximately 15%, saving a total of 86,000 tonnes of CO2 and 300 Mega Litres of water every year.
18 |
Vol 15 No. 1 |
Hotel Engineer
Demonstrate your commitment to the environment NABERS gives companies the confidence to promote their green initiatives and report hotel performance with reputable government certification. Many of Australia’s largest property owners utilise the simple yet effective NABERS ratings to report corporately and gain market recognition of their building’s environmental performance. Use NABERS to identify cost savings Hotel owners can use NABERS to inform them of the performance of their properties across a portfolio and, through targeted resource allocation, better manage their impacts on the environment. Buildings with a 1 to 3 star rating will often have significant, cost effective opportunities for energy and water savings. NABERS can also be used to track improvements in performance over time as building management strategies are implemented and capital works carried out. The online NABERS self-assessment enables hotel owners and managers to check performance on a regular basis or in between accredited NABERS ratings. Make your hotel more desirable In a tight market, NABERS can provide a means of distinguishing your hotel from the rest, and attracting environmentally aware guests. With an accredited NABERS rating you can promote your building’s performance rating and can utilise the marketing benefits that come with the brand recognition of the NABERS. A NABERS rating above the median creates the potential for enhanced capital value and an opportunity to improve rental returns. Most Governments also require a minimum NABERS rating for any space that they occupy.
Rating a hotel can give you a competitive advantage by promoting your work place as environmentally friendly, and can be used to encourage sustainable thinking in employees.
may exclude that area and the associated energy and water use from the rating. Your Assessor will know the rules that apply when making exclusions. Data requirements:
How to get a rating For a certified NABERS rating that you can report and promote, you will need to engage a NABERS Accredited Assessor. You can use the online rating calculator to estimate your own rating, on the NABERS website – www.nabers.com.au – however a self-assessed rating is an indication only and cannot be promoted. The NABERS website provides contact details for all Accredited Assessors. The cost of a rating can vary, depending on the type of rating you are performing and the size of the property. As with any professional service, you should obtain more than one quote to ensure you receive a competitive price for your rating application.
NABERS Energy for hotels Number of guest rooms Hotel AAA star rating Climate Number of laundry serviced rooms Heated swimming pool area Number of conference seats 12 months energy consumption data NABERS Water for hotels Number of guest rooms (see above) Hotel AAA star rating (see above) Climate (see above) Number of laundry serviced rooms (see above) Number of conference seats (see above) Water consumption data
The rating application process Your Accredited Assessor will visit your hotel to collect data. They will calculate and then lodge your rating application with DECCW. DECCW will check that the rating application complies with the NABERS Validation Protocols, before certifying the rating application and producing a rating certificate. You will receive an electronic certificate, and framed certificates can be provided on request.
Collecting data for a hotel rating NABERS for hotels only rates the hotel spaces. It includes all facilities provided for the utility of hotel guests and the associated back-of-house requirements. Where a hotel includes areas that are not actually hotel areas, such as a café or restaurant with no charge-to-room facility, or public retail areas, then an Assessor
Advice on collecting this data: NUMBER OF GUEST ROOMS The number of guest rooms is used as a primary index of the hotel’s size and is the total number of guest rooms available for individual sale. This may be based on hotel documentation stating the number of rooms, such as a current register showing all room numbers, or a physical count of rooms by the Assessor. HOTEL QUALITY STAR RATING (ASRS) The hotel quality star rating is used as the primary index of the level of service provided by the hotel and is the Australian Star Rating System (ASRS), managed by the AAA. Your Assessor will require a copy of the current ASRS star rating certificate. If there is no hotel quality star rating the Assessor will determine
a self assessed star rating through peer comparisons. CLIMATE The post code of the hotel’s physical location is used to index climate factors and is used in the calculation of the rating. NUMBER OF LAUNDRY ROOMS The number of laundry service rooms represents the total number of rooms within or beyond the hotel (i.e. where the laundry also services other hotels) that are serviced by the laundry that is located at the hotel site. Your Assessor will require a signed statement from hotel management indicating the number of rooms within the hotel that have been provided with: •
Bed linen laundering;
•
Towel laundering; or
•
Both bed linen laundering and towel laundering.
Where the hotel also launders rooms for other hotels, a signed statement will also be required from the management of those hotels that details the same information. The Assessor will also require hotel access to visit the laundry. HEATED SWIMMING POOL AREA Heated swimming pools can have an impact on hotel energy use. You will need to provide your Assessor with evidence of the size of the indoor and outdoor heated pools/spas and the months per year that they are heated and operational. Acceptable evidence may include plans or drawings showing the surface area of indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools and a statement from the hotel manager/engineer and/or photographs of signs indicating operation. NUMBER OF CONFERENCE SEATS The Assessor will need the licensed maximum number of seated guests >
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 19
What is NABERS? (continued)
< permitted in conference and ballroom spaces. You should provide your Assessor with copies of the licence certificates showing the capacity of these spaces, along with records detailing the weekly use for each conference room or space over the last 12 months. ENERGY CONSUMPTION DATA Your Assessor will need copies of the utility bills for all sources of energy consumed, such as electricity, gas, LPG, coal and oil, in the last 12 months, the latest bill to be no more than four months old. The energy consumption data must be provided for all common hotel areas,
guest rooms, back of house, and all onsite services offered by the hotel for guests including car-parks, laundries, function and conference rooms, day spas, indoor/ outdoor swimming pools, spas and saunas, restaurants, cafĂŠs and gyms. Your Assessor will need consumption data (i.e. the amount of electricity in kWh or gas in MJ) rather than the energy costs, so you will need to provide full copies of the bills and not just the first page to your Assessor. If you are having trouble finding a continuous record of energy bills for the most recent 12 month period, it may be easier for your Assessor to contact energy utilities to verify energy supply information. To arrange this, you will need to write a letter to your energy supplier granting your Assessor permission to access this data. WATER CONSUMPTION DATA Your Assessor will need copies of the utility bills and non-utility meter readings for all sources of water consumed,
including mains water, bore/well water, externally supplied recycled water (potable and non-potable) and dam/river water in the last 12 months. The latest bill should be no more than four months old. The water consumption data must be provided for all common hotel areas, guest rooms, back of house, irrigation and all onsite services offered by the hotel for guests including car-parks, laundries, function and conference rooms, day spas, indoor/outdoor swimming pools, spas and saunas, restaurants, cafes and gyms. Your Assessor requires consumption data, i.e. amount of water in kL or m3, rather than the water costs, so you will need to provide full copies of the bills and not just the first page. n
For more information on NABERS ratings for hotels, go to www.nabers.com.au.
Regulation Update By DEREK HENDRY
AUST: Sealing Service Penetrations is Critical Commercial building owners, managers and contractors who manager buildings with fire and smoke resistant structures must recognise that they play a critical part in building occupant fire safety. Essential safety measures regulations have recognised this fact by strengthening the Regulation’s over the years. Substantial statutory penalties under most State regulations, apply to building owners and occupiers that knowingly allow any inadequately sealed services penetrations or breaches in fire and smoke resisting structures to exist. Equally severe penalties exist for simply chocking open fire and smoke resisting doors in a fire isolated stairwell or passageway. To comply with the provisions of the Regulations and AS1851-2005 - Part 17, all building service penetrations through fire and smoke resisting structures should be inspected regularly depending on the state. Where inadequately sealed services penetrations or breaches are found they must be rectified in a prescribed time frame. In the past 12 months thousands of people had to be evacuated from buildings, one in Melbourne and two in Queensland. A large hotel, a department store and an apartment building as a result of minor fires that caused undue smoke penetration through the buildings. Although there were no major personal injuries there was however considerable disruption to businesses, loss of revenue and some minor personal injuries. In Queensland fines may well be issued to the owners of these buildings if their
mandatory inspection records of the passive fire safety installations were found not to be up to date or there are breaches of the fire and smoke compartmentation in a building. The implications of these fires could have potentially been much worse. NSW: Entertainment Venues Managers of places of public entertainment should take note of the NSW legislation that has been recently amended with the inclusion of the terminology “Entertainment Venue” to replace the previous “Place of Public Entertainment” (PoPE) terminology and the related PoPE licensing system. The intention of these amendments is to facilitate the use of live entertainment at pubs, restaurants and registered clubs around NSW by removing unnecessary regulation in particular the previous need for development consent and PoPE licensing, while at the same time retaining appropriate safeguards for public amenity and safety. AUST: Access to Roof Mounted Air-Con Units To avoid accidents facility managers should study the specific legislative requirements for access to roof mounted air conditioning units on their buildings. Part I1.2 of the BCA requires mechanical ventilation and hot water, warm water and cooling water systems in a building other than a system only serving a single sole-occupancy unit in a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part to be maintained in accordance with AS/NZS 3666.2.
Section 2 of AS/NZS 3666.2 “Operation and maintenance of air-handling and water systems of buildings-microbial” requires easy and safe access for cleaning, inspection and maintenance to all plant, equipment and components of air-handling and water systems of buildings by complying with the relevant requirements of AS 1657, AS 1470, AS/ NZS 1892.1 and AS/NZS 2865. AS1657 “Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders – Design, construction and installation” has specific requirements such as the cross fall for drainage of platforms and walkways should not exceed 1 in 35 or 1.64 degrees. There are no exceptions for walkways not to be protected by guard railing other than at points of access or where there is a permanent structure not more than 100mm distance from the edge of the walkway which must give the same protection of guard railing. 600 wide expanded mesh on flat solid roofs does not comply with AS 1657. AS 1657 requires the walkway to be considered a platform owing to the fact that the walkway if level and provided the walkway/ platform is not more than 300 mm above the roof, defined on the edges, not at the edge of the roof or over a sky lite, it may not be necessary to provide guard railing provided the platform/ walkway is 600 mm wide. QLD: Evacuation Routes Free of Obstruction Building owners and managers have to be aware of the new requirements in the recent changes to the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 (BFSR) specifically
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 23
< legislating against unauthorised modification to evacuation routes, i.e. failing to maintain integrity of safe passage. Pursuant to the new BFSR it is an offence to make unauthorised modification to evacuation routes i.e. installation of un approved mechanical ventilation systems, holding open of fire and smoke resisting doors or fail to seal holes and service penetrations in a walls of fire isolated passages or compartments. Substantial penalties apply for non compliance and knowingly allowing deficiencies to exist. It is now mandatory for building owners/ occupiers to repair deficiencies in fire resisting construction within a specific time frame (1 month from notification). It is an offence under BSFR to: •
•
Install or alter a mechanical ventilation or air conditioning system in a building in a way that, in the event of a fire, may allow air to flow onto an evacuation route of the building from another space in the building, including fire-isolated compartments. Allow penetrations or gaps around services penetrating a wall on the perimeter of a fire-isolated compartment or passageway to exist.
•
Fail to seal a hole in a wall on the perimeter of a fire-isolated compartment or passageway.
•
Chock open a door on the perimeter of a fire-isolated compartment or passageway (unless approved with fail safe/ interlocked door release devices).
These requirements are consistent with the Queensland’s Governments approach to fire safety and the modelling of aspects of the BSFR on the national fire systems maintenance benchmark (AS1851-2005). If owners and occupiers comply with their passive fire safety installation maintenance requirements these provisions will seem much simpler to manage. AUST: Fitouts Halted Facility managers have experienced delays on some fitout projects as a consequence of construction industry employees and subcontractors not having completed basic Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) induction training. In most states, construction induction schemes are endorsed by each state’s workplace safety authority and workers are required to be issued with a ‘card’ as evidence of their OH&S induction training. A visit by the local WorkSafe/ Cover authority officer or a union accreditation will certainly impact on the project, if contractors have not been properly inducted. AUST: Vacating Premises? Make Good Upon the expiry of a tenants lease a number of facility/ property managers come to grief when the tenant vacates. Some managers have ‘make good obligations’ in the lease which serves the purpose. Other lease agreements fail miserably for all sorts of reasons. When reletting the space, the managers new tenant has regulatory show stoppers to contend with. Generally, this is because removal (demolition) of partitions and remedial fire stopping of penetrations, repositioning of exit/ emergency lights have not been performed under a building approval or have been installed incorrectly. This changes the incoming tenant’s work schedules and occupation date, as well as requiring extra funds to solve sometimes questionable ‘exiting’ building works, causing problems for all. Approvals and audits should be instigated by managers when a tenant vacates before the new tenant is forced to make claims on the building owner. n
About the Hendry Group Derek Hendry is the Managing Director of the Hendry Group of Consulting companies, including Essential Property Services. Derek pioneered the ‘private certification’ system of building approvals in Australia, and his nationally based consultancy offices assist clients in all facets of building control and essential safety measure audits. The Hendry Group publish an e-newsletter entitled ‘essential matters’, available online at www.emau.com.au, and their new service, BCA Illustrated (at www.bcai.com.au), offers 3000 illustrations explaining and interpreting the BCA as it applies to your building.
profile
This ex-Kiwi fits in well as Chief Engineer here Grant Slater By Max Agnew
T
he population of Terrigal might be only 10,000 or so permanent residents, but it is an important part of the Central Coast area of New South Wales with the district boasting some 300,000 who have made this area home. One of these is a former Kiwi, Grant Slater, Chief Engineer of the Crowne Plaza Terrigal. Every working day he only has a few miles to drive to work in an environment that overlooks the beautiful beach and serene waters of Terrigal. Although a keen fan of rugby union and cricket, Grant has long been close to water, so it’s no surprise he is very fond of surfing. Raised in the North Island of New Zealand, on completing his schooling he joined the Royal New Zealand Navy to carry out marine engineering, what has been an early step for many a hotel Chief Engineer.
His first role in hotel engineering was with Hotel Como, Mirvac’s 5-star hotel situated in the classy suburb of South Yarra where so many overseas visitors like to shop in the numerous boutique shops the area is widely noted for. Later he moved to their Sebel Lodge and Heritage Golf Course in the Yarra Valley where some of Australia’s best wineries are situated, and Grant got to experience a hotel pre-opening, a task any Engineer thrives on. From there Grant accepted the position of Engineering Manager at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne which gave him the opportunity of working closely with the well known David Zammit, who was to become his friend and mentor. This was an experience that few ever have the opportunity to do, “Working with David help me to become a Chief Engineer, he mentored me and I am grateful for the time he gave me”.
It was in the latter part of this period where he married Yasmine, then a personal assistant now a teacher.
Early in 2008 the opportunity arose of Crowne Plaza Terrigal seeking a Chief Engineer for its splendid eight story high complex with six of these floors devoted to accommodation. With such an impressive CV to support him, the onetime mariner landed the job, and has not regretted having made the move north.
Before considering starting a family, the couple decided to see some of the world, and in 1999 they moved across the Tasman to Melbourne where Grant went to work for Mirvac Hotels and Resorts.
