Lochinvar helps Aloft reach peak demand
Key Equipment Supplied
- 3 x Ecoshield SHW115-435CE Gas-fired Condensing Water Heaters
Project details
- Grade II listed Royal Insurance Building, disused for more than 20 years, remodelled and reopened as a modern Aloft Hotel.
- Considerable demand on hot water supply at peak times due to use throughout of walk-in showers
As a result of the restoration of this 1896 Liverpool landmark neo-baroque building, English Heritage was able to remove it from its ‘at risk’ register. This ultra-modern Aloft Hotel retains many of the building’s original features and was shortlisted for the European Hotel Design and British Construction Industry awards. The owners Starwood Hotels advertise ‘an easy, breezy stay’ in its 116 ‘loft like’ rooms. Guests are within close range of the city’s two famous football stadia – Anfield and Goodison Park – as well as the Beatles’ Story Museum and the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
Lochinvar worked closely with the contractor leading the refurbishment project HE Simm to select equipment that could provide a hot water system robust and flexible enough to meet the hotel’s needs. Three direct gas-fired EcoShield SHW115-435CE high efficiency water heaters were chosen because of their ability to provide up to 6,000 litres of hot water per hour working in combination. Each water heater can store up to 425 litres; and their fast recovery performance means they can respond quickly at times of heavy demand making them ideal for hotel applications.
EcoShield products employ condensing technology to keep energy costs as low as possible and 5:1 burner modulation, which means they can also ramp right back to supply steady amounts of hot water at times of lower demand in the most energy efficient way.
The water heater’s stainless steel heat exchanger is robust and durable while the integral storage vessel is covered by a five-year warranty giving the end user important peace of mind. The built-in controls include a two line 16 character display, runtime and alarm contacts, which help the EcoShield fit into the control strategy for the building’s overall control system.
Starwood Hotels say they want to “shake up the staid and traditional mid-market hotel sector”, but were also determined to conserve as many of the Royal Insurance Building’s original features as possible, including high ceilings and oversized windows; whilst also giving the development a modern contemporary feel “with plenty of tech-savvy features”.
EcoShield water heaters were able to play their part because they are compact in size compared to their output, which was a key consideration for the refurbishment team looking for modern, high performance solutions that could remain as discreet as possible.
