The Radisson Hotel Group has installed four propane (R290) air-to-water 120HP heat pumps produced by Carrier in its Manchester, England, City Center Hotel as part of its first net-zero retrofit, the company told NaturalRefrigerants.com.
The heat pumps are used for domestic hot water production and are AquaSnap 61AQ models, a line of reversible R290 monobloc heat pumps released by the HVAC&R manufacturer, part of Carrier Global Corporation, in February 2024. The units provide outlet temperatures of up to 75°C (167°F) in ambient conditions as low as −7°C (19.4°F) and operate “efficiently” in temperatures as low as −25°C (−13°F), the manufacturer said.
The Manchester hotel completed the transition to net zero on May 19, a process that included commissioning the heat pumps, electrifying the kitchen with induction cooking and purchasing 100% renewable electricity. Radisson said the retrofit aligns with the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s Net Zero Methodology for Hotels. NaturalRefrigerants.com has reached out to the Radisson Hotel Group for more information on the Manchester hotel.
“[We] aim to become net zero by 2050,” said Federico J. González, Executive Vice Chairman at Radisson Hotel Group. “Today, we are demonstrating that net-zero conversion hotels are possible.”
The modular setup in the Manchester hotel provides a total heating capacity of 480kW (136.5TR), with demand met by variable-speed compressors. In operations above 55°C (131°F), the system has a SCOP of 3.4. Electrical variable refrigerant volume units with a direct expansion kit to the air handling units provide space heating and cooling for guestrooms and public spaces, Joao Dias, Net-Zero Project Manager at Radisson told NaturalRefrigerants.com.
Along with the Manchester upgrade, the chain is also renovating its Oslo City Center Hotel to be fully net zero, with the work expected to be complete in July. The Oslo facility will connect to the city’s district heating network for domestic hot water and space heating. An Enerblue R290 Purple Chiller will provide space cooling, with chilled beamers cooling individual rooms, Dias said.
AquaSnap 61AQ specs: The units provide space heating or cooling and come in eight sizes, offering 40–140kW (11.4–39.8TR) of heating capacity and 32–105kW (9.1–29.9TR) of cooling capacity.
- Connecting up to four units provides a heating capacity of up to 560kW (159.2TR) and an SCOP of up to 4.2.
- The propane charge is limited to 3.9kg per circuit, with units containing one or two circuits.
Similar installations: Hotel chains are increasingly turning to natural refrigerant heat pumps to cut emissions.
- Two 70kW (19.9TR) CO2 (R744) heat pumps from Japanese HVAC&R manufacturer Itomic slashed energy consumption for hot water production by 82% compared to the previous gas boiler system at a Mercure Hotel in Melbourne, Australia.
Quotable: “In line with the Kyoto Protocol and with future air-source heat pump projects, we would opt wherever possible for natural refrigerants with good thermodynamic properties, as demonstrated in Manchester,” Dias said.