The Crowne Plaza has 199 rooms with 14 suites, a grand ballroom and numerous other conference facilities, a day spa, health club, two restaurants, two bars, and generally provides excellent facilities for
He enjoyed naval life and travel before being attracted to the building industry, where he added to his experience over the following five years.
conferences, visiting business guests and leisure guests. The couple now have their first child, a 10-month old son they named Gus. Life at Terrigal is great, allowing Grant some time to pursue his interest in following rugby union and cricket, and being actively engaged in surfing. So, where does a family that lives in a climate that caters for so many holidaymakers at weekends and school holidays throughout the year go when they want to take a break? “We make the time to get back to Melbourne and catch up with friends, or hop across to New Zealand so our families there can see how young Gus is growing up,” he said. n
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 27
Fire training solutions for the hotel & leisure industry By Mark Gowans, Managing Director, Wormald Australia
suit specific requirements. Some of the courses available include:
Warden Training A company’s fire warden has a considerable amount of responsibility for everyone’s wellbeing in the event of a fire. A warden training course is highly beneficial for equipping wardens with the skills and knowledge to carry out their duties in an emergency situation. Courses typically cover emergency procedures, site familiarisation, understanding fire protection equipment and how to use fire extinguishers. This can also be taken a level further, addressing how a warden should respond in the event of a bomb threat.
Irresponsible guest behaviour, accidents or equipment malfunction are all potential issues that can contribute to the fire risk within hotel and leisure facilities. The safety of guests is of utmost importance and minor mishaps can easily become serious threats to guests, property and business reputations. 28 |
Vol 15 No. 1 |
Hotel Engineer
A
comprehensive and effective fire management system is essential for all people-centred businesses such as hotels. A swift and competent response to a fire incident can enhance your reputation amongst guests, but an unprofessional approach and panic outbreak may take years to recover from. Training is essential to ensure staff are up to speed with evacuation procedures, the latest regulations and how to use fire protection equipment so as to expertly manage an emergency situation. Fire protection specialist Wormald offers numerous courses for the hotel and leisure industry to help equip staff with vital know-how and these can be tailored to
Wardens working in premises where emergency warning and communication systems are installed are also recommended to undertake training on how to use these systems so as to understand their duties and responsibilities and how to accurately keep records.
Emergency Awareness Training While not every worker in a hotel or leisure facility has the same responsibilities as the warden and their team, all staff should have a basic understanding of how to react safely in an emergency situation. Should a fire occur, it could be up to any member of staff to help guests safely out of the building. On this type of course, employees would learn about the emergency procedures set up in their workplace, such as the structure
of the Emergency Control Organisation, alarm activation in the building, responding to emergencies and the location of assembly areas.
Evacuation Exercise Awareness of all occupants in the building is essential and understanding how to accurately evaluate this can be taught through a training session, helping teams develop a comprehensive risk assessment of the premises.
Fire Extinguisher Training Fire extinguishers are at the crux of fire safety in the workplace. A combination of theory and practical training can help to educate staff about the relevance of State fire safety regulations and develop operational techniques for using fire equipment in the workplace.
First Aid First Aid courses cover a broad range of topics, all designed to enable participants to confidently manage emergency situations and provide first aid.
Breathing Apparatus Training This type of course provides participants with the skills and knowledge to use Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) in
the workplace. Typically, it would cover topics such as checking and operating breathing apparatus, and responding to incidents requiring breathing apparatus to be worn. In order to stay up-todate with the latest equipment, staff completing this training are recommended to take a refresher course every couple of years.
Spill Response Training For some companies, spill response training may be essential for staff, teaching them how to attend to hazardous liquid chemicals spills in a safe manner and utilise spill response materials. An overview about the latest legislation would be provided as well as what components make up a spill kit and spill response procedures. n
Dual Channel Temperature Data Logger
Our water saving and pressure balancing technology has been installed into more than 40,000 hotel rooms throughout Australia and the Asia Pacific region. – These properties have maximised their water saving but have not compromised guest comfort and satisfaction. – The benefits JEM technology offers is not achievable by fitting a shower head alone.
WELS Compliant Products Now Available Phone: 1300 138 464 or Fax: 1300 66 99 55 for your local distributor Water Efficient Technology from:
JEM Australia Pty. Ltd. ACN 071 535 450
www.jemaustralia.com.au
Inside & Outside Inlet & Outlet Before & After Fridge & Freezer T-TEC 7-3F Dual channel data logger with display that alternates between the 2 channels 10,500 logs for each sensor Range: -40 +85°C Both curves appear on same screen Operated by the T-TEC software with features like zoom, plot and statistics
Temperature Technology Tel: 08-8231 1266 Fax: 08-8231 1212 email: sales@ t-tec.com.au www.t-tec.com.au
Available from refrigeration wholesalers
influential hoteliers and suppliers from around the world will reveal their secrets of success and offer advice for the future. Delegates of HH+D will get an insight into gaining a competitive advantage in what is a broad and evolving industry.
Introducing an Asia/Pacific First –
Hotel Hospitality + Design 2010 In an industry first for the Asia/ Pacific region, Diversified Exhibitions launches the Hotel, Hospitality + Design Expo 2010 - a hotel industry show with a key focus on design, fit out and refurbishment for the hotel, resorts, spas and hospitality industry to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 24-26 May 2010.
H
otel refurbishment is one of the single most important factors in keeping a hotel appealing and contemporary to its customers. It was the original king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings, Cesar Ritz, who professed that a hotel must transcend the average living environment in order to satisfy a customer’s experience as something special. Today his musings are no less relevant. The fresh design of a hotel is the expression of its personality and gives it the impetus to rise above the competition. Hotel Hospitality + Design (HH+D) 2010 will look to turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s profit margins for the hotel industry. To make this a reality, designers, architects, hotel owners and operators will turn to Hotel Hospitality + Design 2010 for solutions. Hotel, Hospitality + Design 2010 will also feature the Hotel Operations and Technology Show, a rich conference program that will turn insights into opportunities. Some of the most
Hotel, Hospitality + Design is supported by the industry’s key associations and many are aligning established industry events with HH+D. The Australian Hotels Association (National and Victorian), the Hotel Motel & Accommodation Association, Liquor Merchants Association of Australia, the Professional Executive Housekeepers Network and AAA Tourism have all pledged their allegiance to the Expo in another industry first for a trade exhibition. HHD is also thrilled to announce is sponsors; Dulux ; Philips; ISIS: One Vision and Essense. “We are spearheading this important side of the business for the hospitality industry. Already established successful exhibitions in both Milan and Las Vegas, Diversified Exhibitions saw the opportunity to launch an expo with the same focus targeting the Australian, New Zealand and South East Asian markets. “For the exhibitor it brings the market and the customer to them, presenting the opportunity to launch new products, build brands, support resellers, generate sales and receive valuable feedback instantly. We expect up to 10,000 bona fide decision-making industry representatives through our doors. For the hospitality industry representative it is a platform to learn new ways to improve business in just a few days,” says Exhibition Manager, MichaelWilliam Kelly. n
Hotel, Hospitality + Design 2010 24-26 May 2010 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre For exhibitor/delegate and Conference registration visit the HHD website on www.hhdexpo.com.au
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 31
Life insurance that doesn’t hurt the hip pocket Each year many of us renew our car insurance thinking that it is something we hope we never have to use. This feeling is probably magnified when we look at health insurance, and again when we consider life insurance. While our car insurance will replace a material asset if it is lost or damaged, our health and our life are certainly not easily replaced by a policy payout.
E
ven if we never actually claim on our various insurance policies, the value of having them in place is the peace of mind that we and our family have some protection if the unmentionable does happen. Nonetheless, there are times when the other costs of living seem more important. You might think that you’d rather use that bit of extra cash to buy your children a new pair of shoes because you can be certain that they will benefit from it, whereas life insurance premiums might end up being wasted. If cash flow is a concern, an important strategy to consider is whether you should take out (or increase) insurance through your superannuation fund.
How does insurance in super work? Superannuation funds can only own certain types of life insurance policies, so for starters you can’t put your car or health insurance in super. The four common categories of life insurance provide cover in the event of: • • • •
This article was provided by Planning Partners Financial Planners and Superannuation Consultants (Australian Financial Services Licence No. 222835). Ph: 03 9830 0366 Level 1, 587 Canterbury Road Surrey Hills VIC 3127 www.planningpartners.com.au
death; total and permanent disability; income protection; and trauma.
However, only the first three of these can be held via super in accordance with government regulations. So if you need trauma cover, personal ownership is likely to be the best option. If your super fund owns the policy, it will be liable for the insurance premiums and these will generally be deducted from your account. So in effect your insurance costs are being met by inflows into the fund, such as employer super
guarantee contributions or earnings on your existing balance. As a result, your ultimate retirement benefit will be affected, but this is to be weighed against the fact that you otherwise might not be comfortable taking out insurance cover at all. You should also consider that in the event of a claim, the insurance company will pay any benefit to the super fund (as owner of the policy). The rules of the super fund will then determine when and how the monies are paid to you or your family. Remember that not only do you need to determine who should own the policy, you also need to work out how much insurance cover is appropriate for your personal situation. This process is not as simple as calculating the value of replacing your car for a motor vehicle policy. How much is your life and your health worth? Your financial adviser can help you determine how much cover you actually need. n
Important Information: This information does not take into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any person. Before making an investment decision, you should consider, with the assistance of a financial adviser, whether it is appropriate in light of your particular objectives, financial situation and needs. Planning Partners Pty Ltd. Australian Financial Services Licence No. 222835 ABN: 24 943 115 344
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 33
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort Hybrid Solar Power Station By Christina Renger Peddle Thorp Architects Pty Ltd Following on from our report last issue, here is the view from Peddle Thorp Architects describing the ecologically sustainable design solution and economic benefits for the resort.
the resort in 2008: Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort is part of the World Nature Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, located 80km off the Queensland coast. The resort was dependent on 3 large, ageing diesel generators for its electricity supply, consuming 550 litres of subsidised diesel fuel daily. At least one of the oversized generators had to run 24h/day at constant speed to cover the resort’s peak loads, consuming large quantities of inefficiently burned fuel. Operation of the diesel powered generators created large volumes of greenhouse gas emissions, constant noise emissions and substantial operational costs. Handling large quantities of fossil fuel via barge in the sensitive Marine Park environment posed significant risk of spillage endangering flora and fauna. Energy consumption in all areas of the resort was uncontrolled as the large energy supply was there to be used. Following extensive consultation with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and a comprehensive Level 3 Energy Audit by Tropical Energy Solutions in 2007, the ecological footprint of the Resort has been reduced significantly whilst creating substantial economic benefits.
project vision & innovation: The huge environmental and economic costs of the existing energy convinced the resort’s owner, Peter Gash, to seek assistance from
Peddle Thorp Architects in Brisbane and Tropical Energy Solutions out of Townsville to seek a grant of up to $200,000 under the Australian Government’s Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme (RRPGP) to build the largest privately owned off-grid power station in Queensland. The system provides open interfaces which allows further upgrade to 100% renewable power which the resort targets within the next 5 years. Similar to the latest hybrid electric cars the Hybrid Solar Power Station combines the power from a traditional generator with electric batteries and a large solar photovoltaic array for free power from the sun. Solar power is used during the day, night time loads and peak loads are supplied by battery banks. Reduction of the generator to 1/3 of the previous size results in higher efficiency, reduced maintenance costs and running hours. Constant adjustment between the systems components cover all power requirements of the resort with minimum fuel consumption. This results in significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with an outlook towards zero emission in the near future. The project is a prototype for innovative off-grid energy management and will encourage other operations in remote locations to install a similar system. It is attractive for visitors particularly from schools and universities and increases the resorts turnover through its attractiveness as a leading eco-tourism destination. Interpretive tours lead to a greater awareness which will further encourage sustainable practices.
value for future projects: The modular design can be used in every existing and new operation in a remote location. There are no limitations - from a stand-alone Solar Power Station to combination with roof-integrated photovoltaics or with any other regenerative power source. Peddle Thorp has delivered an innovative, state-of-the-art design solution and a highly successful business case. The project has
showcased sustainable design to guests on the island and has vastly improved the health of the microclimate. The design quality of the Hybrid Solar Power Station is highly appreciated by Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort owners, staff and visitors and has been recognised by an RAIA Sustainable Architecture Award.
form follows energy: The form is a pure expression of the functionality of the system – solar energy in architecture - and creates a new Aesthetic on the island with raw timber as predominant material selection.
esd principles in architecture: • Modular, expandable system, partly assembled off-site • Passive solar design principles, best orientation for maximum solar gain • Natural ventilation for cooling of solar cells and battery banks results in maximum efficiency rates: PV panels elevated position, open sided structure, openings in floor under battery banks (see cross-section) • PV panels act as shelter roof and provide shading / weather protection • Natural material selection - predominantly raw timber that blends in with environment, effective structure with minimal material use, low embodied energy / maintenance, high recycling potential • Minimal disturbance of coral ground - components act as ballast, no anchors, foundations or concrete slabs required for tie-down in cyclonic wind conditions • Superior technology, sophisticated demand management functionality • Easy scalability due to AC-coupling between all loads and all supplies • Project specific environmental management system (ENS) developed for waste, materials and contamination risk • Architecturally significant on island, promoting interest in ESD and providing architectural design cues for future development
environmental improvements: • Reduction of diesel consumption from 550 litres to 220 litres/day in summer and 150 litres/day in winter (up to 70%) • Reduction of power consumption by 35%, resort peak load by 42% • Savings of 400 tons carbon emissions annually and up to further 20% of this amount in fuel transportation savings (more than 70%) • Significantly less reliance on fossil fuel and barging services • Gen sets reduced from 3x150kW to 1x50kW, maintenance cost by 50% • Significantly less noise emissions & spillage risk to local flora and fauna
highly successful business case: • Financial payback period: LESS THAN 3 YEARS • FUNDING under the Australian Government’s Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme: $200,000 • Comparative investment costs (capex): $600,000 • Direct financial savings: approximately 80% REDUCTION: $150,000/ year in operational cost (opex) + $18,000 in fuel transportation savings + 50% reduction of generator maintenance cost • Initial savings on basis of Energy Audit: approx. $75,000/year through35% reduction in power consumption, reduced target load enabled design of much smaller power system (less investment cost) • Attractive for visitors particularly from schools, universities and councils • Increased credentials in Eco-tourism will raise the resort’s profile
future expansion: • Upgrade gradually up to 100% with solar panels or any other regenerative power source, batteries dimensioned to cover peak loads • Future investment cost: Approx. $120,000/ additional 20kW PV system • Operational cost: further reduction through system expansion to 100% renewable energy, ongoing resort load reduction and management
architectural awards: • Australian Institute of Architects: Central Queensland Regional Commendation in the Sustainable Architecture category, and qualification for ESD State Award • Property Council of Australia Innovation and Excellence Awards: Shortlisted for Award for Sustainability and Award for Emerging Assets
ADVERTORIAL
PowerPax is on the move – within Australia and abroad By JOHN WISDOM
P
owerPax, the only manufacturer of medium to large sized chillers in Australia, is rapidly expanding in every market. The company has recently formally merged with its sister company, Smardt Cooling, which is based in Montreal, Canada. The two have joined to form the Smardt Chiller Group Inc. Smardt have a manufacturing facility in Montreal which services the group’s 60 Hz market. The group boasts the largest and most developed range of oil free chillers in any market, and expansion is underway, including new manufacturing facilities in the USA and Europe, and PowerPax’s recent establishment of a new office in Singapore. PowerPax have distributors in every state and territory in Australia, as well as New Zealand and Hong Kong. The export market into Asia has developed quickly, resulting in the new office in Singapore, creating a direct and local presence there. PowerPax have appointed and trained Service Partners in every market it is entering to ensure that there is a capable support network available wherever the chillers are sold and used. Globally, energy has become a key issue and driver of product purchases and development. Governments and authorities are legislating and regulating at a prolific pace, presenting new challenges for HVAC and process cooling designers. In the realm of chillers, PowerPax is meeting the challenges and helping to provide solutions. The unique range of PowerPax chillers has a size and capability for almost any situation : •
Water Cooled chillers from 200 kWR to 2.8 MW, with between one and six compressors. This range is expanding and will increase in capacity to 4 MW during 2010/11. “Split shell” options are available on many sizes. This unique concept allows the chiller heat exchanger vessels to be split into half lengths for transportation and re-assembly in existing buildings with difficult or previously impossible access paths.
