Residents of a multi-apartment house near Jesenice, after years of heating with oil that was becoming increasingly expensive, were among the first to decide to energetically renovate their boiler room and replace the existing heating system in the communal boiler room with the installation of two air/water heat pumps for heating the entire residential block. They sought the assistance of experts from the company KRONOTERM, who developed two custom-made heat pumps for them.
1. The combined heating capacity of the heat pumps is 62 kW.
2. The heat pumps are air/water type.
3. After the first heating season, cost savings amounted to more than 60% (2/3).
4. Convenient remote monitoring and control of the entire system.
| ANNUAL HEATING OF THE ENTIRE BUILDING | MONTHLY HEATING OF THE ENTIRE BUILDING | HEATING OF A SINGLE RESIDENTIAL UNIT | ANNUAL HEATING OF A SINGLE RESIDENTIAL UNIT MONTHLY | |
| BEFORE | 9.000 eur | 750 eur | 750 eur | 62,50 eur |
| AFTER | 3.000 eur | 250 eur | 250 eur | 20,83 eur |
| SAVINGS | 6.000 eur | 500 eur | 500 eur | 41,67 eur |
*This table is just an example in Slovenia from 2014; these costs may vary based on new data/costs and the type of building.
Until 2018, the residents in the building were heating with oil, using a radiator system. The increasing heating costs, which in recent years exceeded €9,000 per heating season, led them to consider upgrading their existing heating system. By installing the new KRONOTERM heat pump, they aimed to improve the efficiency of heat energy utilization, while reducing costs and environmental impact.
The combined heating capacity of the heat pumps is 62 kW (approximately the power of 6 standard heat pumps installed in average-sized residential houses) and they heat 12 apartments with a centralized distribution throughout the residential block. The technology for utilizing renewable energy sources replaced the conventional heating method with oil. No modifications were required for the individual apartments or the radiator heating system. Today, the residents of the house experience numerous benefits from such a system, which include:
1. Significantly lower heating costs (heating costs are already two-thirds lower in the first season, from the previous €9,000 annually to the current €3,000 annually).
2. Cleaner heating (reduced emission of solid particles in PPM into the atmosphere and low-carbon practices, as compared to the previous heating system, CO2 emissions are reduced by 70%).
3. Convenient management with the heat pump (easy operation with lower maintenance costs compared to conventional heating sources)
Before the installation of the KRONOTERM heat pump, the average annual heating cost for the multi-apartment building with oil heating was approximately €9,000, which amounts to around €750 per apartment annually or €62 per month.
After installing the new heating system, the average annual heating cost for the entire multi-apartment house is €3,000, which is an average of €250 per apartment annually or €21 per month per apartment.
Savings compared to the previous heating system amount to approximately €6,000 per multi-apartment building annually or €500 per apartment annually or €42 per apartment per month (approximately two-thirds of the previous heating costs). The savings in heating costs are on average more than 60% higher compared to the previous system.
From this, we can conclude that each family in the house saves enough for a short seaside vacation due to heating with the heat pump, and within five years, they would save enough for a new kitchen, and within fifteen years, even for a smaller car.
As is the case with all KRONOTERM heat pumps, the same applies to both heat pumps in the multi-apartment house. Comfortable and smart monitoring and management of the system are enabled remotely through the application and the CLOUD.KRONOTERM system.
In the case of a multi-apartment building with its own central boiler room, we already have excellent solutions for more powerful heat pumps ranging from 30 to several hundred kW, utilizing either geothermal energy, groundwater heat, or air. The heat source is chosen based on the possibilities offered by the location. These solutions cover the entire heating and domestic hot water preparation needs. Considering that these buildings mostly have medium and high-temperature radiator systems, we use special technology and solutions that enable high efficiency and savings even in these systems.
In the case of multi-apartment buildings with a shared central boiler room (mini-district heating), we offer various solutions and options for renovation and optimization of operation. As we know, such systems have the highest losses outside the heating season when they maintain high temperatures in the distribution network solely for heating domestic hot water. We solve these systems by installing an industrial heat pump in the central boiler room according to the system’s needs (with power ranging from 100 to several thousand kW), while a booster heat pump (KRONOTERM patent) or a standalone local heat pump takes care of providing domestic hot water.
This way, we ensure economical and environmentally friendly central heat production while solving all the drawbacks and unnecessary losses of the system outside the heating season. Additionally, we provide maximum comfort to users, as we can efficiently achieve temperatures above 70°C locally. We also have solutions for cases of new construction of multi-apartment buildings, where independence, autonomy, and a separate heating, cooling, and domestic hot water preparation system are desired. The same applies to the renovation of older buildings where the architecture and system allow for such solutions. Typically, we solve these requirements with suitable air/water heat pumps of smaller capacities, providing domestic hot water preparation and the entire “boiler room” in one cabinet.
For apartments up to 50m2, we developed a special solution heat pump VERSI that enables indoor or outdoor (balcony) installation, as well as domestic hot water preparation, with an investment cost similar to a gas boiler.
Multi-apartment buildings represent complex systems in terms of multiple owners, various interests, and the complexity and diversity of heating implementations.
Nevertheless, at KRONOTERM, where we have been developing heat pumps since 1976, we have a range of solutions that cover the complexity of different systems and the needs and desires of residents. The HOME.CLOUD remote management system enables easy control and management of the system for the operator, while KRONOTERM’s technical department ensures immediate responsiveness and quick resolution of any issues.
We are available for any additional questions: info@kronoterm.com.
