InterContinental Aqaba — 70% Lower Operating Cost with Diesel Backup Retained
At InterContinental Aqaba, the challenge was to reduce the cost of domestic hot water, pool, and jacuzzi heating in a fully operational resort without interrupting service or sacrificing the reliability provided by the existing diesel system.
Rather than replacing the entire system, a hybrid strategy was implemented. Heat pumps were sized to serve the base thermal load, while the existing diesel boilers were retained for peak demand and emergency operation. The system included four heat pump units with a total installed capacity of 372 kW.
Performance was verified over a 12-month period by comparing utility bills and operating data against the pre-conversion baseline for the same thermal loads. The measured results demonstrated a 70% reduction in operating cost, corresponding to approximately 622,000 kWh of energy savings according to the project data.
Challenges
Reducing the cost of domestic hot water, pool, and jacuzzi heating in a continuously operating resort without disrupting service or compromising the reliability and backup capability of the existing diesel system, while managing both base and peak thermal loads.
Solutions
A hybrid strategy was selected instead of full system replacement. Heat pumps were engineered to cover the base thermal load efficiently, while the existing diesel boilers were retained for peak demand and emergency backup.
The system included four heat pump units with a total installed capacity of 372 kW, integrated with the existing infrastructure to balance operating-cost reduction, reliability, and a lower capital investment than full replacement.
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