Caravan Club uses CHP to reduce carbon emissions
Combined heat and power using LPG is reducing the primary energy needs of a Caravan Club site in Devon by up to 30%. The Hillhead site in South Devon is using a Dachs CHP unit supplied by Baxi SenerTec to supply heat and power to communal areas and its outdoor swimming pool. Its electrical output of 5.5 kW is used for general electrical and communal lighting for areas such as the bar, restaurant, cafe, games rooms, shop and laundry facilities. The heat output of 12.5 to 15.5 kW is used for space heating and domestic hot water.
By generating heat and electricity from a single source, CHP can achieve fuel efficiencies of 79 to 92%. Fuel is drawn from four 4000 l LPG storage tanks that serve the 22 acre site for heating, hot water and cooking.
David Eley, an independent consulting engineer employed by the Caravan Club to design this project, says, ‘It was very easy to install the unit, and we’ve been impressed with how quiet it is, This is obviously an important required for leisure applications.
‘Where renewable and low-carbon technologies are concerned, you can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. We’ve looked at various technologies for The Caravan Club and have installed different solutions at different locations, as what works well at one site might not be appropriate for another. Fortunately, Hillhead has ideal thermal and electrical base loads for CHP, giving us the opportunity to properly utilise this technology.’
