ATuAire, a company belonging to Iberdrola España, is promoting sustainable climate control at the Hotel Intelier Orange in Benicàssim
- It has replaced natural gas with a heat pump-based solution that enables the complete electrification of cooling, heating and domestic hot water production.
- The hotel has become more competitive by reducing its energy costs by around 43% and virtually eliminating the CO₂ emissions associated with thermal generation.
The Hotel Intelier Orange in Benicàssim has undertaken an ambitious project to completely renovate its heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and thermal energy production systems, taking a decisive step towards a more efficient and sustainable model aligned with the tourism sector’s decarbonisation goals.
The project, carried out in collaboration with ATuAire, an Iberdrola España company and a leading provider of electrification and energy-efficient climate control solutions, has completely replaced the natural gas boilers and traditional system with a solution based on high-efficiency heat pumps.
The hotel's new heating system, located next to the Municipal Festival Grounds, relies on a combination of advanced technologies that comprehensively meet all the building's energy needs. The installation incorporates air-to-water heat pumps for the main heating and cooling requirements as well as high-temperature water-to-water heat pumps for domestic hot water (DHW) production.
All of this is complemented by a four-pipe production and distribution system, which enables the simultaneous generation of cooling and heating according to demand in the different areas of the establishment.
Thanks to this configuration, the complex can now heat and cool both its rooms and communal areas with high seasonal efficiency, ensuring guest comfort all year round. Furthermore, the system enables 100% of domestic hot water to be produced without the need for fossil fuels, representing a structural transformation in the establishment's energy management.
One of the project's key distinguishing features is the incorporation of internal energy recovery systems. This technology enables the system to reuse the heat generated during cooling processes to power other building services such as heating or domestic hot water. Thus, when the hotel operates in cooling mode — particularly during periods of high occupancy — the system harnesses the heat that was previously dissipated into the outside environment for DHW production, drastically reducing the energy consumption required.
This energy recovery achieves its maximum efficiency during the high season when there is a high demand for both cooling and domestic hot water. Under these conditions, domestic hot water is produced at virtually no additional energy cost, optimising the overall performance of the system to the full and enhancing the hotel's operational sustainability.
Increased competitiveness
From an economic perspective, the project's impact is equally significant. The implementation of this solution – which is based on high-efficiency heat pumps – enables the hotel to reduce its energy and maintenance costs associated with air conditioning, domestic hot water and system operation by approximately 43%.
In relative terms, the hotel now bears around 57% of the costs it previously incurred whilst maintaining and even improving the level of service and comfort offered to its guests. These savings result from several key factors including the high efficiency of heat pumps compared to traditional systems, their ability to produce both cooling and heating simultaneously and the optimisation of energy consumption through internal energy recovery.
Furthermore, the new configuration helps to simplify maintenance operations and optimise the costs associated with the hotel's energy infrastructure. From an environmental perspective, the project represents a significant step forward by eliminating the consumption of natural gas and replacing it with an electric system powered by renewable energy. In this way, the Hotel Intelier Orange reduces direct CO₂ emissions associated with heat production to virtually zero, positioning the establishment as a benchmark for sustainability within the hospitality sector.
Through this initiative, ATuAire by Iberdrola España reinforces its role as a strategic partner in the energy transition of the tourism sector, demonstrating how electrification via heat pumps enables hotel assets to simultaneously improve their efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness.
The project thus stands as a tangible example of innovation in practice, where technology not only optimises operating costs but also enhances the customer experience and actively contributes to the transition towards a cleaner and more efficient energy model.
Furthermore, the establishment has recently launched in partnership with Iberdrola España a charging infrastructure for electric vehicles equipped with a dual 50 kilowatts (kW) charging point with capacity for two vehicles as well as another single 50 kW charger and a dual 22 kW charger which will allow up to four electric cars to be charged simultaneously.