Solution
NHA range with R290: sustainable upgrade, energy consumption optimization and efficient integration into existing systems
Within the framework of the energy refurbishment of a modern hospitality facility located in the Milan area, HiRef supplied a high-efficiency solution for the production of domestic hot water and for heating the building’s utilities.
The project is particularly significant as it represents one of the company’s first installations in Italy using propane technology, providing tangible evidence of its commitment to the adoption of natural refrigerants with low GWP.
The solution enabled the effective integration of sustainable and reliable technologies into an existing system, ensuring service continuity and a significant optimization of energy consumption.
The supply included two air-to-water heat pumps from the NHA range, for a total installed capacity of 350 kW.
The units, based on the natural refrigerant R290 with a GWP of 3, are equipped with EC fans, four compressors on two refrigerant circuits and a Low Noise configuration, features that ensure high operational efficiency and reduced acoustic impact.
In addition, they operate according to a master-slave logic, charging a buffer tank on the primary circuit to maintain stable production temperature. The system feeds two separate heat exchangers: the first dedicated to high-temperature domestic hot water production (above 65°C), and the second serving the heating of a swimming pool and the air handling unit plant connected to the same load.
Propane technology proved to be particularly suitable for the planned plant layout, ensuring high performance and efficient operation even with the high temperature set point required.
This project confirms the increasingly central role of propane in the contemporary HVAC landscape, where the transition towards natural refrigerants represents a strategic lever to combine environmental impact reduction and compliance with European regulations, while maintaining high standards of energy efficiency.
At the same time, the adoption of R290 requires an integrated design approach and careful management of safety-related aspects, which are essential to ensure operational reliability and the full integration of this technology into modern systems.
To explore in greater depth the potential, applications and safety aspects related to the use of propane, download the dedicated white paper by clicking here!