Ballyliffin Lodge and Spa Hotel in Co Donegal is a 40-bedroom 4* hotel with Spa/Leisure facilities and swimming pool. Being one of the busiest hotels in the North West it is a large energy user for heating and hot water. This high heat/hot water demand was being met by fossil fuel oil boilers. The hotel owners were keen to improve the Hotel’s green credentials with a focus on sustainability and reducing their carbon emissions, their business would have been facing substantial annual carbon taxes. The hotel was also eligible for a grant from the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) – their SSRH (Support Scheme for Renewable Heat) a 15 year payback grant scheme enabled them to make the switch to a renewable energy source and recoup the investment needed to make that change in a very short space of time.
Ballyliffin Lodge & Spa
Project Name: Ballyliffin Lodge & Spa, Ballyliffin, Co Donegal
Our company was contracted to install a heating system which would integrate with their existing heating system. It consisted of following system elements:
- Herz Firematic 499 Biomass Boiler (Wood Chip)
- A 50 cubic metre (15 tonne) wood chip fuel store (2m high x 5m x 6m) adjoining to the biomass plantroom is used to hold wood chip fuel for the 499kW boiler. Fuel is transferred via horizontal spring agitator from the fuel store and fed to the boiler via a screw conveyor. The operation of the conveyer is automatically controlled by the boiler controls.
- Installation of 15,000 L Accumulation Tank
- Expansion Vessels
- Energy Saving Pumps
- Thermal Insulation of the Heating Pipework System- insulated pumps & valve covers
- Pipework connecting biomass boiler plantroom in Warehouse building to heated buildings will be buried pre-insulated REHAU Rauvitherm Pipe
- Plate heat exchanger
- BMS Automated Controls to maximise efficiency and generate reports
Ballyliffin Lodge and Spa Hotel approached us to help improve their current heating system with the focus on reducing reliance on fossil fuels, improving sustainability and mitigating the cost of carbon tax. At present carbon tax is €56 per tonne of C02 which will rise annually until 2030 when it will be €100 per tonne. The biomass installation will have an annual CO2 saving of up to 250 tonnes. It was important that any installation was carried out with minimal disruption to the hotel. The hotel will benefit from the SSRH grant (annual payments for 15 years) so it was important to have a reliable service and maintenance team. CHP Mechanical Services Ltd have been installing commercial biomass since 2013 and these boilers continue to be serviced and maintained. Using only proven, reliable manufacturers ensures that parts can always be replaced and we carry a large stock of parts for the biomass.
Biomass heating is a carbon-neutral fuel type that not only matches the energy efficiency of gas or oil but also sets itself apart as a green and renewable source of energy. Unlike fossil fuels, biomass heating contributes to a reduced carbon footprint, making it an environmentally responsible choice. One of the key advantages of biomass heating is its ability to provide consistent heating and hot water, even for large spaces or multi-roomed buildings like hotels.
Running one of the busiest Hotel’s in the Northwest comes with its challenges! We need Companies that we can rely on. Companies that will answer the phone when in need and those who are proactive enough to foresee and outline any possible areas of future failure. Downtime in a busy Hotel is arguably the worst thing you can have. Thankfully, we take great care and attention when introducing new Companies to our Hotel. We do thorough research and don’t jump into anything quickly. With this in mind, we were led to John Smyth and CHP Mechanical. John and the Team shone brightly over the competition in many ways and we are genuinely confident that we have the right Team in place for our Project. John was eager, professional and always keeping us informed of Project updates. We have arguably one of the best installations in the country and we are very happy to continue our current relationship with them. CHP were great throughout planning and installation and are continuing to be there for us with after care and support. We are over a year into our relationship with CHP now. I can genuinely say that I have great faith in them and that we are proud to be working and associated with them.
Ron Kerrigan
Hotel General Manager
