Are you looking for a solution for your industry or do you have a technical problem that needs solving?
For the Valamar Padova Hotel in Banjol on the island of Rab, MB Frigo Grupa supplied a Haier cascade high-temperature heat pump with a total capacity of 540 kW – a solution that produces high-temperature water from the renewable energy of the ambient air.
About the project: Valamar Padova Hotel, Rab
Valamar Padova Hotel is a 4-star hotel on the sandy beach in Banjol, overlooking the old town of Rab. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, a family pool with slides, a wellness and spa centre, a fitness area and restaurants with Mediterranean cuisine. The hotel is operated by Valamar Riviera, which emphasises sustainability – electricity from renewable sources, an on-site solar power plant and environmental and energy management certificates (ISO 14001, ISO 50001).
More about the hotel: Valamar Padova Hotel – official website.
Why a high-temperature heat pump in hotels
Hotels with pools and wellness facilities have constant and peak demand for hot water, and for hygiene reasons domestic hot water must be kept at no less than 60 °C (protection against legionella). Conventional air-to-water heat pumps lose efficiency at these temperatures, which is why hotels long relied on fossil-fuel boilers.
Solution: Haier cascade high-temperature heat pump
A cascade heat pump works in two stages connected in series. The first stage (air-to-water) takes heat from the outdoor air and raises it to an intermediate temperature level. The second stage (water-to-water) raises this heat further to the high temperature required for domestic hot water and high-temperature heating systems. Because each stage operates in a narrower temperature range, the system reaches high flow temperatures with better efficiency than a single-stage unit.
What this means for designers and investors:
- High water temperatures – suitable for domestic hot water and for existing radiator systems, without boiler back-up.
- Replacing fossil-fuel boilers – heating without on-site combustion and without direct (Scope 1) CO₂ emissions.
- Modularity – cascading several units achieves the required capacity (540 kW in this project) and redundancy while one unit is being serviced.
- Lower operating costs – most of the heat delivered comes from the ambient air, not from purchased energy.
- Alignment with ESG goals – combined with renewable electricity and an on-site solar plant, the system supports the decarbonisation of the building.
Why Haier and MB Frigo Grupa
Haier is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of air-conditioning equipment and heat pumps, with commercial solutions for hotels, office and public buildings. As a distributor of Haier equipment, MB Frigo Grupa provides technical support for designers in selecting and sizing systems, equipment supply, and support with commissioning and maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cascade high-temperature heat pump?
It is a heat pump with two stages (air-to-water and water-to-water) connected in series, which produces high-temperature water for heating and domestic hot water from the outdoor air.
Is a cascade heat pump suitable for hotels?
Yes. Hotels use large amounts of domestic hot water that must be kept at no less than 60 °C, and a cascade system reaches these temperatures without a fossil-fuel boiler.