•
Air cooled chillers from 200 kWR to 820 kWR, soon to be expanded to 1100 kWR. All with industry leading efficiencies and sound levels. All of these water and air cooled chillers are AHRI certified and MEPS registered.
•
Condenserless chillers from 200 to 1200 kWR. Suitable for connection to remote condensers of various types.
•
Evaporatively cooled packaged chillers from 200 to 930 kWR.
•
On suitable applications with qualifying peripheral equipment, air cooled condensing units and compressor sets are also available.
•
The list of options available for every model is the longest in the industry, and PowerPax will consider any request within an engineering, regulation, and cost limitation.
The company is currently commissioning a new state of the art test rig at its Melbourne facility. When fully operational the rig will provide a faster R & D capability. It is planned to have the rig certified by the AHRI and enable certified testing of all water cooled chillers. The rig is equipped with a run test capability for all air cooled and evaporatively cooled chillers. When it is not in use for R&D and certifications, the rig will be available for customer witness testing of project specific products. The unique Evaporatively cooled packaged chillers are providing many customers with solutions to energy usage from a packaged chiller, whilst avoiding the traditional maintenance issues and risks presented by water cooled systems. The chillers look similar to a packaged air cooled model, but on closer inspection they include an integrated evaporative condenser. They are not adapted from an air cooled model – the condensers are specifically designed for an evaporative application. The result is a packaged chiller providing similar efficiencies to a water cooled system ( chiller, cooling tower, condenser pump ), but don’t need the cooling tower, condenser pump, or any of the associated ancillary equipment.
These chillers do not require any internal plant room space, and have a smaller footprint than comparably sized closed circuit cooling tower plants. The cost of installation is less than a water cooled system, and the ongoing maintenance and costs of water treatment normally applied to a water cooled system is eliminated. The primary driver for selection of an evaporative chiller is the design wet bulb temperature, not the dry bulb temperature as is the case with an air cooled chiller. Evaporative chillers will operate much more efficiently and to a much higher dry bulb ambient compared to an air cooled chiller. There is a water consumption, however this is up to 80 % less than an open circuit cooling tower system. Having already achieved market leadership in Australia, PowerPax is not resting on its laurels. The company is continually adding to its product range in both capacity and innovation. n
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 37
Neil Weenink’s
Back of House S
he was most attractive; stood there at our front door with enormously blue eyes, and I said err [oh my gosh] was there something? And she said “I am the one to do your energy report.” Heck and my goodness, and son of a gun! She had umpteen engineering degrees and proceeded to persuade me of her knowledge and experience in the field of energy efficiency viz recourse. I was very impressed. I had followed up on State/ Federal opportunities to have such an audit of our home. This was something of a surprise, as she was something akin to a Kentucky filly – rearing to go. I said ”Whoa there, let’s at least have a cuppa before the start.” So we did. Black one sugar. First off was about off-peak loading. She quizzed our power billings and said we did not have same. I counted this and said from where was this info? Too complex she alluded. Ugh. So my Lecky cometh next week to adjudicate and fit if required. Of course the hot water matter is critical to the report. We have a regular glass lined copper cylinder with no bells attached. She said, what about a reverse cycle input? Or solar gismos? I said heck there is only the two of us… and she said “so???”. Then there was the matter of refrigeration. And like many homes, we have both a system in the kitchen and an antiquated ditto in the garage for beer and such. Thing is, that recently we were in NZ visiting relatives and noticed the home grown units with power shut-down features when the fridge doors were left open beyond a pre-set interval, with an engaging ‘beep beep’ to boot. Have I somehow missed this feature in Aus? The blue-eyed lass then had to have a go and thus propounded a bit of thermal history. She said: In England at the beginning of the nineteenth century, “ice boxes” were
becoming the vogue in restaurants and in homes. Wooden boxes lined with tin or zinc and insulated with various materials such as cork, sawdust and seaweed were used to hold blocks of ice and “refrigerate” food. A drip pan collected the melted water and it had to be emptied daily. There was usually an insulated compartment for ice and another for food. The ice was replaced periodically by purchasing blocks from that old, cool guy, the “iceman”, whose wagon was a common sight on the streets of towns and cities. Great stuff. A great story. Not forgetting, “Evapaporation of Volatile Liquids in Vacuo, The Condensation of Their Vapours by Pressure, and the Continued RE- Evaporisation and RE-Condensation of the Same Materials….” So wrote James Harrison of Geelong in the Colony of Victoria in his Letters Patent application of 1856. Do note, and I said this to the blue eyed energy emeritus, there is a plaque in Melbourne’s Franklin Str marking the site of Harrison’s Mechanical Refrigerated Ice Works, the first in Australia, Due to my wobbly health, Madeleine my dear wife stood in and formally presented the plaque on behalf of AIRAH. Note to the Victorian Chapter of AIHE – get yourselves down to Franklin Street, re-live and feel proud of this great Australian invention and read James Harrison, Pioneering Genius by W.R. [Roy] Lang. Believe me, this man, a printer’s devil out of Scotland, became an epochmaker in world refrigeration, a field which ranks with the invention of the steam engine, as one of the forces which have shaped our civilisation. To which with feminine let-down skills we fellas have all experienced, she said this is all by the by Mr Weenink, my problem is with your fridge door seals in the garage, and consequent ice build up. Ugh.
But actually apart from the hot water system and the er fridge business, seemed we were in pretty good shape. Building facing north/south most gysmos in low levels, so on. But what was really interesting and which I applied for later was the wretched ‘energy meter’ which shows you in cents precisely what each electrical device is using. I know now for the first time ever just what ergs [in cents] my wife uses when showering. And turns out our electric kettle uses huge Niagra Falls would you believe. Interesting and useful info for sure. The thing about loft insulation is a real pain. Yes we have it from eons past, but the stuff was blown in. Retrofit negotiations failed about the point of the Peter Garret thing. Personally I believe this is all about Aust Standards inforcement [we don’t have a loft access point would you believe…] and what we used to call Quality Inspection. Right? Truly an indicement on industry when lives are lost. Anyway the lass left our home back then and we are getting the bits and pieces to provide Star Rating. And today I got a wretched Weather Station which I’ve always wanted: enabling inside/outside temps, RH, and so on and so on. My brown-eyed wife says I’m really getting with it at last! She may be right – or was it the influence of that blue-eyed girl? Stay well,
Neil Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 39
ADVERTORIAL
An Integrated Approach to Guest Room Entertainment & Internet By ROSS CALDWELL
Converging all the key elements of a guest’s expectations of quality information, communication and entertainment into a single easy-to-use interface.
L
ifestylepanel Pty Ltd is a privately-owned company based in Brisbane, Australia and develops leading-edge inroom display and information technologies for use in the international hotel market. In this age of new technologies it is often still difficult and frustrating trying to work or being informed or entertained in the hotel guest room. Simple things, like access to the internet, movies, television and other hotel services, and being able to easily communicate with business, family and friends while you are away from home.
All the key elements of the Guest’s expectations of quality information, communication and entertainment converge into a single easy-to-use interface
The LSP System meets those needs by integrating the range of guest services a hotel has to offer, such as movies, television, the Internet, Skype communications, hotel information, advertising and online shopping, all into a proprietary system driving a High Definition LCD display panel with easy-to-use remote control and wireless keyboard. Many international hotels are facing high cost capital outlays to upgrade their outdated, typically analogue in-room entertainment systems, often having to deal with multiple vendors. The LSP System and business model allows the hotel to undertake such an upgrade with little or no capital outlay, and with little or no disruption to existing guest services. The installation of the LSP System is quick, and it can start generating revenue for the hotel immediately. Installation is efficient and leaves a tidy room setup. No set top box is required, no tacked-on hardware – the panel is cabled discreetly directly into the wall.
Guest VPN is supported by the LSP system and Port forwarding requirements can be configured remotely by LSP support staff as and when required.
Importantly, the hotel has only the one vendor to deal with. LSP controls and manages the entire process, from installation through ongoing provision and management of the system including movies and other entertainment content. The hotel is provided simple tools to manage much of its own content. The LSP system has simplified billing and reporting, providing integration with all leading PMS systems, and LSP can customise the software interface for a Hotel’s branding, electronic compendiums, and information pages. The LSP System allows for remote tuning to all panels in the hotel via remote access bringing a significant benefit as there is no requirement to visit individual rooms to manually adjust the TV. Guest laptop Internet access will work regardless of the Guest’s computer setup, be it DCHP or Static IP. Guest email does not require changes to POP or SMTP settings.
The LSP System delivers: •
fast and secure internet browsing
•
access to WebMail services and inbuilt VOIP Skype service
•
discretion - all Internet history is removed from the system at the close of each internet session
•
view immediately or book movies to view later – with trick-play and bookmarking
•
discrete movie billing with non-disclosure of titles
The LSP System is an easy to manage service utilising dependable industry class hardware and software platforms, with full 24/7 support for Hotel staff and guests. LSP manages it all. LSP offers any Hotel a real point of difference. n
Ross Coldwell is the Managing Director of Lifestylepanel Pty Limited and can be contacted at ross@lifestylepanel.com
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 41
Large Shell & Tube Dimpleflo Heat Exchangers With each day bringing news of another manufacturing industry moving off-shore it is pleasing to note that one of Australia’s leading Heat Transfer companies, Teralba Industries Pty Ltd have upgraded equipment at their Heat Exchanger Design & Manufacturing facility based in Campbelltown, Southwest Sydney, to produce a significantly larger range of Dimpleflo Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers. This includes Heat Exchangers with a shell diameter of 2 metres and length of 15 metres. The attached photograph shows a recently completed Dimpleflo Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger with 400 x 50mmØ Dimpled high efficiency 316 stainless steel heat Transfer tubes, housed in a 1,500 mmØ 304 stainless steel shell. This expansion builds on the successful, Australian owned and made, Dimpleflo Heat Exchanger concept which has been proven in a phenomenal array of industries and applications over the past 25 years. Teralba Industries provide full Quality Assurance, short lead-times for all Dimpleflo Heat Exchangers, where required. Materials include carbon steels, austenitic stainless steels, duplex stainless steels and titanium. An in-house Heat Transfer design team incorporates a wealth of knowledge across a board spectrum of industries throughout Australia, New Zealand and South-east Asia.
For further information, please contact Teralba Industries Pty. 15-19 Kialba Road, CAMPBELLTOWN NSW 2560 Ph: 02 4626 5000 Fax: 02 4625 4591
Email: sales@teralba.com Web: www.teralba.com
Hiring and Retaining Engineering Staff in a Difficult Environment By STUART MULLINS, Executive Search International Recruitment
make billions in profits so benefits are generous. Large Shopping Centres are springing up everywhere and they, like Hotels require cleaners, and pay quite well. So why is there a shortage in Australia of quality Engineering staff for hotels? The above is a good indication. Pay, conditions, and opportunity are big factors in acquiring and retaining quality staff.
T
he Hotel and Resort Market in Australia is running on empty, there
is a severe shortage in most areas in hospitality – Food and Beverage, Rooms and of course, Engineering. Why?
Overseas is hiring on US net dollars with no outgoings and it’s better to receive a salary of USD$3k net per month with no outgoings than work in Australia on $60k gross with outgoings that strip you bare. Our taxes, levies, fees and living costs are amongst the highest in the world with the highest real estate prices in the world. Places like Dubai (even with the crash is still hiring), Abu Dhabi, Oman, Saudi, Jordan, Maldives, Macau, China, Vietnam, India, Hong Kong, Seychelles, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia are all hiring on US net dollars and they love Aussie Engineers. You also have the Australian Mining industry. They are constantly hiring engineers/electricians and plumbers and pay quality salaries and benefits as they
And hotels and resorts in Australia are competing for the same market. Hotel companies overseas offer tax free (net dollars) salary with no outgoings, this is a big, big saving to Engineers. Why would you work in Australia in hotels when you can get better pay elsewhere and in most cases overseas, tax free US dollar, plus free accommodation, F&B medical plus bonuses? What you are up against here in Australia is that this country has become incredibly expensive. No matter what spin the Government or big business tell you, you can feel it in the hip pocket everyday. The tax system does not assist. Government after Government talk of lowering taxes. When you hear this you know quite well they will go up. Plus levies, fees, from all levels of Government and Corporate enterprise eating into your pay packet. Land of the fair go or land of the gouge? Sydney alone is one of, if not the most expensive city in SE Asia. So how do you get quality Engineering people for hotels? In my opinion some of the most dedicated engineering staff are in SE Asia and India, Maldives and these people have learnt from the best 4 and 5
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 43
ADVERTORIAL
Stop Paying For Wasted Power! By GEORGE NIKOLS
I
am sure you have all heard the latest news about the soon to skyrocket price of Energy. The government is looking at all of us to pay for the new carbon tax and to upgrade the ancient Energy grid. With price of power set to increase between 40% and 60% over the next two years, Hotels will be faced with a new challenge. A large chunk of profits are already going towards energy bills so it makes sense to look at ways of reducing power consumption. So stop paying for wasted Power! It will come as no surprise to any of you that heating and cooling a building can equate to more than 60% of the total power bill. The balance is used by Lighting and electronic devices. How much of this consumption do you think is being used when there is no guest in one of your rooms? In the days of old we forced guests to shove their room keys into a little slot just to be able to turn the lights on or feel some cool air from the AC system. In time, guests became a little smarter and would shove their business cards in there instead. Who could blame them? After spending the day looking at City sites or stuck in business meetings, the last thing any guest want’s is to come back to a steaming hot room because the sun has been shining through the window all day. The good news is that there are some very easy ways of creating an energy efficient environment for your Guests, and this can be achieved without any impact. One of our Vendor Partners at Suite Control was recently part of a Case study for a leading international Hotel. The goal of this study was to perform real-time power consumption observations of the AC units in each of the guest rooms and compare the room’s consumption during their “checked-in” and “check-out” states. When a guest checked in: • • • • •
PMS Alerts the system that a guest was checked in Unlock the thermostat keypad buttons Set the thermostat set-point to 22 degrees or desired temperature Set the thermostat fan mode to auto Room Blackout curtains automatically open when the room is entered
When a guest checked in and room is unoccupied: • Room occupancy sensors alert the system that the room is unoccupied • Automatically change the thermostat set point to 24º in Summer and 22º in Winter • Set the thermostat fan mode to auto • Close room Blackout curtains to eliminate heat load • Set all room parameters back to the Guest’s preferences upon their return to the room When a guest checked out: • The PMS system alerts the room that a guest has checked out. • The Room AC turns off
A smart monitoring system by Mode Green measuring real world savings achieved by Control4 and Suite Control • Lock the thermostat keypad buttons • Room Blackout curtains close to eliminate unnecessary heat load • Cycle the room fan at intervals to keep room fresh The information received over the three week program showed a direct correlation between guest room status, outdoor conditions and the overall cost to heat or cool each room. In the cases of the controlled rooms, as soon as a guest checked out, the AC system was immediately shut down or rolled back. In the uncontrolled rooms, there were no correlation between check-in and check-out and The AC ran consistently throughout the day, regardless of occupancy. On average, the room AC ran for a total of 9.6 hours throughout the day with obvious fluctuations based on outdoor weather conditions. If a hotel pays $0.10 for each kilowatt-hour used and the AC units in each room draw five (5) kilowatts, this translates to $0.50 to run a unit for one hour, or $4.80 per room based on the 9.6hour average per day, or approximately $683,520 per year, producing 3062 tons of carbon. This figure does not take into account an AC system being left on all day long. I won’t scare you with that figure. It was determined that with the help of some smart room technology by Control4 and Mode Green the run time of the AC system could be reduced by an average of 2.7hours per day when a guest was checked in and a massive saving when a guest was checked out. Now you do the math and see the hundreds of thousands of Dollars saved that were previously wasted on Power. There are numerous other ways to further save power and monitor all of the savings, but more on that next time. n For more information on Savings or demonstrations contact: george@ suitecontrol.com.au, mob: +61 (0)404 314 860, ph: +61 1300 921 955
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 45
View THE
HOTEL ENGINEER
online now!
