Optimizing Energy Efficiency with

VRV Heat Recovery Hot Water

System for Hotel Application
9/3/2022
 Introduction

• There are various systems or methods to generate hot water for hotel
but today we will only discuss for 3 systems:

i. Water Heating Heatpump (Air-to-Water Type)

ii. Water heating via heat recovery from air conditioning unit-cooling only model
(Optimized for Asean Market)
iii. Water heating via air-conditioning (HR). Require HR unit and Hydro Box (common
for four seasons countries)

HR unit

or

Water Heating Condenser Unit Heat exchanger Condenser Unit Hydro box
Heatpump

i ii iii

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 Notes

• Heatpump in water heating ≠ Heatpump in air-conditioning:

• Heatpump in water heating is alike our air-conditioning system in “cooling mode”

takes heat from indoor then discharge to outdoor but in reverse direction.
Heatpump takes heat from ambient and discharge the heat to FCU-hot water
storage tank.

• Heatpump in air-conditioning means the AC system is able to operate Cooling or

Heating Mode (Only 1 mode at a time), this is common in four seasons countries.

• Heat recovery hot water system ≠ Heat recovery air-conditioning:

• Heat recovery in hot water system here means harvesting waste heat from
condenser unit and stored in hot water tank. The hot water is used for shower etc.

• Heat recovery in air-conditioning means the AC system is able to operate Cooling

and Heating Mode simultaneously with the help of HR unit or BS box, this is
common in 4 seasons countries.

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1. Water Heating Heatpump
May/2020

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 Water Heating Heatpump

• Heatpump in water heating is alike our air-conditioning system in

“cooling mode” takes heat from indoor then discharge to outdoor but in
reverse direction. Heatpump takes heat from ambient and discharge
the heat to FCU-hot water storage tank. Outgoing
Water
Ambient 55~65oC
Air 35oC
Absorb
q
outdoor heat
EEV

Evaporator
Water outlet
30~65oC
Heat Pump
Hot Water Ambient
Large Capacity Air 35oC
Plate Heat q
Exchanger

Compressor
+
+
Compressor
Water inlet & outlet Compressor
Work,
Work,
W
W
Water outlet Water inlet Incoming Water inlet
30~65oC 25~55oC Water 25~55oC
25~30oC
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 Water Heating Heatpump

• Simple (Operate independent of air-conditioning unit).

• Heatpump COP = 3.6~4. Higher ambient, higher heatpump COP
(Example 1kW of electricity = 3.6~4kW of water heating capacity).
VRV Heatpump

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 Water Heating Heatpump

• Heatpump sizing (100 rooms business hotel dual occupancy)

• Daily hot water requirement
= 100 rooms x 2 persons x 2 showers/day x 32L hot water@60oC x 100% occupancy
= 12,800L/day

• Equivalent water heating capacity (mdot x c x dT) include ring line losses 20%
= 12,800L/day/3600s x 4.18kJ/kg.K x (333.15-300.15)K x 120%
= 589kWh/day

• Assume the Heatpump operate 10hrs/day to produce 589kWh/day, heat pump size
= 589kWh/day divide by 10hrs
= 58.9kW

• Each day hot water usage has 2 peaks or 4hours (7am-9am; 6pm-8pm), each peak
= 589kWh/2 peaks
= 294.5kW/peak

• Hot water tank size

= (294.5kW – (58.9kWx2)) x 3600s / 4.18kJ/kg.K / (333.15-300.15)K
= 4611.57L

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2. Water Heating via Heat Recovery
May/2020

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Water Heating via Heat Recovery

• Daikin innovative product

- harvesting “Free Heat”
from condenser unit
(compressor superheat).

• Optimized for Asean

Market.

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 Water Heating via Heat Recovery
R410a P-h chart Schematic
Q1
Incoming water
P Compressor discharge Condenser 20oC - 55oC
temperature 75oC - 95oC
Q1
Close
Q2
Q2 Q2
Heat Exchanger
EXV

w w
q
Evaporator
h
q

• Heat available for recovery is the heat that is removed from the room
or space, q + heat available due to the compression of the
refrigerant in the compressor. It would be desirable to reclaim this
heat in a usable form. The best form of heat recovery is for heating
water.
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 Water Heating via Heat Recovery

• Every VRV-HRHW module is able to connect to one or maximum two

Daikin Serpentine Heat Exchanger.

