WELCOME TO OUR FACILITY: KRONOTERM HEADQUARTERS OR A LIVING EXHIBITION OF HEAT PUMPS?

One of the unique features of the heating system in the KRONOTERM building is that, in addition to its technical role, it also serves as a living exhibition of heating with KRONOTERM heat pumps. Upon entering the building, visitors are first greeted by a large exhibition space where they can view timeless models of KRONOTERM heat pumps. But the real surprise awaits around the corner – an open machinery room, which functions as part of the exhibition space, where visitors can witness firsthand the operation of the internal units of the heat pumps. While a machinery room is typically located in a hidden part of a house visitors never see, here, its tidy appearance and flawless operation are particularly highlighted.

During the tour of the exhibition space, visitors can get a detailed insights into the operation of the entire heating system with KRONOTERM heat pumps, as well as the operation of its individual units, such as expansion tanks, storage tanks, circulation pumps, and more.

The heating system of the 3000 m2 new KRONOTERM building is designed for heating, cooling, and domestic hot water preparation. To illustrate its operation, all three types of heat pumps were installed: air/water, ground/water, and water/water. Our live exhibition of KRONOTERM heat pumps is truly comprehensive. In addition to the mentioned systems, the building also has an active ventilation and dehumidification system. The heating power of the KRONOTERM building’s heating system is 163 kW for heating and 137 kW for cooling. The low-temperature system of the KRONOTERM company building is based on floor heating and operates in combination with a large solar power plant on the roof.

A Low-Temperature System is a heating system with a medium temperature of the heat medium – water up to a maximum of 40 °C. Low-temperature systems are the most energy-efficient, among which, for example, floor heating is included. For comparison: heating with radiators falls into the high-temperature category and heats water up to 90 °C!

As we strive for greater self-sufficiency, the KRONOTERM building also has its own solar power plant. The 120 kW solar power plant provides the electricity needed to operate the KRONOTERM heat pumps that heat and cool the building. Heat pumps consume about 20% of the electricity they produce for their operation, while the remaining 80% is generated from renewable sources. Electricity is actually only needed for device operation, so the annual savings compared to other heating systems are remarkable.

As a company specialized in green energy, we designed our building based on this principle. A significant feature of the building is that our heating system also utilizes waste heat produced by production. The entire system is thus inherently environmentally friendly. What we promise in words, we fulfill in deeds.

The machinery room contains two storage tanks – one is warm, the other is cold. Due to simultaneous heating and cooling needs, the cold storage tank is active throughout the year, while the warm one is only kept warm during the winter or heating season. Energy for floor cooling, ceiling convectors, and ventilation or recuperation is drawn from the cold storage tank, while energy for underfloor heating is drawn from the warm storage tank. Additionally, we have a surplus of heat in the production and development testing room throughout the year, which is transferred to the warm storage tank and then utilized accordingly.

The heating system consists of all three types of heat pumps: air-water (COP 3.8), ground/water (COP 4.5), and water/water (COP 5.8). Although technically, we don’t need all of them to operate successfully, our goal was to present the operation of all three types of heat pumps in one place. Currently, for maintaining the storage tanks and ensuring living comfort in the building, KRONOTERM heat pumps ground/water (WPG-80-1 HTT) and water/water (WPG-40-1 HT) are in operation. The water/water heat pump consists of an extraction and injection well, which utilizes the heat from shallow groundwater. Since the amount of groundwater at the location is not sufficient for the building to be heated exclusively by this system, the remaining heat demand is met by the ground/water heat pump. This consists of 10 boreholes, distributed in different locations on the plot, which operate on the principle of a double vertical loop.

Outside the building, there are also three KRONOTERM air-water heat pumps, which can heat, cool, and provide domestic hot water: two KRONOTERM ADAPT heat pumps and one KRONOTERM VERSI-O heat pump. All three are connected to the boiler room and can be used to heat and cool the storage tanks. Currently, only one ADAPT pump is used for heating domestic hot water, which is so efficient that it provides hot water for the entire building, while the other two are used for demonstration purposes and testing.

Every company is interested in reducing its costs as much as possible. A significant part of the costs is represented by building operation. With highly efficient KRONOTERM heat pumps, you will significantly reduce your costs and become energy-independent – the rise in the price of energy will no longer be able to surprise you. For comparison: the electricity consumption for maintaining the storage tanks of a 3000 m2 KRONOTERM building annually amounts to 12,483 kWh for a water/water heat pump and 27,774 kWh for a ground/water heat pump.

The KRONOTERM building is located in Gomilsko, in the heart of the Savinja Valley, directly at the highway exit. The new building was constructed in 2015 just a few kilometers from the company’s original location. The building is programmatically divided into two units: a business facility with offices and production. This division is unmistakably manifested in the architectural design of the building and is immediately apparent upon first encountering the structure: the production wing is placed in a large and unified volume, with the more dynamically shaped office wing leaning against it, adorned with facade panels of various shades of gray. Adding to the allure of this structure is the intriguing feature of the upper floors extending in a cantilever fashion over the open, glass-enclosed ground floor, which houses an inviting exhibition hall, beckoning visitors to step inside. The building of the Slovenian company KRONOTERM, a leading manufacturer of quiet heat pumps, already hints to passing drivers what happens behind its walls: where the heat pumps are conceptualized and produced. Despite the clear division into production and offices, both wings of the KRONOTERM company building are closely connected both physically and mentally – employees are constantly moving between the office and production wings.

The entire facility operates as a complex living organism, where ideas are constantly exchanged, and various activities are carried out. We often feel like we live in two parallel dimensions at once: between the present and the future vision.

If you would like to have safe, affordable, worry-free, and environmentally friendly heating, you need additional information or would like personal advice, contact us here.