Facility Name: Thalasso SPA Beautiful Vida, Sečovlje
Facility Size: 4,000 m2
Year of Construction: 2013
Heat Pumps in the Facility: The facility is heated and cooled with three custom KRONOTERM heat pumps (1 heat pump for cooling the plunge pool and 2 heat pumps for heating and cooling the administrative building).
Types of Heat Pumps: 1x water-water, 2x air-water. All three heat pumps are custom-designed.
Investment Payback Period: 5.3 years; the investment has already been recovered
Due to the location of the wellness center, which is in the heart of the natural park in Sečovlje, it was necessary to adhere to the highest ecological standards, using practically only natural materials in construction. Most structures in the wellness area are made of Siberian larch without glazes and coatings. Additionally, the pool technology is chemical-free, and all showers, except in restrooms, use seawater. Sanitary facilities and all drains are led out of the park through push pumps. Since KRONOTERM heat pumps are designed to be environmentally friendly, they were suitable for use in such an important ecological design: “Because we are aware of how sensitive the ecosystem is, especially in such surroundings as the salt pans, it is important to us that our pumps do not impact the environment but help it remain untouched. The Sečovlje salt pans are a landscape park and must maintain certain standards and must not affect the natural environment and life in it. KRONOTERM heat pumps are such solutions. The fact that our pumps are considered very environmentally friendly is confirmed by the award we received in 2018 for the environmentally friendly product of the year,” added Bogdan Kronovšek.
In spa centers, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature, providing comfort for guests before, during, and after therapies.
Wellness Talasao also offers the ancient method of strengthening the immune system with cold-water plunges, a form of water treatment, precisely with the transition from cold to warm water or vice versa. They use cold-water plunges as a walking pool: walking from a warm pool to a cold pool or vice versa. The therapy is used to promote circulation in the body, invigorate blood flow, and relax muscles. The key to the cold-water plunging method is that the water reaches a precise temperature not exceeding 15°C.
Constant temperature is ensured by the custom KRONOTERM heat pump, enabling very precise regulation of the temperature of cooled water. The heat pump has a power of 26 kW and can cool the water to 7°C.
KRONOTERM experts have developed an advanced device, the so-called space corrector, for precise temperature control. This, when operating the heat pump, provides maximum comfort and savings. Two types of correctors are available, KT-1 and KT-2. In the Lepa Vida Wellness Center, they use the KT-2 type of corrector, which offers the most functions (room temperature setting, sanitary water temperature setting, weather forecast).
Both KT-1 and KT-2 space correctors, which only work with KRONOTERM heat pumps, allow very easy control of room temperature. KRONOTERM space corrector operates by communicating the measured and desired temperatures to the heat pump’s regulation via two-way ModBus communication. Based on the information obtained from the corrector and the measured outside temperature, the heat pump’s regulation then determines the optimal required temperature of the heating water in the heating system. This ensures efficiency at all times. Such a connection of all elements of the heating system significantly increases the overall system efficiency and thus savings.
As with all KRONOTERM heat pumps, the same applies to the heat pumps in the Lepa Vida Wellness. Comfortable and smart monitoring and remote system control are enabled with the Cloud.kronoterm application and system.
In the Lepa Vida center, three KRONOTERM heat pumps are installed, namely one water-water pump and two air-water pumps. All three devices are flexible and allow exceptional savings in heating and cooling.
The water-water pump is used for the plunge pool, and the two air-water pumps are used for heating and cooling administrative areas.
Since KRONOTERM heat pumps can provide very precise and constant desired temperatures, both for heating and cooling, while ensuring maximum savings in operation, they were the right solution for the Lepa Vida wellness center.
The water-water pump has a capacity of 26 kW, which is comparable to the power of about 4 average heat pumps used by an average household. The same applies to the air-water heat pumps, which have a capacity of 22 kW.
KRONOTERM heat pumps have been operating in the facility since 2013, and the investment has already been recovered through the savings the system provides. All three heat pumps, with regular maintenance services, operate without issues: “We are pleased that our collaboration started at the beginning of the successful story of the wellness, so we can also take credit for the quality operation of the tourist facility Lepa Vida. We are proud of the excellent performance and savings of our pumps, which have been heating and cooling the facility for 6 years now,” said Bogdan Kronovšek, the director of KRONOTERM.
n the case of larger business facilities, such as tourist wellness and spa facilities, heat pumps enable exceptional savings and an extremely short ROI (Return of Investment). This is also the case with Lepa Vida, where, in the next 5 years, with savings from heating and cooling with the KRONOTERM heat pump, they could finance the investment in another such heating system. This confirms that choosing the KRONOTERM heat pump is the right choice, bringing exceptional savings and numerous advantages in the long run.
Take time for yourself and dedicate it to your health and well-being with KRONOTERM pumps.
Heat pumps are the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly heating source in the long run. A heat pump retrieves between 50 to 80 percent of all required heating energy for free from the surroundings, with the remaining portion being electrical energy.
Additionally, such heating significantly contributes to reducing CO2 emissions, ensuring a cleaner environment for us and our children.
In addition to using a renewable energy source and long-term cost advantages, heating with heat pumps offers the benefit of minimal space requirements and the possibility of obtaining state subsidies. With a heat pump, there is no need for fuel delivery, space for storage, a chimney, chimney sweep services, and maintenance is simple and inexpensive.
Furthermore, managing the heat pump remotely and the possibility of remote service diagnostics are notable advantages. Imagine returning from a vacation with your family and ensuring through your phone that you come back to a warm home with enough hot water for the entire family. Many potential issues can also be resolved remotely, without the need for a service technician. Such an exceptional solution is offered, for example, by KRONOTERM and their Home.Cloud.
The choice of the appropriate pump depends on the heating system’s thermal regime. Surrounding air as a heat source is always available. If greater efficiency is desired, the availability of groundwater should be checked. If not available, a ground probe or earth collector can be used. The best efficiencies for heat pumps are achieved in low-temperature heating systems. When installing, attention must be paid to having space for the outdoor unit, especially for air-to-water heat pumps.
When choosing, consider which heat source is most economical to utilize. Choose the one that is available and has the highest average temperature during the heating season. This is primarily groundwater, which has an average temperature of around +10 °C. It must be of adequate quality and in sufficient quantities, at least 0.2 m3/h for each kW of the heat pump’s heating power.
The next option is utilizing accumulated ground heat, either by installing a horizontal collector or a ground probe. In the first case, suitable free ground space is needed. In the second case, access for drilling machinery is required.
If neither of these options is available, the best choices are the heat of the surrounding air or an air-to-water heat pump. Air is, of course, available everywhere but has the lowest average temperature among the mentioned heat sources and can be somewhat less efficient.
Once the availability of heat sources is determined and multiple options are available, compare investments and heating costs for each heat source. The investment payback calculation guides the right direction for choosing a heat pump. The investment in a heat pump pays off in five to seven years, after which only the cost of electricity used remains.
When choosing a provider, opt for a European brand, and even better, choose a Slovenian one. Purchasing a heat pump from an importer or intermediary can be risky. The company may cease its activities, leaving you without support and sometimes without an authorized service, meaning without a warranty. Check the seller and verify if the company provides complete service and advice, and if they will be available in all possible situations, so you don’t end up without heating in critical moments.
Get in touch with us if you also want lower heating costs and an efficient heat pump.