Serpentine Heat Exchanger

VRV-HRHW
Serpentine Heat
Exchanger

Hot refrigerant/
compressor discharge

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 Water Heating via Heat Recovery

• Integrating Daikin VRV-HRHW and Daikin Serpentine Heat Exchanger

into water heating system

Hot refrigerant Hot refrigerant Hot refrigerant

piping piping piping

Hot Water
Tank

Circulation pump

Note: Above illustration water piping is reverse return concept with centralize pump, other design is possible depends on site requirements.
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 Centralized Hot Water System

Centralized Hot Water

Heatpump Tank

 In a conventional hotel hot

Fresh Water Inlet 27oC
water system, heatpump
generates heat and stored in
centralized hot water tank.
Hot Water
Outlet 65oC  The hot water stored is ever-
ready to be use for normal
shower, basin, bath tub,
kitchen or laundry.

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 Hybrid Centralized Hot Water System

Heatpump

Fresh Water Inlet 27oC

Centralized Hot Water Tank

Hot Water Outlet

60-65oC

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 Water Heating via Heat Recovery

• In a hotel application, the building could Hot Water tank VRV-HRHW

have mixed of VRV-HRHW and VRV A/X.
HEx
The tips to select VRV system for heat Pump

recovery:

• Select VRV system with high operation load

and working hour. For example, fresh air unit
(OAPU or AHU), 24hrs-lobby & corridor and
office.

• Hot water tank, VRV-HRHW condenser units

and heat exchanger are in 1 place. This is to
minimize heat loss in long water/refrigerant
piping.
OAPU
• The hot water tank is a “rechargeable battery”.
A bigger tank will have high opportunity to
store energy (average each person shower 8
minutes but use hours of air-conditioning). But
not to oversize hot water tank as it will cause
long hour to reach set water temperature.
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 Water Heating via Heat Recovery

• Calculation for heat recovery (100 rooms business hotel dual occupancy)

• Equivalent water heating capacity (mdot x c x dT) include ring line losses 20%
= 589kWh/day

• Equipment for heat recovery (Below are example only)

= System 1 - RWHQ24TASYM for OAPU (Fresh air for guest room).
= System 2 - RWHQ24TASYM for 24hrs lobby and corridor.

• Potential heat recovery

= 120.72kWh x 4 (4 numbers of RWHQ12TAYM)

= 482.88kWh

• Heat recovery ratio

= 482.88kWh/589kWh = 82%
(the heat recovery 482.88kWh is insufficient for daily demand of 589kWh. Therefore need another
system to support the balance, example a small heatpump or backup electric heater. In his case, I
choose backup electric heater due estimated hotel occupancy 80% and costing).

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Water Heating via Heat Recovery
• Daily hot water requirement
= 12,800L/day

• Propose hot water hot tank size (40~50% of daily)

= 12,800L x 45%
= 5760L (Equivalent water heating capacity = 220.7kWh)

• Each day hot water usage has 2 peaks (7am-9am; 6pm-8pm), each peak
= 294.5kW/peak

• Electric heater sizing @ peak demand

= (Peak heating capacity - Tank capacity + Heat recovery in 2hrs)/2hrs
= (294.5kWh - 220.7kWh - 4x(4.59+5.25)kWh)/2hrs
= 17.2kW (See below illustration) Outgoing hot water around 60oC
Required 294.5kWh at peak 7am-9am

Heat
Recovery Hot water
39.36kWh tank
5760L/
220.7kWh Return line
Water pumps Electric heater
34.4kWh
During Peak Incoming water around 27oC
7am-9am
2 hrs* 17
 Comparison

• Example 100 rooms hotel dual occupancy with 24hp fresh air and
24hp for lobby & corridor.

System Standard VRV + Water Heatpump VRV-HRHW + Water Heatpump +

Details 2x24HP Standard VRV A
(Exclude VRV system for 1x58.9kW Water Heatpump
guest rooms) 4611L Hot Water Tank
Circulation water pumps
Initial cost–supply & install VRV (RM5500/T) = RM220,000
(Budgetary, excl. plumbing HW (RM1900/room) = RM190,000
work at bath room) TTL=RM410,000
Estimated operating cost VRV A = Approx. RM108,800
(Annually) Heatpump = Approx. RM27,400
Estimated equipment
TBA
service (Annually)
ROI
(Benchmark Standard VRV A NA
+ Water heatpump)
Remarks • Simplest.
• Smaller tank size.
• No free heat, expected higher
operating cost.
Serpentine HEx
2x24HP VRV-HRHW
1x27.4kW Water Heatpump
5760L Hot Water Tank
Circulation water pumps
Heat Exchangers
VRV,HEx (RM5850/T) = RM234,000
HW (RM2200/room) = RM220,000
TTL=RM454,000 (RM44,000 extra)
VRV HRHW = Approx. RM115,200
Heatpump = Approx. RM17,200
TBA
11.6
• Simple to moderate in system
setup.
• Free heat energy.
• No heat if AC not operates.