Visit www.adbourne.com and click on ‘The Hotel Engineer’
Hiring and Retaining Engineering Staff in a Difficult Environment (continued from p43)
I can guarantee it is much nicer to walk into a 4 and 5 star hotel and resort than to walk on to a factory floor everyday.
and internationally with the group, if they perform and attain KPI’s set. OFFER A ROOM WITH A VIEW.
The hospitality industry is a fantastic vibrant industry to work in, you should be pushing this.
GIVE THE CANDIDATE A CLEAR VISION OF WHERE THEY CAN GO AND HOW THEY CAN DEVELOP. WITHOUT VISION, THE DESIRE FADES.
Yes the salaries are lower than outside the industry and you must compete with what I have mentioned above. However, when enticing people to join your hotel, write, in coordination with your HR department, an enticing advertisement, showing the overall benefits and where the position can lead and what the hotel group has to offer. Show all benefits and one that pops up regularly is parking funnily enough. Why? If you do not offer free parking then the cost of parking in the city is exorbitant and a turn-off to a candidate.
< star properties in the world and will bring this expertise and attention to detail to Australia. A quality 4 star hotel or resort in SE Asia, in Australia would be, in most cases a good 5 star. These talented people would love the opportunity to live and work in Australia. And do remember these engineers, plumbers; electricians have also gone to quality Universities in their own country. Let’s not assume their education system at the top level is much different to ours, to assume so would be a misgiving. If you have difficulty finding talented people here then look overseas and use the 457 visa. Your experienced Human Resources Manager would have access to this and lead you through the steps. Many hotels and resorts are now doing this due to the above. Advertise in New Zealand, as their dollar is less than the Aussie and this can be used as a quality marketing tool. In fact anywhere where the countries dollar is quite a bit less you may be on a winner. When hiring engineering staff in Australia you are not only selling the position but you also must sell the hotel company and opportunities that await a candidate. You are in the business of selling due to your competition.
I have seen quite a few advertisements for Assistant Engineers, shift staff for hotels that are drab, uninspiring and hence the response would be poor. Do not discount overseas applicants. If they look good and are qualified ask “Can you fly yourself here for an interview?“ If answer is yes you are in a win-win situation. IMPORTANT: DO IT YOURSELF. WHEN HIRING YOUR ENGINEERING STAFF, DO NOT LEAVE IT UP TO HUMAN RESOURCES OR YOUR ASSISTANT TO SCREEN. ENGINEERING POSITIONS ARE MORE TECHNICAL THAN F&B OR ROOMS POSITIONS. YOU DO THE SCREENING.
DON’T BULLSHIT JUST TO GET THE CANDIDATE ON BOARD TO FILL A GAP. IF YOU DO, REMEMBER WHEN THEY LEAVE THEY TELL MANY PEOPLE AND MANY PEOPLE TELL MANY MORE PEOPLE. Retaining quality staff is like retaining your wife or partner – treat them well, don’t bullshit, talk to them, discuss problems and concerns, let them talk, show them that you appreciate their efforts, help them when they need help, and listen. Be strong when you have to be. Admit you may be wrong when you need to do so. Hiring and retaining quality staff is not rocket science, overall treat people they way you like to be treated. Websites to advertise for overseas and local candidates are: www.ehotelier. com shows all hospitality recruitment companies worldwide and by clicking on their websites you will find a myriad of positions. www.catererglobal.com excellent for viewing available engineering positions you will be amazed. For NZ and Pacific, of course use Seek or Career One. Yes you will receive 100s of resumes but you will find gems. It takes time and effort however, you may well end up with some very, very talented and dedicated people. Very best regards, Stuart Mullins. n
YOUR DO THE CULLING. YOU DO THE INTERVIEWING. AS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. IF YOU DON’T DO THIS, DO NOT COMPLAIN WHEN THE PERSON DOES NOT WORK OUT. When hiring and retaining your staff do not make promises you cannot keep. People leave jobs, not because of the salary, it is because of broken promises.
“The best place to look for a helping hand is at the end of your arm”
For hotels and resorts, staff like to know they can move locally, around Australia
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 47
ADVERTORIAL
The Benefits of Evaporative Cooling Less water usage Still many processes, particularly in industrial applications, use the cooling water in a so called once-through systems. Thermal polution and waste of this precious resource are not favouring the environment, hence other cooling systems should be considered. Evaporative cooling reuses over 95% of the cooling water, which is a major advantage.
Less power generation required Still many processes, particularly in air conditioning applications, use air cooled equipment to reject the process heat. This results in a very high electrical energy consumption and first cost. Evaporative cooling requires considerably less energy and first cost investments in the cooling process. Since we all aim to reduce the global warming effect and the exhaust of ozone depleting gasses, reducing the generation of electrical power leads to a healthier environment.
Less sound dissipation Evaporative cooling equipment as such has, compared to other cooling systems, a lower sound level. The low cooling water temperature generated by evaporative cooling allow the chillers in the process to be smaller as well, and hence generate less sound. We all experience an increase of the noise level in our daily life, hence all measures should be taken to limit the sound dissipation from cooling equipment in general, and chose that equipment that results in the lowest overall sound level.
Less occupied space Because of its compactness, evaporative cooling equipment requires less footprint than any other heat rejection system. As a consequence less floor space is required. Evaporative cooling equipment can be installed inside the building, often a requirement by the architect. Evaporative cooling equipment, contrary to air cooled equipment, does not necessarily makes our living environment uglier.
Use true closed loop cooling Evaporative cooling equipment with a true closed loop implies that the water cooling the closed loop is not in contact outside the evaporative cooler with other devices like for instance heat exchangers. By keeping the water which is in touch with the atmosphere within the evaporative cooler, it cannot get
contaminated by bacteria located in hidden areas in the piping or other equipment. Moreover, closed cooling systems have usually lower spray water temperatures than the cooling water in open systems. The lower the temperature, the lower the growth rate of bacteria.
Use true hybrid cooling systems Hybrid cooling systems incorporate the best of two worlds: evaporative cooling in the summer, to benefit from the low water temperatures and less system energy consumption, and dry cooling in the colder season, saving water during a major part of the year. Operating these type of systems in a controlled way result in a reduced risk for bacteriological contamination. Installing a finned coil on top of the evaporative cooling equipment is one step in that direction, however it is not walking the whole mile. True hybrid systems operate 80% of the time in dry mode, and provide all the benefits related to energy consumption and risk control.
Use state-of-the-art water treatment Unfortunately many evaporative cooling systems are not equipped with a proper water treatment package; this may lead to scaling of the heat transfer section, resulting in decreasing efficiencies, to corrosion of the equipment, which results in a much shorter equipment life, or to uncontrolled bacteriological growth, which may lead to legionnaire’s disease outbreaks. Proper water treatment is designed to take into account the material characteristics of the evaporative cooling equipment and the sometimes varrying characteristics of the make-up water. The right decision at the beginning can avoid trouble in the future.
Use a single supplier A single supplier takes full responsibility on the evaporative cooling installation. If something would go wrong during operation, a situation that occurs frequently in case of different suppliers of cooling equipment, water treatment and services, he has nobody to point at. Moreover a single supplier will design and implement every equipment and service such that it focuses at maximising operational efficiency and reducing operational risk throughout the equipment life. n Information supplied by Baltimore Aircoil (Aust) Pty Ltd. www.baltimoreaircoil.com
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 55
The Sustainable FM Program By Meg Michell, Director Program Management, UNE Partnerships
S
ustainability is an issue of increasing and long-term importance to society. Whilst it is a growing issue in the facilities management sector, building users generally take a very immediate view of operations, and still tend to view facilities as a cost. There are a number of resources now available to assist with managing sustainability in the FM sector, though awareness among individual practitioners is low and there is no training program to suit the operational level. With the introduction of national greenhouse reporting, an impending emissions trading system and the incoming Mandatory Disclosure requirements, sustainability in facilities management is a skill that must be embraced as core knowledge. Guided by the FM Action Agenda #9, UNE Partnerships and the University of Sydney
paired with Brookfield, a provider of FM services, to scope, develop and deliver an innovative training program for facilities managers and facilities supervisors in sustainable facilities management. Brookfield is passionate about sustainability and about exploring and implementing new ways in which it can grow and prosper into the future. In recognition of this and to make a contribution to the industry, environment and their business, Brookfield agreed to fund the development of a short course focused on sustainable facilities management. The Sustainable FM program aims to develop the participant’s ability to apply process rather than product and refers to industry recognised resources for managing sustainability to ensure the desired impact at operational level. It incorporates various tools, standards and guidelines already in existence, bringing them together to raise awareness and encourage a consistent approach to managing sustainability. The objectives are to: •
introduce the concept of sustainability and position its importance to the facilities management sector
•
provide participants with the tools and skills to identify relevant operations and facilitate their measurement
•
provide participants with the skills to analyse and report on key factors affecting sustainability and identify areas for improvement with regard to the facilities under their management
•
encourage implementation of sustainable measures to improve performance.
The program is designed to enable participants to operate buildings in the most sustainable way through improvements in operational performance across the key areas in which facilities managers can make a difference: energy, water, waste, indoor environment quality and procurement. In addition to the development of skills and knowledge of participants, the training program provides the employing organisation with the capacity and ability to set performance targets and implement management strategies. If you would like to enquire about training workshops for your staff in Sustainable FM, call Meg Michell on 1800 066 128 or visit www.unep.edu.au. n
POOL S FE AT U RE
Ozone Swimming Pool and Spa Sanitation PHILLIP GREEN Hi-Tech Pacific Australasia
D
espite having been used to purify water since the 1800’s there are still many misconceptions regarding ozone as a sanitizer. Let’s look at a few questions that are commonly asked about ozone and its effectiveness and try to become a more well informed industry.
What is Ozone? Ozone is active oxygen, O3. It occurs naturally in the earth’s atmosphere to protect us from the sun’s harmful rays. Ozone is created in nature by the combination of oxygen in the air and ultraviolet rays of the sun or by the corona discharge during a lightning storm. Oxygen molecules (O2) are split by adding energy; resulting in two individual oxygen atoms (O1) they unite with other oxygen molecules (O2) to produce (O3). (O1) + (O2) = (O3). The third oxygen atom is held by a very week single bond and an oxidation reaction occurs upon any collision between an ozone molecule and a molecule of an oxidizable substance. The weak bond splits off leaving oxygen as a by-product and during the oxidation reaction organic molecules are changed, dissolved metals are no longer soluble and chloramines and other chemical byproducts are broken down.
How is Ozone produced for Swimming Pools & Spas? Ultraviolet (UV) light and Corona Discharge (CD) are the two methods. For UV a special lamp gives off a specific wavelength of ultraviolet light which converts oxygen (O2) molecules into ozone (O3) molecules by splitting the oxygen molecules into individual oxygen atoms (O1) which then recombine with oxygen to form ozone. This all occurs instantly inside the ozone chamber in the ozone generator. With CD ozone is produced by passing air through a high voltage discharge, or corona. Air or concentrated oxygen dried to a minimum of -60c dew point passes through the corona which causes the O2 bond to split, freeing two O1 atoms which then collide with other (O2) molecules to create ozone. CD systems generally produce about 3-5 times more concentrate than UV units.
What does Ozone do? Ozone is the most powerful oxidizer and disinfectant that can be used safely to purify air and water. In fact, it is one of the most powerful alternatives to chemical sanitation. Compared to chlorine, the most common water disinfection chemical, ozone is a more than 50% stronger oxidizer and acts over 3,000 times faster. Any pathogen or contaminant that can be disinfected, altered or removed via an oxidation process will be affected by ozone. Ozone has been scientifically proven as an affective broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent in deactivating bacteria, viruses, molds, spores, cysts, yeast, mildew and fungi. Ozone oxidizes iron, sulfur, manganese, hydrogen sulfate, and eliminates oils and other contaminants in the water. This is why ozone is by most water bottling plants, is used to clean waste water and toxic waste, is used to purify air in hotel rooms and why all Olympic Games Competition Pools have been purified by ozone since 1984. Ozone is pH neural and will not adversely affect the pH.
Does a Swimming Pool or Spa still need chemicals with Ozone? The answer is yes. Ozone will handle the bulk of sanitizing requirements however due to the short life of Ozone a small amount of sanitizer will be required to provide a residual in the water. Because residual levels are so low there is no detectable taste or odor. Normal residual levels are around .5 to 1 ppm thus reducing normal chemical usage by 50% to 80%, ozone also works with mineral systems and salt chlorinators and reduces their consumable consumption. >
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 59
Ozone Pool and Spa Sanitation (cont’d) So What Will Be The Benefits? •
Kills bacteria, molds, spores, cysts and viruses much quicker than chlorine or bromine.
•
Eliminates chloramines to improve water smell and taste.
•
Eliminates which irritate eyes and cause dry itchy skin.
•
Reduces the need to shock pool water.
•
Provides healthier swimming environment.
•
Improves water clarity and purity.
