Rinnai, the UK’s leading manufacturer of continuous flow gas fired water heaters, has recently completed an installation at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, replacing the old direct fired stored hot water system with a more efficient solar thermal hybrid water heating system and sustainable solution.
Peckforton Castle, built in 1842 and completed in 1851, is a Victorian country house constructed in the style of a medieval castle. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a Grade I listed building. Nestled in woodland near the village of Peckforton on the Cheshire plain, the house has changed ownership many times before it was purchased by the Naylor family in 2006. Since then, the historic building has been repurposed as a popular luxury hotel and spa.
The Problem
Adam Mitchell from A P Mitchell explains, “The brief from the client was to create a more efficient system and reduce the stored water volume to achieve substantial savings in gas fuel consumption. However, the new system still had to meet peak demand in the hotel, spa, and event facilities.”
The Solution
To address these requirements, two HDC 1500i units were linked to solar panels as the main hot water heating source by contractor A P Mitchell. This setup leverages solar thermal for water heating, ensuring that the system is both efficient and environmentally friendly. Rinnai’s HDC1500i is an award-winning range of continuous flow water heating units that reliably meet these demands. The range was developed to guarantee the maximum amount of affordable, ecologically friendly, and safe-temperature controlled hot water, on demand at any time, even for the busiest commercial user. The Rinnai 1500i is engineered to the highest standard and is technologically advanced with a host of features that add value.
“Rinnai condensing continuous flow water heaters are low NOx, achieving less than 50mg/kWh with gross efficiencies of 96-97%. The appliances can deliver in excess of 960 litres per hour at a 50° degree rise, and all our units are A-rated within ErP.”
Chris Goggin, Rinnai UK
Both Rinnai HDC1500i internal and external units boast an impressive energy performance of 105% nett efficiency. A major onsite benefit has been the savings on fuel over other forms of water heating solutions. This efficiency is achieved by the added advantage that Rinnai systems will only raise the temperature of the water if required. These smart condensing water heaters will only increase the temperature by the precise amount needed, ensuring that any solar gains are maximised and ‘boosted’ by a secondary heat source. This guarantees the optimisation of both technologies, making it a true hybrid water heating system.
Rinnai hot water heating products and systems are intelligent, fully modulating units, offering an output range from 58kW down to 2.4kW. They only use as much gas as needed to bring the required volume of water to temperature. For example, if the solar panel array can only achieve a temperature of 40°C within the stored water instead of the required 60°C, and there is a demand on the system of 15 litres a minute, the fully modulating intelligent Rinnai unit will increase the temperature by the required 20°C (±1°C) while only using the required 21kW. If the demand drops to 5 litres per minute, the heater will modulate down accordingly to an output of 7kW.
As demonstrated, a Rinnai unit used as a gas booster for solar thermal systems will not only maximise solar gain but will also use the correct amount of energy for the demand at the time. The rest of the time, the unit remains inactive. Fossil fuel is only used when the renewable thermal energy store is below its set-point, thus reducing dependency on fossil fuels and lowering CO2 emissions.
According to Chris Goggin, “Rinnai 1500i units represent the best value-for-money commercial hot water solution on the market today. They are delivered direct to site in one complete, easy-to-manage package, ensuring that our customers and end users have an effortless experience.”
By integrating solar thermal for water heating with a hybrid water heating system, Rinnai has provided Peckforton Castle with a state-of-the-art solution that meets their efficiency and sustainability goals. This installation not only enhances the operational efficiency of the historic site but also aligns with modern environmental standards, ensuring that Peckforton Castle remains a luxurious and eco-friendly destination for years to come.