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 Comparison

• Example 100 rooms hotel dual occupancy with 24hp fresh air and
24hp for lobby & corridor.

System Standard VRV + Water Heatpump VRV-HRHW + Water Heatpump +

3rd party BPHE
Details 2x24HP Standard VRV A 2x24HP VRV-HRHW
(Exclude VRV system for 1x58.9kW Water Heatpump 1x17.2kW Electric Heater
guest rooms) 4611L Hot Water Tank 5760L Hot Water Tank
Circulation water pumps Circulation water pumps
Heat Exchangers
Initial cost–supply & install VRV (RM5500/T) = RM220,000 VRV,HEx (RM5850/T) = RM234,000
(Budgetary, excl. plumbing HW (RM1900/room) = RM190,000 HW (RM2050/room) = RM205,000
work at bath room) TTL=RM410,000 TTL=RM439,000 (RM29,000 extra)
Estimated operating cost VRV A = Approx. RM108,800 VRV HRHW = Approx. RM115,200
@100% occupancy Heatpump = Approx. RM27,400 Heater = Approx. RM19,700**
(Annually)
ROI
(Benchmark Standard VRV A
+ Water heatpump)
NA 1.4
22.3

Remarks • Simplest. • Simple to moderate in system

• Smaller tank size. setup.
• No free heat, expected higher • Free heat energy.
operating cost. • No heat if AC not operates.

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 Appendix
VRV Power Consumption:
• RWHQ24TASYM: (558.32+61.92)kWh x 365days x RM0.509/kWh = RM103,727.5
• RXQ24AMYM: (523.7+61.92)kWh x 365days x RM0.509/kWh = RM97,295.6

Power Consumption for hot water generation:

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 Summary

• There is no right or wrong in above 2 options as all above are able to

meets customer’s requirement of provide cooling via air-conditioning
system and generation of hot water.
• However, we should consider an optimized system example higher
efficiency system with accepted cost, simpler system, safety and etc.,
for the case study of 100 rooms hotel, I would suggest to choose
Daikin VRV Heat Recovery Hot Water System.
• Brand reputation and service quality are other factor you might need
to consider.

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 Project
References
Hotel with VRV-
HRHW
Palm Hotel
Ipoh

• Model : VRV IV HRHW

• Total HP : 60 HP (3 modules)

• Completion : 2017

VRV-HRHW (Heat Recovery Hot Water System) provides

conditioned air to lobby, corridor and 36 guestrooms.
During air-conditioning operation, the free heat is
recovered and stored in thermal storage tank, then use for
guest hot water shower.
Quay Hotel
Penang
• Model : VRV IV

: VRV HRHW

• Total HP : 600 HP (41 modules)

• Control System : iTM

• Completion : 2019

Fresh Air AHU and VRV HRHW is use for heat recovery due
to 24hours operation and high heat load from ambient.
The heat recovery mechanism provide free energy to hot
water tank thus reduce electricity usage for hot water
system.
Park Inn Hotel
Selangor

• Model : VRV A

: VRV HRHW

• Total HP : 848 HP (63 units)

• Control System : iTM

• Completion : 2020

The hotel is using VRV A and VRV HRHW for heat recovery
(Lobby, Meeting Room and FA unit). VRV system used due
to energy saving and comfort (VRT Technology).
Salam Hospital
Senawang
• Model : VRV A

: VRV HRHW

• Total HP : 218 HP (19 units)

• Control System : iTM

• Completion : 2020

VRV for renovation area (level 4&5 wad) while building

level below to continue operation, minimum disturbance is
require during the installation. Common area 24hr
operation (lobby and corridor) use VRV-HRHW to recover
heat and store in thermal storage tank to be used for hot
water shower.
 Q&A

Thank You
https://www.daikin.com.my/