•
Reduces traditional chemical (chlorine/bromine) storage and use by 50% to 70%.
•
Saves considerable money on the costs of chemical usage.
•
Prolongs equipment life by reducing the need for corrosive, high concentrations of chlorine.
•
Produces no by-products or TDS in water.
•
Works very well with mineral systems or salt water chlorine generators (reduces their consumable purchases) allowing chlorine generator to have production turned down.
•
Eliminates environmental worries such as water replacement of contaminated pools.
In Summary Adding Ozone to your Hotel or Resort Swimming Pool or Spa is a good option. Having said that most spas come with Ozone as a standard due to the potential problems of things such as legionella with poorly treated heated water. Smell, taste and water clarity are very obvious short term benefits of having Ozone in your water. Other less obvious benefits are the ability to backwash your pool into your garden and advertise your pool as being Eco friendly as it is the lowest chemical content swimming pool or spa you can have. If you add Ozone to your pool or spa you will reduce your chemical costs and have better water quality. The amount of Ozone you add will determine the cost benefits and also your capital costs. A smaller amount of Ozone may well improve water clarity and also help remove chloramines (that dead chlorine smell) but it will not lower the chemical cost as much or give you the same level of protection from bacteria, spores, cysts and viruses. Smaller amounts are usually added via UV and are often a cheaper up front option but can have longer term cost implications due to added maintenance and consumerables. Modern Ozone systems are good for your swimming pool, good for your running costs and most of all good for your guest. Now that has to be good! n
The Ozone Layer is an importer or distributor of the following products: Accent Heat Pumps Autochlor Salt Water Chlorine Generators Chemigem swimming pool chemical dosing and controlling machines Del Ozone Swimming Pool & Spa water purification Hi-Tech Gas Heaters with Titanium Heat Exchanges Incinolet Waterless Electric Toilets LED Varimode Lights Raypak Commercial Gas Heaters Reltech Filters and Pumps Nexus Twin Wet Deck Ultramax Robotic Pool Cleaners The Ozone Layer Incorporating Hi-Tech Pacific Australasia P (0)7 3801 8999 F (0)7 3801 8995 www.hitechpacific.com.au
A Grand Change to Green By MARILYN URCH
The Hotel Grand Chancellor was specially built only 24 years ago yet has a timeless ambience, appearing to have always occupied this central position at the historic heart of Hobart’s Waterfront Docks.
T
he hotel has a well established principal of continuous improvements in energy efficiency and operating systems. A recent decision to upgrade to natural gas to reduce carbon emissions provided an excellent opportunity to replace less efficient equipment. John Holborow, Engineering Manager, of the Hotel Grand Chancellor, had the challenge of ensuring the project to change to natural gas for the indoor pool, domestic water heating, building heating, kitchen and laundry areas, could be carried out without disruption for guests and the hotel’s active function areas. The hotel’s outstanding indoor pool and fitness club was an important facility for guests, commanding spectacular views over Hobart. In particular, the indoor pool required very careful consideration, due to the large use of water, energy, and maintenance requirements. Pool water heating and pumping consume high levels of power, and substantial energy is also required to heat, dehumidify, and circulate the air. The internal air in an indoor pool needs to be renewed with around 8 to 10 air
changes per hour of outside air to dilute the chlorinated atmosphere and to provide indoor air quality for swimmers and staff. Further to this, excess humidity causes o reduce harmful condensation which can attack the building’s structure causing major maintenance costs. To
minimize this humidity, air temperature r inside a pool must be kept 1 to 2 degrees above that of the water to limit moisture and heat loss from the pool to the air (also reducing pool water evaporation). Further to this, dry air should be supplied and moist air removed.
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 61
< Some inefficient pools achieve this by simply heating cold outside air, and removing the warm moist air via a separate fan. This is very wasteful, as a substantial amount of energy is used to heat the incoming air whilst the heat in the exhaust air is simply lost. A smarter way of achieving the same result is to utilize “heat recovery” which will use the already warm exhaust air to pre-heat the incoming outside air. John Holborow called in ASC Engineering to assist in the design of the mechanical requirements for the energy systems upgrade for the hotel and for the indoor pool. Principal Andrew Sutherland is an industry acknowledged expert in indoor air quality, and the firm has wide expertise in consulting engineering in building services, energy related, recommendations, asset maintenance and carbon emission reduction imitative. Andrew Sutherland commented “The old ventilation and air heating system was a heat wheel system which was difficult to maintain and inefficient by contemporary standards. The plant room space with the old heat wheel system was restricted with chaotic duct work connection due to the system configuration”. The ASC recommendation was to use new energy efficient heat exchange units, incorporating Sensible air to air heat exchangers with a hot water coil, treated for corrosion resistance. Andrew confirmed the new Air Change Heat Exchange AHU enabled a much improved plant room layout and integrated the new hot water heating coil to replace the original electric element duct. Maintenance access was also much improved. “The new heat exchanger system is much simpler compared to the old heat wheel system and significantly more efficient. Energy reduction to date has met our design expectation in addition to the carbon emission reduction. The new system has been a great improvement for the Hotel”. Rhys Bennett of Major Air is the Tasmanian distributor for Air Change heat exchange equipment and advised a 1,500 l/s Heat Recovery Air Handling unit would ensure the air in the pool area is fresh whilst maintaining optimal pool conditions at the same time. Rhys commented “The energy calculations showed that the Air Change unit would reduce a conventional heating load of 69kW
to just 26kW, which is a saving of 62%. The Fresh air supply was 1,500 litres per second of outdoor air. Major energy reductions are made through the reclaiming of energy from the exhausting corrosive warm air to pre-heat the outdoor air. The units are corrosion resistant with robust insulated cabinets of 50mm Colorbond Sandwich panel”. Tasmanian building services Contractors, White & McAllister were chosen to carry out the project of converting from LPG to natural gas and replacing equipment for hot water heating, pool water heating, Pool heat recovery air handling unit, laundry and cooking equipment. A total of sixteen SIME boilers were installed for the conversion, two of which were installed to service the indoor pool area. Dave McAllister commented “We had to ensure the function floors all operated as normal. With the prominence of the site, SIME boilers had to be discreetly placed externally to the building but invisible from the street. The swimming pool ductwork was completely demolished and redesigned with new ductwork. We had limited space, but as usual we made it fit”. Management of the Hotel Grand Chancellor report high satisfaction with the natural gas conversion and welcome the future ongoing energy savings contributed by the new Indoor Pool heating and ventilation equipment and the contribution to the Hotels initiative to reduce energy consumption and associated green house gas emissions. n
Contacts Hotel Engineer
John Holborow, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart engineering@hgchobart.com.au 03 6235 4535
Consultant
Andrew Sutherland, ASC Engineers andrew@asceng.com.au 03 6224 2424
Installation
Dave McAllister, White and McAllister (Contractors) Pty Ltd 0409 120 939
Air Change Rhys Bennett, Major Air Tasmanian Distributor rb.mair@bigpond.net.au 03 6344 6888 Air Change
David Gartrell, Air Change National Sales Manager 02 9531 4699
Nationally Recognised Training for Hamilton Island’s Pool Technician
H
amilton Island pool maintenance Team Leader Scott Oldham has taken a huge step in his professional development. Under the keen eye and encouragement of his supervisor Adrian Wickham, Scott has gained a nationally recognised Certificate III (30663QLD) in Swimming Pool and Spa Water Maintenance Technology via recognition of prior learning. Scott’s on-the-job training under Adrian’s supervision stood him in good stead for the recognition of prior learning process. As he developed and refined his skills and knowledge in the day-today skill sets of his job, Scott was able to gather evidence of his industry experience to show his assessor at NSPI Australia. NSPI’s correspondence delivery of 30663QLD Certificate III in Swimming Pool and Spa Water Maintenance Technology is ideally suited to these circumstances. Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef is 40 minutes from the mainland by ferry. This posed some unique challenges when it came to outsourcing their pool maintenance, so resort management decided some years ago to bring their pool maintenance in-house. Having a staff member who is qualified at a certificate III level means that Hamilton Island can be assured that Scott not only knows his stuff when it comes to the maintenance of the pool water quality, the pool accessories, plant and equipment; he also has an understanding and appreciation of the environmental, occupational health and safety and quality control issues that all industry professionals should be, but often aren’t, aware of. Forward thinking, environmentally conscious and seeing the trend towards nationalisation of environmental and occupational health and safety regulations, Adrian and resort management could see the advantage to Hamilton Island having staff who have nationally recognised training that aligns with other national industry standards. Hamilton Island management encourage environmentally safe work practices. When carrying out a business in one of the most beautiful and environmentally sensitive regions in the country it makes sense to minimise the environmental footprint of the business as much as possible. Having appropriately qualified staff makes good business sense. It means that staff and management are meeting their duty of care obligations when it comes to public safety, workplace health and safety and environmental protection. It shows regulators and insurers that Hamilton Island resort management take these obligations seriously and should anything ever go wrong, they can show that they and their staff have done the right thing. NSPI Australia congratulates Scott on his achievement and Adrian Wickham and Hamilton Island management for recognising and addressing the need to employ appropriately qualified staff. n
POOL S FE AT U RE
Water Quality Update By Brett Alexander - www.poolbits.com.au
Councils around NSW are starting to enforce stricter guidelines when it comes to testing recreational water as set down by the NSW department of Heath.
T
here’s a dilemma on the horizon for NSW Motel, Hotel, Gym, Swimming School and Hydrotherapy owners regarding stricter guidelines for public recreational swimming Pools and Spas, most NSW Councils are imposing mandatory Water Quality Testing as outlined below. Don’t think for a second that this dilemma is an isolated NSW case, our Federal Government is also aiming to have the entire National Pool Industry bound by the one uniformed Licensing Code. An example of these conditions are set out below, I’ve outlined the most common tests using extracts from the NSW Health guidelines for recreational swimming Pools and Spas, for individual requirements visit www.health.nsw.gov.au the guideline is very informative dealing with every aspect of running a public Swimming Pool or Spa. Suitable testing apparatus shall be used to ensure accurate results. Fresh reagents tablets sealed in foil, Reagent Strip’s and Drop’s stored in accordance with manufacturers specifications should be purchased just prior to the swimming season or at least once a year. The test methodology specified by the manufacturer of the testing apparatus should be strictly followed. Liquid testing reagents must be stored in sealed containers. NB: Test kits using ortho-tolidine as a reagent to determine chlorine or bromine have been withdrawn from sale because of the carcinogenic properties of the reagent. NB: Plastic, Perspex Kit’s or Test Strips known as “4 in 1” or “5 in 1” are not suitable for testing public swimming and spa pools. The following test methods are considered suitable using Digital Photometric or Colorimetric methods using DPD reagents then recorded on appropriate logging stationary. Chlorine/Total Chlorine/ Bromine/ pH/Polyhexamethylene biguanide (“baquacil® oxidizor”) is a disinfectant and a preservative used for disinfection on skin and in cleaning solutions and used in Spas. (for more information go to taxidermy.net) will be measured at opening then once every 2 hours during daily operation. Total Alkalinity / Ozone (Note: This testing method is still under development as chlorine and bromine may interfere with the result but now can be tested efficiently with an Exact Micro 7+
photometer.) According to Australian Standards considerable reduction in levels of chlorine may be applied when using this method of sanitization. All once a Day. Cyanuric Acid/Total Dissolved Solids/Turbidity/Bacteriological Sampling (First 2 months). All once a Week Bacteriological Sampling (Second 2 months) once a Month. The most important line of defence to prevent the spread of recreational water illness and to protect any facility from the damaging effects of contaminated water is to maintain proper water chemistry. As mentioned all above methods of testing evolve around the use of Digital Photometric or Colorimetric methods if you need advice or consultation on further developments, types of testing apparatus, treating or designing a test program please contact brett@poolbits.com.au n
THE
HOTEL ENGINEER
Photo courtesy of Toyesi | www.toyesi.com.au
POOL S FE AT U RE
Shangri La Pool and Spa By BRYAN GOH
Sydney Shangri La’s lap pool was not meeting the hotel’s expectations and the current turnover needed to be increase, as the pool’s filtration system was designed in 1992. As a result, the pool water’s clarity was poor and the filters required frequent backwashing.
T
depth of 500mm, providing enhanced in-depth filtration and increased dirt capacity. The effect of deep filter media bed improves the filtration efficiency over standard high-rate filters. The filter’s 500mm filter media bed ensures that finer dirt particles and colloidal substances are retained to a far greater level than standard bed depth filters. In addition, the greater bed depth permits the efficient use of a mixed filter media bed.
he hotel’s 15m lap pool has a volume of 90,000 litres with a surface area of 75m2 and an average depth of 1.2m.
The pool needed to improve its pool water turn over rate to at least every 2 hrs. To achieve a 2 hour turn over rate, a flow rate of 45m3/hr or 750lpm was required.
Brad Weir commissioning the new equipment plant for the spas
Shangri La’s 15m swimming pool The lap pool’s plant room door only had a width of 800mm and its existing layout limited the selection of larger sized commercial filters. The existing filtration plant consisted of two 750mm diameter sand filters plumbed with 40mm pipe to two 2 horse power pumps. To achieve a turnover rate of 2 hours, Russell Fagan and Brad Weir from Steel pty ltd sized up 4 Micron SD750 fibreglass wound filters, with 2 high head Hydrostorm plus 200 pumps and 2 Multicyclone centrifugal pre-filters. Each Hydrostorm plus 200 pump was plumbed to 1 Multicyclone filter and the flow was split between 2 Micron SD750 filters. The Micron deep bed filters were chosen over standard Micron filters. The deep bed filters have a filter media bed Old filtration plant
One of the existing filters contained sand filter media and the other contained glass filter media. It was decided to upgrade the filter media by implementing a mixed bed of Sand, Garnet and Gravel. The gravel formed an underlay around the filter’s laterals improving the hydraulic efficiency of the filter and Garnet was added to provide a superior level of filtration. The mixed filter media bed of sand, garnet and gravel at a low filtration velocity is capable of filtering effectively down to 5 microns (0.005mm). A high rate filter media bed is only capable of filtering down to 30 microns (0.03mm). Water flow from the pump was split between each sand filter at approximately 187 litres per minute. This flow rate was nearly half the flow rate of the former filters, equating to a low filtration velocity of 25.5 m3/hr/m2. A low filtration velocity vastly improves the contact time of the
New filtration plant
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 67
Water flow is split through two Micron SD750 deep bed filters < pool water with the filter media and enables the filter’s media bed to capture finer particles. Russell Allom, Shangri La’s chief engineer saw an immediate improvement once the filtration plant was turned on. Russell commented, “We have never seen the pool water clarity look so good”. To backwash the filters, the full flow of the pump is dedicated to each filter one at a item, producing a filtration velocity of 50 m3/hr/m2 to thouroughly expand the filter media and release its trapped contents. A high flow velocity improves the filter media bed expansion, minimises the amount of water utilised during each backwash and also decreases the frequency between backwashes. Multicyclone pre-filters were installed above each pump, to pre-filter incoming particles to reduce the dirt load on each filter, further reducing filter maintenance and vastly reducing backwash requirements leading to significant water savings. Based on the principals of centrifugal water filtration, MultiCyclone filters up to 80% of the pool’s dirt load before it reaches the pool filter. There are no moving parts to wear and tear, and no filter media to clean or replace. Incoming water enters 16 hydro cyclones tangentially, generating a strong centrifugal effect. The sediment is spun out to the hydro cyclone’s wall, and then spirals down to the sediment chamber. The filtered water migrates towards the centre of the hydro cyclone where the flow reverses and spirals upwards through the outlet. Accumulation of sediment easily monitored via the MultiCyclone’s clear sediment chamber, the filter is easily cleaned by opening its purge valve. Only 15 litres of water is discharged to cleanse the chamber.
