CASE STUDY
Titanic Belfast, Beautifully Designed Inside & Out.
The iconic exterior of the Titanic Belfast building is world renowned but under the cover, the infrastructure is just as beautifully and thoughtfully designed. Titanic Belfast on-site engineers continuously monitor and refine their energy expenditure and efficiency. Thankfully, the mechanical design between the walls and under the floors is state of the art. Energy efficiency was, and still is at the core of how Titanic Belfast is operated and managed.
Hot Water Specification
The original specification of the M&E Engineers required a Stainless-steel Hot Water Cylinder. Copper Industries met the high specification requirements and won the competitive tender process. Their Stainless-steel system was installed during construction and operational for the grand opening back in 2012.
After 10 years, the Stainless-steel Cylinder was coming to the end of its life cycle. This posed an opportunity for Titanic Belfast to review the energy consumption and strive for improvements.
Copper Industries proposed their Copper HWG which is more energy efficient and sustainable compared to their stainless-steel model. Furthermore, it has a 25-year warranty. So, in 2022 a new 1500L Copper Hot Water Generator was installed to meet the increasing demands of the World’s Number One Visitor Attraction.
Stainless-Steel Versus Copper
Stainless-steel cylinders have their place but compared to copper, stainless-steel is a man-made material that Mother Nature wants to break down. It is not sustainable. The carbon footprint to manufacture Stainless-steel and transport it is colossal compared to extracting natural Copper. Furthermore, Copper has superior conduction qualities and does not degrade.
Titanic Belfast engineers are striving for Sustainable Operations, the Copper Hot Water Generator is one element of the mechanical structure which helps achieve this goal. There have been notable improvements of boiler usage since the cylinder HWG installation. James from Titanic Belfast comments:
“Boilers are not being used as much due to the efficiency level of the HWG. We have tested in winter when we are using more under floor heating for example, and we are confident there is improvement. We have used Copper Industries from the opening of Titanic Belfast, and we can see how our energy use is being improved”.
Titanic Proportion Hot Water Demands
As you can imagine, the hot water needs of this iconic building are… well Titanic in proportion!
The hot water must regenerate quickly due to the sheer scale of the building and because it is in operation up to 18 hours per day. The 1500L HWG supplies all the galleries, toilets, public blocks, and catering. Commercial Hot Water Generators like this one have a high, constant demand.
The Copper Industries Hot Water Generator not only meets this titanic demand, but it does so in a fashion that makes Titanic Belfast more sustainable, more energy efficient.
The Results
The 1500L HWG is the primary heat source for hot water of the entire Titanic Belfast building. This HWG has seen a massive improvement since its installation.
The water temperature is maintaining a lot better, and it is regenerating a lot quicker. They are using a lot less electrical heating which means the Copper Industries hot water generator is much more energy efficient. Using the Copper Industries HWG makes Titanic Belfast more sustainable.
James from Titanic Belfast says
“Since we have installed the Copper Industries HWG, we don’t lose water, lose pressure, or lose temperature. The 3-degree window for safe water temperature is maintained, we are well within the recommended safety guidelines.”
Copper Industries Service
The initial enquiry from Titanic Belfast to installation was completed within 6 weeks. Because Copper Industries already had equipment onsite and a track record of maintenance and servicing, this new project was executed in a fast pace under the strictest controls.
Copper Industries have supplied continuity in service for over 10 years. “Maintenance and service enquiries are resolved on the day they are raised. With Copper Industries engineers being on-site within hours if necessary” (James, Titanic Belfast).
This exceptional level of service is guaranteed to Copper Industries clients under the 25-year warranty on all our products.
James from Titanic Belfast summaries the quality service;
“I’ve dealt with Copper Industries for many years now. They are very structured in their approach; information is always well documented, and they are very proactive to meet our needs.
The lead time for the 2022 installation was only 6 weeks and yet Copper Industries delivered on time without any issues. Communication is always very straightforward, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with Cathal and the Copper Industries team”.
Legionella
The Titanic Belfast on-site engineers test for Legionella, water temperature and boiler performance daily. Although indirect hot water systems like the Copper HWG in Titanic Belfast doesn’t have standing water, Legionella must be tested for due to government guidelines.
External field temperature testing is performed weekly. Plus, they have a third party who audit risk assessments and monitor temperature checks.
James from Titanic Belfast comments:
“Since we’ve had the Copper Industries system in, we haven’t had a single temperature drop. The boiler regenerates faster and maintains a safe, Legionella free temperature. We are completely assured of public safety”.
Cathal, Director of Copper Industries concludes:
“We are passionate about the Sustainability properties of Copper. As a Northern Ireland manufacturer, we are very focused on improving the environment of our operations. When clients choose Copper, they are choosing a more sustainable Hot Water Generator in terms of carbon footprint. It has natural anti-bacterial properties, and it is 100% recyclable.
Moreover, they are choosing a Hot Water Generator that will conduct heat more efficiently and ultimately save them money on energy bills.
It has been an honour to work with Titanic Belfast. It is really gratifying to work with such a well-known brand. However, we offer this same level of service and passion to all our clients. This is the reason our Cylinders are in many of our local hospitals, schools, businesses as well as residential homes across the region.
We manufacture a quality product, and we back it up with excellent service and warranty”.
