Reliable hot water at Elly Lukas Beauty Therapy College

Located in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, Elly Lukas is an accredited TAFE college for beauty. The building consists of five levels, with hot water being used to service a total of 30 shower heads, and additional amenities on every level. Each level used to have it’s own 315L electric storage water heater however the students’ were continually running out of hot water. Building & business owner Alex approached Kevin Ranalli from Thermann Commercial to find a solution.

“I want a reliable, efficient solution that will stand the test of time, and service my students hot water demands.”

Alex, Building and business owner, Elly Lukas

It was agreed the best solution was to service the entire building using a central plant, Thermann Commercial gas water heater system with a solar preheat on a ring main. The system compromised of 8 x 30 evacuated tube collectors with 4 x 400L solar storage tanks feeding a bank of 4 x 32L high efficiency condensing heaters, into 2 x 400L finishing tanks. Thermann Commercial systems can be provided in modular components which are assembled onsite once in place. That was ideal for Elly Lukas given it’s built up inner city location.

Gas pipe sizing was increased and flow & return lines installed to connect to each level, reducing wait time at the hot outlets as well saving water from being wasted. Alex wanted to future proof the solar hot water plant by oversizing it relative to current requirements.

The Thermann Commercial 32L models feature condensing technology, including dual heat exchangers for up to 96.5% efficiency compared to standard noncondensing water heaters which are only 85% efficient. He insisted on the Thermann evacuated tubes due to their higher life span backed 15 year warranty, and their superior heating performance in cooler climates.

The 8 banks of evacuated tubes provide a summer peak output of 103.2kWh, helping to offset both water heating costs and ring main losses too.

Alex has opted to add a system controller and a solar datalogger to the water heating plant, putting information regarding the system performance and operating status at his fingertips. As the college only operates Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm, the ring main pumps were connected to his BMS on a timer so they only run at these times to save more energy.

Thermann Commercial Continuous flow models feature robust, commercial grade heat exchangers and are available in 28L, 32L & 50L/min sizes. Thermann evacuated solar tubes and commercial storage tanks are also available to support installations using these primary heating sources. For more information, visit your local Reece branch or download the Thermann Commercial Guide.