Multicyclone cutaway illustration Installed Multicyclone centrifugal pre-filter During the first month of operation, Russell could not believe the amount of material captured by the Multicyclone prior to the sand filters. According to Russell, the former filters required backwashing on an average of every 2 days. The installation of the Multicyclone pre-filters greatly reduced the backwashing frequency to approximately every 10 days, resulting in significant water savings. n The filtration plant was designed and comissioned by Steel Pty Ltd. Russell Fagan 0408 547 963, russellandjackie@randjfagan.id.au & Brad Weir 0407 484 847, brad.weir@bigpond.com. Filtration equipment was supplied by Waterco Limited. www.waterco.com 02 9898 8686
POOL S FE AT U RE
Symutech has the answers for indoor heated pools H
otel management should be made aware of how the four primary causes of humidity from indoor heated swimming pools are: 1. Moisture evaporating from the water surface. 2. Unconditioned outdoor air being introduced. 3. Building thermal dynamics 4. Guests and their level of activity (bathers and spectators.) Evaporation rates is the largest source of energy loss for swimming pools and is a function of pool surface area and air velocity over water surface, along with saturation vapour pressure of air and water and the level of bather activity. “Activity factors need to be applied to indoor pools when they are being used, as the surface area frequently increases due to wave action by bather loads-persquare metre, and when wet spills onto surrounding decks,” this is the message constantly being explained to clients by Peter Savtchenko, Managing Director of Toyesi. “For some years Savtchenko worked in refrigeration and air conditioning industry before founding Toyesi in 1989 in Sydney to manufacture Pool Heat Pumps for pool heating, and developing Hybrid fresh air ventilation, passive cooling air conditioning and dehumidification with ambient ventilation systems.
with saturated walls, ceilings and glass windows. “In the absence of operating space conditioning and dehumidification apparatus, pool owners will often attempt to counteract this undesirable state by waste ventilating the pool enclosure by introducing unconditioned or pre-heated make-up air that has lower moisture content.
For some of the answers to indoor pool heating and the use of waste energy for direct energy recovery.
“In warmer months this method of waste ventilation can be reasonably feasible when outside air is not of higher relative humidity. However, in colder months, this approach usually becomes like the ‘dog chasing its tail’. A most uneconomical decision with no real benefit,” he points out.
“Most indoor pool enclosures are notoriously known as having the potential of becoming hot and humid
While Toyesi soon began making a name for itself in developing hybrid multifunctioning heat pumps.
70 |
Vol 15 No. 1 |
Hotel Engineer
Before long the net result for improving standard pool heat pump heater’s operating efficiencies for indoor pools was being measured from around 400 percent (4 to 1COP’s ) up to 700 percent, and lowering running costs maintenance and repair costs due to combinding functions of fans for heat pumps, fans for ventilation, pumps for pool heating, pumps for filtration there by reducing or eliminating the individualistic equipment functions required. Peter Savtchenko, inventor of Symutech Heat Pump HVACE Energy Technology with BMS Direct Digital Control Systems (DDC’s) which specialise in applications overcoming problems including air to air ventilation, fresh air supply, air energy recovery, cooling, heating of air to air, air to water, water to water for hotels, swim schools, aqua culture, hydronic heating,
hot and chilled water, energy recovery from water, air, geo thermal and many other multiple assimilated applications.
become a necessity in recent times to increase operation efficiency of equipment to reduce our carbon footprints.
In developing multi-functioning heat pump technology, the opening of its operations named Symutech wasted little time in having patents taken out on HVACE Heat Pump Energy Technology, and using this latest heat pumping technology.
We have created a very powerful energy system tool to control natural or forced energy flows to their optimum as energy is an expensive commodity with ever increasing costs. “Peter says” By carefully designed hydraulics, mechanical & thermal dynamics, a balance of equipment load functions. We have ultimate control of natural and created energy flows with this new, art with lineal control which can’t be controlled with mere on/off operations.
Savtchenko talks about “The energy efficiency equation” by servicing multiple demands at a time, increases operational efficiencies to an unprecedented amount that can be as much as 1010 percent, when tested by a leading thermal research laboratory which also takes advantage of E.G. Space cooling, ventilation and pool heating and water filtration with water recovery, all at the same time, employment of variable speed drives (VSD”s)& (DDC’s) for commercial, industrial and also domestically are becoming common place and have
Symutech indoor energy management system
energy that is typically waste ventilation,” says Peter Savtchenko.
Peter confidently states that when the Toyesi or Symutech heat pumps are in operation, their by-products are capable of countering this warm humid air by delivering a total control Symutech ems system or passive dehumidified cooling and/or ventilation effect to the pool enclosure.
For those commercial or private pools and spas that are not currently heated, if you wish to beat the low performance syndrome this winter, the Toyesi Tet Series high efficiency pool heat pump will allow you to enjoy the benefits of a heated pool or spa throughout the year.
“We have made it a simple process of recovering and re-using the thermal
Go to their website: www.toyesi.com.au, or phone (02) 9679 9400. n
POOL S FE AT U RE
Pool and Spa Heating Options By PAUL WERE Dontek Electronics
Gas
Heat Pump
Gas has traditionally been the most common form of pool heating as it is easy to install, has a low capital outlay and can provide rapid heat up times. The heater usually has pool water pumped through a Heat Exchanger which sits above a gas fired burner tray; this heat is transferred to the water and returns to the pool. Newer style gas heaters utilise fan assistance that aids in the combustion and heat transfer process that increases efficiencies and reduces operating costs. A gas heater is an ideal stand alone system when natural gas is available or the perfect back up for Solar or Heat Pump systems.
Heat Pumps have become more common for heating as capital costs have been reduced over the past few years. They can be used as a stand alone system as long as heat load calculations have been performed correctly. Heat pumps are least efficient during the coldest months and it is common practice to have a gas heater as back up for prolonged cold spells.
Solar Inviting Swimming Pools and Spas are an attractive way for Hotels and Motels to entice new patrons and to keep existing ones. Although an inviting pool or spa may look great, the water temperature must be set to a level where the experience meets expectation, but which one to get?
A
s there are many options in heating a swimming pool or spa it is advisable to contact a pool heating specialist and have a heat load evaluation to find the most economical and environmentally friendly system. The most common options currently available are:
72 |
Vol 15 No. 1 |
Hotel Engineer
Solar is an extremely economical way of heating a pool and has a relatively low capital cost. Water is pumped from the pool to a heat collector fitted to the roof that absorbs radiant energy from the sun and returns to the pool. This heat collector can be made in many different styles; some are made from extruded PVC Nitrile or EPDM rubber strip, moulded tube panels, glazed poly panels and more. When year round heating is required a backup system such as Gas or Heat pump is required.
High Efficiency Solar High Efficiency Solar uses Glass Evacuated Tubes to collect the heat. A number of systems are available; some are even used in conjunction with heat exchangers and shared with the potable water system. This is a very economical system to run and although capital cost appears high, it can be amortised over the two heating systems. A backup system is normally required to guarantee a suitably heated pool.
Heat pumps work like a reversed air conditioner. Instead of taking air from a room or building, removing the heat and returning it, a heat pump takes large quantities of air from the atmosphere, removing the heat contained in the air and transferring this to water from the pool or spa passing through the unit. The characteristic of the heat pump of absorbing heat value from air means that the unit has a low electrical input relative to its heat transfer. A well designed heat pump will output heat at a rate of around 5:1, relative to its energy input under summer conditions. This greatly reduces total energy consumption. This factor is called the heat pump’s co-efficient of performance or COP. The capture of solar energy from air means that the heat pump’s output and efficiency will vary with air temperature. Higher efficiency is gained in more temperate locations but heat pumps are capable of maintaining pool temperatures year-round in nearly all areas of Australia and New Zealand.
SMART HEATING CONTROL ELECTRONICS MEANS MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY Even the most economical heating systems for pools and spas can require
a back up system and this is where a digital control system can pay dividends. The controller will monitor the most economical way of heating and will switch between heat sources as required. When a gas system is utilised, electronics can be used to accurately control run times, set temperatures and heater cool down times. This ensures energy is not wasted from slow switching mechanical thermostats or thermostats that are fitted within the heaters high temperature cabinets. Peak swimming times are also allowed for. On Solar Systems the controller will monitor the pool temperature and when heating is required will turn the solar system on if there is solar gain. When auxiliary heating is installed - normally gas or heat pump fitted in conjunction with solar - the controller will determine which heat source is best to use. If heating is required the controller will check solar temperature and if insufficient, it will switch on the auxiliary heater and it
will run until the set limit is reached or until there is sufficient solar gain. If solar gain is insufficient for the water temperature to reach the limit, then both heat sources will run concurrently. When there is enough solar gain to achieve limit the auxiliary heating will be turned off and only the more economical solar heat source will be utilised. When Salt Chlorinators are used in multiple or smaller systems, over Chlorination is common as the Filter pump may run for extended hours to keep the Heat Pump going. The controller will turn the Salt Chlorinator off when extended heating times are required, or an electronic monitoring system should be fitted.
HOW TO SAVE ON RUNNING COSTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT When multiple heat sources are utilised it is imperative to set the most economical heat source to a higher temperature setting than the auxiliary temperature
setting. Consequently, the cheaper heat source will push the water temperature above the auxiliary setting therefore minimising the auxiliary source’s run time. The greater the temperature difference between the two settings the larger the savings will be. What needs to be considered are the minimum and maximum temperature settings that are comfortable for the user. Commonly used minimum and maximum temperatures are 26 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius respectively, however, this will differ from State to State as pool temperature needs to be set relevant to ambient air temperature to achieve a comfortable level. n
Take control of all your pool & spa heating requirements Energy Saving and reductions in Greenhouse Emissions are a key focus for today’s Hotel Engineers. • Dontek offer the most diverse range of Heat Pump, Solar and Gas controllers available in Australia. • Dontek manufactures smart control systems to reduce heating costs for all types of applications and specialise in multiple heat sources. • Designed and manufactured in Australia.
Digital Controller V7
2/17 Malvern St Bayswater Victoria 3153 Australia
Tel: 03 9720 3540 Fax: 03 9720 3547 sales@dontekelectronics.com.au
www.dontekelectronics.com.au
POOL S FE AT U RE
SIEMENS Water Technologies Case History
Goulburn Aquatic Centre improves safety and ensures consistent water quality over the longterm with Pulsar® dry chlorine briquette feed systems on its 25m indoor pool and 50m outdoor pool
T
he long established Goulburn Aquatic Centre in southern NSW, with it’s 50m outdoor pool and attractive surrounds, built a 25m (440 kilolitre) indoor pool about 12 years ago. This pool enabled learnto-swim and other aquatic activities to be continued all year round in this well known Southern Highlands town. The indoor pool has been heavily used ever since by the local community and has added to the overall popularity of the centre. Centre Manager, David Gustafson, initially experienced issues typical of pools using liquid chlorine (sodium hypochlorite). Handling and safety were the key concerns. A major concern for David was that there was always the chance that a leaking chlorine line, fitting or tank could spill large amounts of corrosive liquid chlorine in the plant room, or worse still, cause injury to a staff member. To reduce these risks the Goulburn Mulwaree Council, formerly known as the Goulburn City Council, approved the trial of a ‘Pulsar 3’ dry chlorine briquette feeder and chemical on the indoor pool, to be controlled by the existing Strantrol System3 pool pH & chlorine controller. This system offers the safest handling chlorination alternative, with the briquettes easily scooped by operators from their delivery drum directly into the feeder, as required. The high quality briquetted chlorine is also an excellent sanitiser and has a very long shelf life of up to 2 years, compared to the liquid chlorine product which can decay significantly in strength in just a few weeks.
The Pulsar system trial was closely monitored and David noticed after just 6 weeks of use that the pool’s salinity level (total dissolved solids - TDS) had dropped from a typical level of 1200mg/ L+ to around 900mg/L, with fewer backwash cycles, therefore reducing water consumption considerably. This has proven to be a very important factor for Goulburn Aquatic Centre as it is located in a town that has experienced severe water scarcity issues in recent years, due to drought conditions. Other added benefits of the Pulsar system have been reduced usage of carbon dioxide and/or acid to correct the pool’s pH, as dry chlorine briquettes have a lower pH than liquid chlorine. This has led to further costs savings which have balanced out evenly overall against the
higher cost of the dry chemical compared to the liquid product. The improved sanitation strength of dry chlorine briquettes, combined with the improved feed efficiency have led to lower combined chlorine levels for the indoor pool, improved air and water quality and therefore happier pool customers and pool staff. A UV system was also installed which improved air and water quality still further. The trial had been a total success
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 75
POOL S FE AT U RE
- the Pulsar system was purchased and has been operating reliably ever since.
Goulburn Ezetrol pH & CL controller
Goulburn Pulsar 4 feeder
When a workplace occupational health and safety audit of the Goulburn Aquatic Centre site was carried out for the Council by an independant consultant in 2005, it was recommended that the existing gas chlorination system on the 50m outdoor pool be replaced with another Pulsar unit. The gas chlorine system was deemed to be too close to passing pedestrian traffic and therefore not sufficiently safe in that plantroom location. Changing the location and design of the pool plantroom to accommodate new safety requirements for gas chlorine was not economically viable by comparison to the Pulsar system installation. In September 2005 a ‘Pulsar 4’ dry chlorine briquette feeder and Siemens Ezetrol pH and chlorine controller was installed in the 50m pool plantroom to take over the chlorination task for this outdoor pool (see pictures).
The Pulsar 4 system has also shown itself to be very reliable and easy to use over the longterm. It has provided good water chemistry with stable pH, low salinity (TDS) levels and excellent disinfection, to provide a comfortable and safe swimming environment for patrons with comparatively good operating economy. The low salinity also makes backwash water more easily recycled in the future, or treated, in an area of particularly scarce water resources. For more information David Gustafson can be contacted at the pool on 02 48234834. Siemens offers Pulsar feeders and chemical in Australia, along with a range of pool chemical control & dosing and UV systems (contact: Tim Batt on 0294915363 or timothy.batt@siemens.com)
Pulsar® and Pulsar Briquettes® are registered trademarks for Arch Chemicals Inc, USA
ADVERTORIAL
Neilly Davies & Partners Pty Ltd –
Our contribution to the Hotel Industry
interupted views with fully suspended pools. We have a structural design for every desire that an architect or the owner can dream of. Our designs include different styles of glass balustrades, pool covers that are submerged with luxurey entertainment areas. We have designed pools that are completely walled with toughened glass fully transparent like a fish tank. There is no limit to the imagination and what can be chived in terms of construction. We provide advice right through construction and assist the pool builders with structural inspections, technical guidance and final certification. For further details and assistance please contact: www.neillydavies.com.au or 1300 730 340. n
W
e have been the leaders in swimming pool design for over 30 years delivering more than 5000 pool designs working with over 20 pool companies to private owners and commercial developers including hotels and community centres. Our services include carrying out structural inspection of existing pools, diagnosing the problems and provide repair solutions, widening or alteration options due to change in the overall building configuration.
