ASHRAE Journal - July 2023 - 79

Suppliers' New Product Preview Advertising Section
Luxury Hotel Balances Sustainability and Cost
In 1897, long before Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, sprawled together to form the Twin Cities, developer George
Henry Andrews built an agricultural equipment warehouse in the now-hip North Loop neighborhood, just west of
the Mississippi River. Today, the brick and hand-hewn timber building stands as one of the finest luxury hotels in
Minneapolis. It served many other purposes throughout its history, but none as illustrious as housing the
124-room Hewing Hotel.
" Minneapolis is a town of temperature extremes, " said Tom Suek,
director of facilities at Hewing Hotel. " The comfort of hotel guests
can't be approached in an offhanded manner. " Before the $38
Million renovation began, careful consideration was given to the
heating and cooling system that would serve the hotel. Reducing
energy use is certainly prudent, but environmental goals needed to
be carefully balanced against
the responsiveness of the
HVAC system specified.
Being " green " also attracts guests, especially the affluent type. The
looming question for the developers was whether minimizing the
building's carbon footprint was counter-productive to providing
premium comfort while limiting upfront costs. This is especially true
in a 126-year-old, 116,000-square-foot structure.
In consulting with the developer on HVAC system selection, the sales
engineer explored numerous options for the Hewing Hotel's HVAC system, including water source heat pumps,
two- and four-pipe hydronic systems, PTAC units, VRF heat pumps, and IPS (integrated piping system).
PTAC units, while offering the lowest initial cost, were dismissed quickly
because of their inefficiency, noise, and visual detraction from the interior
space. Two-pipe hydronic systems, while efficient and long-lived, lacked
the ability to heat one zone while
simultaneously cooling another.
Water-source heat pumps and fourpipe
hydronic systems were strong
contenders due to their inherent
efficiency and comfort but were
ultimately eliminated due to high upfront costs. VRF systems offered a
middle-of-the-road alternative for initial cost, but lacked the system lifecycle
that hotel management was seeking. The efficiency of VRF heat pumps in a
northern climate also came into question.
" The customer kept coming back to the IPS fan coil system made by Williams, " he said. " It had the right price
tag, and it offered system longevity and the ability to simultaneously heat and cool adjacent zones without
placing noisy equipment in the guest room. The fact that an IPS system would reduce the hotel's use of refrigerants
was icing on the cake. "
To learn more about the successful installation of Williams IPS at the Hewing
Hotel, visit www.wfc-fc.com/comfort for the complete case study
Made in the U.S.A. since 1916

http://www.wfc-fc.com/comfort

ASHRAE Journal - July 2023

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