A New Life for a Growing Nordic Spa

For thirteen years, Juan Bilodeau has been building something special at Énergie Spa Nordique.

What began as a small Nordic spa capable of welcoming just fifty guests at a time has evolved into a much larger wellness destination. New spas, saunas, relaxation spaces, and upgraded guest areas have transformed the customer experience. Recent renovations even included a 160-foot indoor reception corridor, allowing visitors to move comfortably between facilities regardless of the weather.

But behind the scenes, growth brought a challenge that every spa owner understands: The rising costs of heating.

Maintaining comfortable temperatures and a reliable hot water supply is not a luxury in a Nordic spa. It is the foundation of the entire guest experience.

Keeping up with that demand was becoming increasingly difficult.

Énergie Spa Nordique was committed to renewable heating long before sustainability became a trend.

From the beginning, the spa operated with biomass-fired hot water boilers. At first, the system worked, but as the business expanded and visitor demand increased, the limitations became obvious.

The operation relied on two wood-fired boilers running at full capacity, day and night.

Even then, it wasn’t enough.

Every five hours someone had to tend the boilers and add fuel. During cold winter nights, alarms often meant getting out of bed and driving to the spa to keep the heat running.

“It was every night.”  Bilodeau recalls. “We had to come in and stoke the fire.”

The workload was exhausting. The costs were equally challenging.

The spa burned approximately two four-foot cords of wood every day, while still relying heavily on propane backup heat to meet demand.

That propane consumption often reached between $2,500 and $3,000 per week.

For a business focused on growth, the heating system had become both a financial burden and a constant source of stress.

Bilodeau wasn’t looking to abandon biomass heating.  He simply wanted a better way to use it.

The goal was clear: find a system that could deliver more heat, operate more efficiently, and require less day-to-day attention.  Most importantly, he wanted a solution that would allow the business to grow without demanding more of his personal time.

“We didn’t want to become slaves to the business,” he says.

That search eventually led him to BT Énergie and the Heizomat automated biomass heating system.

The German-engineered technology promised something the spa’s existing setup could not: automation.

Today, the Heizomat system operates with automated wood-chip fuel handling using augers and conveyors that continuously feed the boiler.

The system monitors itself.

It feeds itself.

It even cleans itself.

For Bilodeau, the change was immediate.

Instead of worrying about whether someone would need to reload fuel in the middle of the night, the heating plant now operates with a level of consistency that simply wasn’t possible before.

“The furnace is self-sufficient,” he explains. “It feeds itself, and it cleans itself too.”

The labour savings are significant, but the operational improvements go even further.

A Nordic spa depends heavily on stable water temperatures. Heat exchangers, domestic hot water tanks, and customer amenities all perform better when hot water temperatures remain consistent.

The automated system delivers exactly that.

“We’ve gained stability,” says Bilodeau. “It’s always nice in a hot-water heating system to have a stable temperature.”

For guests, that means a more reliable experience.

For management, it means confidence.

NRJ Spa Nordique are supported by their local Heizomat Dealer, BT Énergie inc. in St. Joseph de Beauce, PQ.   

Reach out to Marco and the Team if you are in Québec and would like to learn more.