When it comes to swimming pool design, at Neilly Davies, nothing is spared. As consulting engineers, we offer anything from wet-edge swimming pool design and entertainment deck design to spas, saunas and cabanas designed to blend with the ocean. We provide the initial consultation and concept design, documentation for Development Application (DA) and the final structural design. Our pool designs have been sought by clients across Australia and overseas meeting the time frame, architectural needs and the cost expectations of the client. In fact, Neilly Davies Consulting Engineers have been the pioneers in developing guidelines for swimming pool design in New South Wales. As consulting engineers, we have a long history of working with over 20 of Australia’s leading swimming pool companies as our major clients. We are the leaders in luxury swimming pool design. In-ground or partly elevated, concrete pools, wet-edge pools or lap pools, Neilly Davies can take you through the entire process from concept design, structural design, inspections, modification, and advice. We design pools suspended above garages and balconies in difficult locations. We’ve designed anything from swimming pools on the edge of cliffs, small swimming pools to fit in the back yard of a terrace, to swimming pool design solutions where there are services that require protection during excavation. No matter the specific roof, water or architectural feature requirements of your swimming pool, you can have confidence that Neilly Davies can provide an innovative swimming pool design solution. Our intricate designs include suspended pools at intermediate levels of multistorey buildings, hotels or block of luxury apartments on top of large louge or living areas with un
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 77
to benefit the industry at every level and a range of corporate venue hire packages.
Educational Leaders for Sport & Recreation Management
T
he MSAC Institute of Training is a state of the art training centre for the sport and recreation industry, located at the historical Sports House in Albert Park, Victoria. The MSAC Institute of Training specialise in the provision of Aquatic, Recreation and Leisure Management training and traineeships, drawing on the expertise of two of Victoria’s premier sporting facilities the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre (MSAC) and the State Netball and Hockey Centre (SNHC). The MSAC Institute of Training offers training services in the areas of Compliance and Workplace Safety, Industry Careers and Traineeships, Professional Development and Facility Management. We also offer consultancy and career management services designed
Our Pool Operations program has been specially designed for managers and staff responsible for the maintenance and operation of swimming pools, hydrotherapy pools and spas located in hotels and motels, aquatic and leisure centres and public swimming pools. The course provides some great benefits to the business, ensuring comfort in the knowledge that your staff have up-to-date information and skills and are aware of current standards and requirements under the Public and Environmental Health Act; reduced risk associated with aquatic facility management in the maintenance of water quality; and, the competency to achieve economies in chemical and energy usage in maintaining water quality. Participants will be provided with a comprehensive and practical review of the skills and knowledge required to ensure professional and accurate adherence to the Standards and current Legislation. It is highly recommended that people responsible for a Hotel or Motel’s aquatic facility hold this qualification. Participants will receive training in the following key areas:
• • • • • •
water circulation and the concept of filtration disinfection systems pH and total alkalinity hot water environments and spa pool operation plant room design workplace occupational health and safety specific to an aquatic environment
At the completion of this program, participants will be able to: •
• • •
operate and maintain swimming pools and spas in accordance with the current standards and requirements under the Public and Environmental Health Act explain current functioning, circulation and filtration systems operate a variety of water disinfection systems provide an appropriate chemical balance of pool water For more information about the Pool Operations course or any of our other programs, please contact the MSAC Institute of Training on t: 03 9926 1300, e: msacinstitute@ssct.com.au or visit our website www.msacinstitute.com.au
Water Bifurcation – The Splitting of the H2O Molecule
Advanced Oxidation Processes and Free Hydroxyl Radicals (PART 2 of a series) HOW TO GET HEALTHIER SWIMMING POOL WATER By ALAN LEWIS
This is an examination of the creation of one little understood path, for the division of the H2O molecule to form Free Hydroxyl Radicals known for their high oxidation power, and intended for use in swimming pools.
I
n the previous first part of this article, I focused on how to minimise the potentially harmful sides of disinfection, the four principles of which are:
1. Keep the pH low > > > 2. Use less chlorine > > > 3. Create less chloramines > > > 4. Reduce the chloramines as soon as they form, with Free Hydroxyl Radicals (FHRs) This might seem easy in principle, but how is it done? To create FHRs we need to find simple cost effective ways to divide the components of water into these different but highly volatile reactive combinations. The focus of this article is to expose what has emerged, in practice, as a highly effective way of achieving these aims. The first three of these principles have in the main been dealt with in previous articles, but without these in place it is much more difficult (although not impossible) to achieve the best delivery of the fourth. Since I have dealt with these in previous articles, I will summarize the critical issues in configuring the design of the pool or spa plant to arrive at the desired outcome.
STEP 1. - pH REDUCTION Many pool owners and operators continue to struggle with pH reduction using Hydrochloric or Sulphuric Acid. To keep the Total Alkalinity in the pool compliant with regulations, this requires elevated levels of alertness. All states require a minimum residual of 80mg/l. Before the TA level falls below this, one needs to add Sodium Bicarbonate to return to the required residual (usually 100 – 140mg/l). This of course raises the pH and so the “chasing-your- tail” cycle continues. In heavy bather loads, the daily dosing is exacerbated by rises in chloramine residuals, which impede the reduction of pH even further. Ozone Generator Switchboard
80 |
Vol 15 No. 1 |
Hotel Engineer
The clever operator insists on using CO2 but the owner objects. This is an option the owner considers too expensive. It is difficult to dissolve CO2 gas in heated water. Most indoor pools are kept
at temperatures between 28 – 32 deg C, while spas are kept between 35 – 37 deg C. The hotter the water, the harder it is to dissolve the CO2. The best way to address this is to feed the gas into a shunt line with a small diameter (10-25mm), where the flow rate can be controlled, and the line is long enough to dissolve every last bubble of the gas before it enters the return-to-pool line. It is also important to reduce the feed rate of the gas and to ensure that the gas is fed in as small bubbles as possible, so as to ensure a maximum surface contact between the gas and the water. Lots of small bubbles have a greater surface area than one large bubble (of equal volume). By installing a transparent section at the end of the line you are able to monitor the success of the dissolution to ensure that no undissolved gas enters the r-t-p line. If this is not confirmed then either the line should be longer; the water flow slower; or the gas feed slower; - or all of the above. Once you have successfully engineered the CO2 dissolution you will have converted all the gas to carbonic acid which gently reduces the pH without reducing the alkalinity. Step one is achieved. The cost of the carbon dioxide feed reduced to the minimum since none escapes through the system into the pool hall air. Importantly you can now expect to be able to maintain the pool set point at pH 7.2 – 7.3 knowing that as soon as bathers enter the pool, chloramines are created and as a result the pH will rise. If the turnover in the pool is appropriate, the tighter the control the less CO2 will be used. More gas will be needed the further the pH rises from the set point. So the controller should be such that it can respond quickly and achieve the adjustment quickly before more swimmers jump in to raise the pH even further.
STEP 2. - USE LESS CHLORINE The reduction of the chlorine demand has already been achieved because you will get 66% Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) from the Hypochlorite (liquid or granular) if you feed into a pH of 7.2 (at 30 deg C). When the pH rises to 7.5 you will only get 50% Hypochlorous Acid from the same amount of Hypochlorite. This is a saving of roughly 30% on the chlorine feed! But there is more! Now that you have a shunt line for the complete dissolution of carbon dioxide gas, you should be able to reduce the pH in the line to as low as 6.2, providing the pipe is long enough. Now if we feed the chlorine into the pH reduction line close to where it joins the main r-t-p line, it will (while ever there is a demand for chlorine) be entering water at pH 6.2 rather than 7.2. When this happens the conversion of the Hypochlorite reaches 95% rather than 66%! This is a further, important improvement, of 44% saving in chlorine. Basically this means that the power of the disinfectant in the return-to-pool line has increased to a point where it can be guaranteed that no active pathogen will enter the pool during that dosing period and the Redox level will be easily maintained above the required ORP (Oxygen Reduction Potential) of 750 mV.
Ozone venturis - Water Witch - Fresh water injection
With this type of treatment the pool is safely maintained at a Redox level where no pathogens can survive (with the possible exception of the protozoa). Yet the free chlorine residual will be only 0.8 – 1.0 mg/l . Depending on the bather load this residual may fluctuate up or down – but certainly between the time that the pool closes at night until the opening next morning, the pool will have returned to a minimum residual with a satisfactory and safe ORP. This is the important criterion.
STEP 3. – CREATE LESS CHLORAMINES There are two ingredients needed to create chloramines: body amino acids + chlorine. We have already reduced the one ingredient - the disinfectant. What of the amino acids? German scientists have found that showering before entering the pool or spa reduces the urea (sweat) carried on the body (~160 mg) to around 24mg which is only 15% of the amount that would be carried into the pool without showering. In other words if everybody intending to bathe in either the pool or spa, showers (using soap) immediately before bathing, the chloramines would be reduced by 85%. Without doubt this is a
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 81
Water Bifurcation – The Splitting of the H2O Molecule < major factor in the health of the pool. Warm pool deck showers can aid this immensely, because bathers influence each other in keeping the hygiene of the pool as pristine as possible.
STEP 4. – CREATING FREE HYDROXYL RADICALS WITH THE AID OF OZONE and HYDRODYNAMIC CAVITATION In the large aquatic centres, Ozone has been found to be expensive to install and maintain. When dosed at high levels, it can cause serious damage to the pool plant. However, the advent of low level corona discharge devices made in Australia, has helped prove a relatively little known fact – namely that there is no need for massive Ozone injection (in indoor heated public pools) whether for the purpose of improving disinfection or for the reduction of chloramines. We have already shown that the first three steps above can achieve a very satisfactory result. The critical issue is to deal with the chloramines. For this purpose, Low Level Ozone takes preference for two reasons: Unlike UV, it does not convert trichloramines to the (carcinogenic) Trihalomethanes (THMs). Secondly, at this level, it is more cost effective and surprisingly uncomplicated to apply. Ozone gas is sucked directly into a Venturi manifold where it mixes with the circulating pool water. The venturi is driven by a small ¾ Hp pump taking filtered water in a side loop and feeding the mixture into the r-t-p line. That mixture is also fed (into the r-t-p line) immediately after the chlorine injection. Hydrodynamic Cavitation is created by forcing that mixture of Ozone and filtered pool water though small holes in the inpipe of the mixing vessel. The Ozone apparently catalyzes the bifurcation of the aqueous mixture to form Hydroxyl Radicals which immediately proceed to work on the reduction of monochloramines (NH2Cl) in the water passing through the mixer. After meeting with the freshly injected chlorine, further oxidation of any other organic particles; pathogens or cysts occurs on its path to the pool. The Ozone itself is spent and rejoins the air (as oxygen) from which it has been drawn into the system via the corona discharge tube. The air bubbles flow through to the pool devoid of harmful Ozone. The Hydroxyl Radicals are basically produced by the jets creating turbulence in the mixer. Hence the term Hydrodynamic. The water molecules are divided into the free radicals which are extremely potent when it comes to reducing the chloramines. In the installation at The Spastic Centre at Allambie Heights, it has been clearly established that the continual creation of hydroxyl radicals (with a 6 minute dispersal time in the pool) is keeping the monochloramines around the 0.2 mg/l mark. No trichloramine smells are evident at any time of the day or night, and there is minimal cross ventilation in the hall. As far as I can find through exhaustive searching on the net, these four parameters have been put together in The Spastic Centre Hydrotherapy Pool for the first time in the world, and the results have been stellar. n
Alan Lewis | Pool Consultant | aquazure34@gmail.com
POOL S FE AT U RE
Deluge of orders from hotels AUSTRALIAN Innovative Systems has received at deluge of orders from hotels in Australia and around the world after the launch of their Ecoline System; the first system in the world which can use electrolysis to sterilse fresh water.
T
he Ecoline was showcased at the Australian Hotel Engineering Conference and recently won the gold GAIA award at the Big Five Exhibition in Dubai.
“Now more than ever hotels understand the need for water conservation and the importance of using safer, cleaner and greener ways to sterilise their water,” Ms Gosse said.
Ms Elena Gosse, executive director of AIS, said the response from hotels locally and internationally had been overwhelming.
The Ecoline system is the world’s first electrolysis system to disinfect fresh water; a cleaner, greener and safer way to purify water. The new system does not need any chemicals to be added, the system makes and regulates the chlorine levels needed to sterilise fresh water, eliminating the risks involved with manual chemical handling, transport, storage and dosing.
“Our factory has been inundated with orders and we are busily custom building Ecoline systems for clients here in Australia and overseas,” said Elena Gosse. “The recent expos here and in Dubai have generated huge demand from the hotel industry, even the Grand Hyatt in Dubai where the Big Five Exhibition was held, has ordered an Ecoline System,” she said.
The system can be used for any water sterilisation application including swimming pools, water features, cooling towers, spas and Jacuzzis, drinking water, waste water, recycled water, grey water, sewerage, irrigation, food processing plants, reverse osmosis and desalination. Ms Gosse said their Autochlor system had paved the way for the groundbreaking Ecoline system. “Many hotels have trusted and used our Autochlor system, which treats salt water, for many years and are excited we have invented a new system for their fresh water sterilisation needs,” said Ms Elena Gosse. “The Autochlor system has been used commercially for more than 15 years and has led the way for electrolysis treatment of salt water and now our Ecoline system is leading the world in fresh water treatment,” Ms Gosse said.
