The Salthouse Hotel Northern Ireland

Nature-powered heat pumps play key role at pioneering eco-hotel.

Five 16kW Daikin Altherma high temperature heat pumps – powered entirely by natural energy – comfortably meet the heating and hot water needs of Northern Ireland’s first eco-hotel.

The 24-bedroom Salthouse Hotel, newly built on a hillside behind the town of Ballycastle, is a monument to renewable energy – reflecting its owners’ strong commitment to sustainability wherever possible.

It combines heat energy from the atmosphere with electricity generated from wind and sunlight to set a high ‘green’ standard and make it one of the most sustainable and smartest hotels in the UK.

Nature-powered heat pumps play key role at pioneering eco-hotel

The three-phase Daikin Altherma HT heat pumps installed at the Salthouse deliver water at 80 degrees C without electrical heating. This is achieved through a twostage compression process: there are R410A refrigerant circuits in the outdoor units and R134A circuits in the corresponding indoor units.

The Daikin units run as necessary to maintain the set temperature in a 5,000 litre buffer tank, from which water is pumped continuously round the hotel’s 5-inch ringmain, containing a further 2,000 litres.

“The heat pump installation is designed to meet the heaviest demands on the heating water circuit. Early results were good, and we are confident that it will perform well during winter.”

Wayne Hutton, Director for Tri-Power

The ring main supplies underfloor heating arrays in public areas, radiators in guest rooms and individual heat interface units that deliver domestic hot water on demand to bathrooms. It also provides heat to the spa.

Emergency backup for the heating circuit is available from a 200kW gas boiler and a separate 2,000 litre buffer tank.

The Daikin systems were installed by Belfast-based Daikin specialist Tri-Power Environmental Energy.

Equally confident is Pearse McHenry, who heads the family’s renewables activities. He says: “With the combination of technology, insulation and capital allowances, the investment in sustainability at the Salthouse could pay for itself within five years.