Thermal activated Headquarter
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
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Project Description
The new headquarters building was constructed with innovative technologies for heating and cooling the office, showroom and storage areas as a lighthouse project for the whole industry. The use of a geothermal probe field for heating the building by means of optimally dimensioned brine/water heat pumps and for passive cooling enables extremely low energy costs. A photovoltaic system covers the electricity demand for the building services and ensures the CO2-free operation of the plant.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
In 2017 the company Haustechnik Steiner completed its new headquarter with innovative technologies for heating and cooling in the office and exhibition areas as a lighthouse project.
In its new building, which was constructed in just nine months, the company paid particular attention to a sophisticated heat pump system that extracts energy from the ground. The use of an earth probe field for heating by means of optimally dimensioned brine/water heat pumps as well as for passive cooling enables particularly low energy costs.
A photovoltaic system with 120kWp covers the electricity demand for the building services and ensures the CO2-free operation of the plant.
Thanks to the consistent use of regenerative forms of energy in this company office, exhibition and warehouse building, the annual savings for heating and cooling compared to the existing building amount to about 90,000 €, even though the available space has increased by more than 30%. In any case, the approximately three percent higher construction costs that the company invested in its building technology pay off. In addition, these costs include the measures required to cool the office and showroom areas because of the constantly rising summer temperatures.
As an absolute market innovation, a specially developed component activation system is used in the false ceilings for heating and cooling, which also comfortably supplies the rooms of the administration wing with heat and cold in connection with suspended ceilings. This solution was developed in cooperation with leading building physicists and represents a great potential in the new construction of industrial buildings, office buildings but also for municipal buildings. As an additional benefit, the room heat dissipated into the ground serves to increase the temperature and thus the efficiency of the borehole heat exchanger field for heating operation.
Key objectives for sustainability
The aim of the project was to enable the new operations building to be as energy-neutral as possible with zero CO2 emissions. As a pilot project, this is intended to serve as a model for other similar operational buildings in the future.
The building is heated by a heat pump cascade with three standard heat pumps, each with 90kW capacity. The energy source is a geothermal probe field with a total drilling depth of 5,400 tfm, which is used for passive cooling (freecooling system) of the office and exhibition wing during the summer months.
The heat extracted from the building completely regenerates the geothermal probes during the cooling period and creates optimal conditions for the start of the heating season. The building heating is efficiently ensured by geothermal heat pumps.
The most essential factor, however, is the building cooling, which was implemented as passive cooling without additional energy input. Combined with building component activation, this is ensured with only one third of the calculated peak load.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
As a medium-sized company, Steiner supplies its installer partners with innovative products for the entire building technology. Whether it's a ventilation system that not only provides fresh air but also heats cost-effectively, or a heat pump that generates warm comfort in the living room almost exclusively through regenerative energies.
Among other things, the new highly efficient and future-oriented company building serves potential customers with a large showroom for information and presentation of alternative energy-efficient building technology.
Key objectives for inclusion
The Steiner company is aware of its social obligations. This is also the reason for the creation of the innovative lighthouse building. In addition to acting as a role model for its customers, who as installers are important multipliers for the installation of ecological, sustainable and forward-looking building technology for end customers, the company also organizes its own guided tours of the building for people from the construction industry on a regular basis. This is intended to ensure that other industries will also be interested in similarly equipped company buildings in the future.
In addition, the Steiner company supports social activities in its local community of Bergheim, such as the renovation and maintenance of the old organ in the Bergheim parish church.
Results in relation to category
The building is heated by a heat pump cascade with three standard heat pumps, each with 90kW output. The energy source is an earth probe field with a total drilling depth of 5,400 tfm, which is used for passive cooling (freecooling system) of the office and exhibition wing during the summer months. The heat extracted from the building completely regenerates the geothermal probes during the cooling period and creates optimal conditions for the start of the heating season.
The building cooling was implemented as passive cooling without additional energy input. Combined with building component activation, this is ensured with only one third of the calculated peak load.
The additional costs compared to conventional solutions amount to only 3% of the total construction sum.
How Citizens benefit
The Steiner company is interested in a good connection with the residents and the local community. The construction of the company building will not affect the local residents by any emissions for energy generation for heating or cooling.
Innovative character
As an absolute market innovation, a specially developed component activation system is used in the false ceilings for heating and cooling: Suspended ceilings which comfortably supplies the rooms of the administration wing with heat and cold was developed in cooperation with leading building physicists and represents a great potential in the new construction of industrial buildings, office buildings but also for municipal buildings.
Particularly low flow temperatures for activating the false ceilings enable extremely efficient use of heat pumps. All office and exhibition rooms are tempered in an energy-efficient manner using the earth's cold via passive cooling modules in a temperature range of 22-24°C.
As an additional benefit, the room heat dissipated into the ground serves to increase the temperature and thus the efficiency of the borehole heat exchanger field for heating. A coefficient of performance of the heat pumps greater than 6 leads to extremely low energy consumption.
A photovoltaic system with 120kWp covers the electricity demand for the building services on balance and ensures CO2-free operation of the system. The charging cycles of the electric forklifts were also adapted to the availability of PV electricity.