More about Ecoline The Ecoline system can be retro fitted to any water treatment system. It is an
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 83
Deluge of orders from hotels < on-site, in-line chlorine generation plant capable of producing chlorine in fresh water from the small amount of natural salts and minerals present in the water. The catalyst for being able to use electrolysis for fresh water sterilisation is based on more than 15 years of leadership in commercial salt water treatment with their Autochlor system and now they have produced the first electrolysis system for fresh water. Because the Company manufacturers their own anode material they were able to refine the process of producing chlorine via electrolysis and develop a way to convert the trace salts and minerals naturally occurring in fresh water into chlorine instantaneously. The fresh water passes through the Ecoline’s electrode and leaves with the required chlorine residual. All the system requires if water and electricity. In close fresh water systems, such as swimming pools, Ecoline has an added advantage; it also manages chlorine build up. As chloramines pass through the Ecoline system they are oxidised and converted back into natural salts. It effectively recycles the chloramines back into their natural state, restoring the natural balance of the water. Some questions engineers ask about Ecoline: How did you manage to make this work with fresh water? The anode material is coated with a highly active catalyst. It is this unique coating which allows us to use such low voltage and allows the system to utilise the small amounts of salts and minerals in fresh water. Making the entire process energy and cost efficient. Do you need to add any extra salt to the water? No, salt does not need to be added to the fresh water. Ecoline is completely unique in being able to use the natural salts and minerals in fresh water to convert into chlorine. How long does it take to install? Installation can be completed in less than one day. The system is delivered fully assembled and tested. It only requires an electrician to permanently wire the system to the switch board and a plumber to connect a couple of pipes. Typically it can be installed within two hours. It does not need to be tested after installation; it can simply be switched on. Does it fit with existing infrastructure? Yes. We have designed it to retrofit with existing infrastructure for all applications. The signal from the chlorine analyser, which used to drive dosing pumps and gas regulators, is fully compatible with our system. It is also simple to install in existing systems. We have a skid mounted design which can be lifted into place with a fork lift. We have also produced modular systems. Modules can be safely lifted by two people and can fit
through small, narrow manholes. They can be installed into very confined spaces anywhere within an existing system. Connecting the modules together can be done within 10 or 15 minutes. How quickly does the system pay for itself? Generally the system pays for itself within two years. Eliminating the need to buy chemicals, rental costs on bottles, transport costs, dosing equipment, alarm systems, maintenance costs, labour costs to train staff members in chemical handling and public liability is reduced due to no more dangerous goods being stored onsite makes the system more economically viable than manually adding chlorine. What is the life expectancy of Ecoline? Ecoline is designed to be easily maintained and repaired. The electrodes are replaceable parts and have a life expectancy of eight or ten years. The power supply expectancy is 10 or 12 years. Every part in the power supply is replaceable, so you will not have to replace the whole power supply. Everything has a three year warranty. What maintenance is required? We recommend a basic check and clean of the system once every six months, which takes approximately 20 minutes. How much power does it use? On average, Ecoline uses 15 kW of power to generate 1 kg of pure chlorine gas. If your power cost is $0.16/kW then 1 kg of chlorine, made on-site safely, is only $2.40; effectively halving the normal power cost. Add to that saving the savings you also make on delivery and handling and it is the smarter economic option. For treating salt water, the Autochlor system is even more energy efficient. The more salt content in the water the less energy is required. Autochlor uses only six watts of power per gram of chlorine. Does it work in salt water? AIS has a commercial treatment system specifically for salt water, the Autochlor. This product has a 15 year track record treating salt water systems. It is currently operating in more than 300 commercial installations overseas. In Australia, it is being used in City Council pools and lagoons, private and public schools and many five star resorts. The demand for this product is gaining significant momentum as fresh water in many countries is increasingly restricted. This system is perfect for hotels with access to seawater. n
About AIS Perfected water, through perfected science Established in 1974, Australian Innovative Systems Pty Ltd is a manufacturing company specialising in the disinfection of water via electrolysis. AIS currently employs more than 50 staff throughout its three manufacturing facilities in South East Queensland and exports to more than 50 countries worldwide. www.aiswater.com.au
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 85
THE
HOTEL ENGINEER
B
Product News
AXX is an advanced development discovered out of investigating methods of combating germ warfare by the British Ministry of Defence who had a remit to assess the risk of bacterial attack on the British Isles in the 60/70’s. This in turn had been initiated by observations over a hundred years prior by Louis Pasteur who had documented that the atmosphere in high altitudes and sunny days reduced the incidence of infection and effectively killed bacteria and viruses.
it’s always working for you to eliminate pathogen contamination in that room.
The answer lay in the natural occurrence of airborne Hydroxyl Clusters.
The 800-S unit is the largest unit of 1 metre long.
Modern technology and electronics allows the BAXX to achieve the aim of eliminating airborne pathogens by using cold plasma to strip a hydrogen atom from some of the natural water molecules (H20) contained in the air around us, leaving them as unbalanced hydroxyl clusters (-OH). These clusters seek and attach to airborne bacteria and virus cells and recover their missing hydrogen atom from the cells wall to return to a natural water molecule again (H2O).
It also has the highest treated air output and so is ideal for production areas.
In that instant, the bacteria/virus metabolism and cell wall is disrupted and the cell dies. Thus nature’s way of eliminating airborne pathogens has been reproduced. Hydroxyl clusters will also land on surfaces and kill surface contamination by the same method. These same Hydroxyl Clusters can reduce and eliminate odours as well – particularly so on odours based on ammonia compounds or ethylene or waste decomposition. The use of stripping away hydrogen atoms from airborne water molecules to form hydroxyl clusters is unique to the BAXX cold plasma technology which naturally kills all airborne pathogens including MRSA, C.Diff(Spore Form), Norovirus and Bacteria. BAXX introduces several technological breakthroughs and advantages – •
•
•
It doesn’t require any consumables other than electricity. No filters to clean, no chemicals or liquids to replenish, no service required. Install it and leave it to do its work. Electrical consumption is a mere 120watts – the equivalent of two 60watt light-globes. The case of the Baxx is in 316 stainless steel which makes it ideal for food manufacturing plants, health care facilities, hospitals, doctors surgeries and waiting rooms, retail outlets, and any other moist environments where a germ free environment is paramount. The only moving part is a resin-packed motor attached to a fan. These type motors can cope with dry & dusty conditions to wet and clammy environments and so the Baxx can be employed in steamy kitchens or cold wet chillers just as easily as dry powder mixing rooms and anything in-between.
Such is the confidence in the construction and reliability of the Baxx unit that it is guaranteed for 3 years of non-stop 24/7 running. The ceiling is the preferred mounting position for a Baxx unit – usually, but not essentially, central to the room. Brackets on the Baxx unit also facilitate wall mounting as an alternative where suitable. It’s usual to hard wire the Baxx unit to a continuous power circuit as the Baxx unit should never be turned off. Not overnight, not for weekends, not for holidays –
Each room to be covered should have its own Baxx unit(s). A single Baxx unit is capable of covering up to a 360 cubic metre room, although if there are other fans causing opposing or cross currents in the room then two or more units may be preferable to maximise air circulation and surface coverage.
The smaller S600 unit has been recently released for quieter locations such as doctor’s surgeries, hospital wards, office buildings, schools, children’s nurseries and aged care facilities. Booster units will shortly become available to supplement rooms with lots of existing airflow such as cool rooms. In these circumstances, a single 800-S Baxx unit can be installed to run continuously, while the booster units are positioned in front of the existing fans and wired to them so as to only be active when the fan is blowing over them. This reduces the initial purchase price of installing BAXX to large plants. In the near future, 12 and 24volt units will become available for refrigerated trucks, coaches and similar such applications. Applications encountered so far include – •
Hospital wards – particularly to combat Norovirus.
•
Retail fruit and vegetable displays – reduced banana browning by up to 4 days by inhibiting ethylene production.
•
Commercial Kitchens and Cafeterias.
•
Cold storage rooms.
•
Pet shops and accommodations.
•
Backpackers hotels to deodorise rooms.
•
Gym lockers for deodorising.
•
Flour mill storage rooms to eliminate flour moulds – 40% to 92% measured reduction.
•
Packaging company clean rooms for food packaging materials.
•
Smallgoods manufacturing.
•
Yogurt cooking and rapid cooling rooms.
•
Meat wholesalers.
•
Chicken meat processing plants – 90% measured reduction.
•
Seafood processing plants.
Several large industry users of BAXX here and overseas have also noted a reduction in sick leave by staff working in the areas covered by the Baxx units. After all, BAXX is killing flu and cold virus just as efficiently and effectively as any other pathogen. The BMB booster units are being introduced to the model range for mass air conditioning units and ducted systems in office buildings, shopping malls, medial facilities etc for this reason, as well as supplementing the existing models in processing areas and cool rooms as described above. Baxx Australia www.baxx.com.au Ph: (02) 9939-4900 Fx: (02) 9939-4911 ssyme@baxx.com.au See ad on page 16 of this issue.
86 |
Vol 15 No. 1 |
Hotel Engineer
THE
HOTEL ENGINEER Hotel Pillow Collection Luxury Feather/Down
Product News
Hospitality Industry. These products are manufactured specifically for quality Hotels in a range of Feather/Down percentages to meet every budget. HotelHome has designed these products for the discerning Hotel with piped and walled high count Japara covers which are oversized to ensure excellent presentation on a Hotel bed. All HotelHome Feather/Down products are produced with the highest accreditations in USA, Europe and Japan, whilst also meeting Australian Standards AS2479-2007. The percentage combination of the Small Soft Feather and Down in each product is shown below. Quilts • •
50% Down 50% Small Soft Feather 30% Down 70% Small Soft Feather
For more information on “Luxury Hotel Pillow & Quilts Feather/Down Collection”, contact HotelHome Australia.
Pillows Following a huge success with “The Cloud” Feather/Down Bed Topper, HotelHome has now introduced a range of high quality Feather/Down Pillows and Quilts in to the
TA GIVES HVAC Professionals MORE SCOPE FOR KNOWLEDGE
T
our & Andersson, the leader in hydronic balancing solutions for waterborne HVAC systems will launch TA-SCOPE at the ARBS exhibition in Sydney in April. TA-SCOPE is an instrument that has been designed to assist professionals verify, measure and maintain complex systems quickly and efficiently, lowering maintenance costs by saving time and removing the hassle from the balancing and measuring process. The TA-SCOPE is a wireless, handheld device for the swift and accurate measurement of differential pressure, flow, temperature and power. An independent sensor communicates with the TASCOPE to deliver data quickly, thereby enabling contractors to balance a system, troubleshoot hydronic problems and log system performance.
• • •
“The Cloud” 95% Down 5% Small Soft Feather 50% Down 50% Small Soft Feather 30% Down 70% Small Soft Feather
With a simple user interface the TA-SCOPE is designed with the user in mind. An icon display makes navigating the tools quick and easy. Low power consumption means that one full charge of the unit provides three full days of wireless performance, eliminating the risk of downtime during a site survey or monitoring job.
A U S T R A L I A
Phone : 1300 733 737 Email : sales@hotelhome.com.au
Phone (03) 9553 3366 Fax (03) 9553 3733 e-mail info@tourandersson.com.au
Ideal for Hotel service engineers for verifying flows, checking power output from terminals you can even monitor flows, Dp’s and power over extended period of time to diagnose problems. Then graph the data on the instrument or down load to your computer. TA Scope will be displayed at the ARBS exhibition, 12th to 14th of April 2010 in Sydney. We are on stand 210. See for yourself the benefits of this revolutionary instrument ‘ TA Scope ‘, live demonstrations, handle and operate TA Scope yourself ! For further information on the new TA-SCOPE visit www.tourandersson.com or contact: Tour & Andersson 25/148 Chesterville Road MOORABBIN VIC 3189
Hotel Engineer | Vol 15 No. 1 | 87
THE
HOTEL ENGINEER Electroheat Subzero
Product News
system. In the event of a problem, the control panel will display diagnostic error codes. Electroheat Subzero also features an option to switch from POOL to SPA mode automatically via an external water pressure switch or manually via a remote control. The Electroheat Subzero is protected by an array of built-in safety devices:
T
he latest advancement in swimming pool heating, Electroheat Subzero heat pumps extracts latent heat from the surrounding air, intensifies it and transfers it to your swimming pool. Electroheat Subzero uses refrigeration technology to extract heat from the surrounding air and transfers it to the swimming pool. Electroheat Subzero heat pumps only require electrical energy to operate a compressor and a fan motor, using low amperage in the process. The Electroheat produces over 4 times more heat energy than the electrical power it consumes. Compared to gas and electric heaters, Electroheat Subzero uses just a fraction of the energy to generate the same amount of heat and unlike solar heating; there is no reliance on the sun as the latent heat in the air is used. Generally swimming pool heat pump evaporators ice once ambient temperatures drop below 10°C, which negatively impacts on its heating performance. The main difference between the Electroheat Subzero and Waterco’s Electroheat heat pumps is the inclusion of an automatic hot gas de-icing function. When ice forms on the evaporator, the Electroheat Subzero’s refrigeration pipe configuration is automatically reconfigured to allow hot gas to melt the ice off its evaporator; the Electroheat Subzero then reverts back to heating your pool with maximum efficiency. Electroheat Subzero heat pumps will heat your pool even when the ambient air temperature is below freezing point (0°C). Electroheat Subzero’s LED control panel features a continuous digital pool temperature display and incorporates a self diagnosis
88 |
Vol 15 No. 1 |
Hotel Engineer
•
Auto defrost control to eliminate frost on the evaporator.
•
Auto flow switch to shutdown the system in the event of no water flow.
•
High / Low pressure refrigerant auto reset to shutdown the system in the event of low or high refrigerant pressure.
•
Compressor protection via a time delay to allow the refrigerant to equalise before the compressor starts/restarts.
Electroheat Subzero’s are powered by Scroll compressors, the most powerful, energy efficient compressors on the market and most importantly they are also the quietest. Electroheat Subzero heat pumps are equipped with Titanium heat exchangers, which have a longer life expectancy than standard copper heat exchangers. Titanium offers total protection against erosion and corrosion, it is resistant to: chlorinated water, ozone, iodine, Baquacil, bromine and salt water. The exclusive design of the Electroheat Subzero’s heat exchanger creates an unmatched and powerful heat transfer source. Surface area contact with the heat exchanger is maximised by effectively circulating the pool water though its condenser tubes Electroheat Subzero has an extra large evaporator allowing it to extract more heat from the outside air maximising the heat pump’s performance and efficiency.Its cabinet is constructed of heavy-duty UV-resistant proof ABS body panels that are impervious to rust, corrosion and deterioration.
The new Pullman from Electrolux Tough on laundry, gentle on the environment
T
he new range of Pullman washer Extractors from Electrolux Laundry have not only been designed to meet the demands of a busy Hotel laundry, but with the addition of over a tonne of steel they are heavy and reliable work-horses that also ensure the optimum operating environment for staff and our environment.
Not only has Electrolux added a tonne of steel to these machines, but along with the pneumatic suspension the machine is remarkably stable even during full extraction. The reinforced, simplified transmission and constant belt tensioning by gravity assures you of a constant and precise rotation speed. The automatic door locking positions the drum in the correct position for loading or unloading each and every time. Clarus Control is standard on the new Pullman range and features the Clarus TS (Touch Screen). Easy to use, and like all Clarus machines is fully programmable with the flexibility of a pre-set timer (new date/time format) and up to 192 custom made programs that can be changed on demand to meet your requirements. The Clarus TS on the Pullman range also features explicit text messages for error codes providing the operator with a first fix option or code for reporting back to the service department for easy serviceability. The new Pullman range is available in capacities from 70 – 110Kg. The new Pullman range, like all Electrolux product has been manufactured to ISO14001 environmental standards and has the same water and energy endorsements as the rest of the range. Built tough for the laundry, but gentle for the environment…
For more information please contact Electrolux Laundry Systems on 1300 550 546 (AU wide) or email sales@electroluxlaundry.com.au