While guests at Bioterme were relaxing in the pools, we quietly upgraded their energy system – no closures, no interruptions. As partners of the first environmentally friendly hotel in northeastern Slovenia, we provided a solution that significantly increases the efficiency of geothermal energy use, reduces costs, and at the same time enhances guest comfort.
Hotel Bioterme is the first environmentally friendly hotel in northeastern Slovenia. It is built to Ecolabel standards (the European eco-label for environmentally friendly tourist accommodations) and with its offerings and orientation follows the trends of sustainable tourism development. The complex includes 73 rooms, 12,500 m² of accommodation areas, and 1,800 m² of pools, representing a major energy challenge that Bioterme successfully overcomes.
Bioterme boasts a geothermal well that reaches a depth of 1,460 meters and enables the extraction of water at about 50°C. This source represents over 1.5 MW of renewable energy, supplying heating, cooling, and the preparation of domestic hot water for the complex, which includes the hotel, glamping, thermal park, and wellness. The geothermal water was poorly utilized with the old system, leading to additional costs due to high fees, so optimization was a key step.
Until recently, Bioterme was limited by ten-year-old heat pumps that, due to piston and screw compressors, required costly maintenance. In addition, the potential of geothermal energy was underutilized because of input and output temperature limitations. The large demand for domestic hot water for the hotel, thermal park, and wellness required additional sources like oil or gas, creating extra costs, environmental burden, and failing to ensure optimal temperatures for legionella prevention.
Installing the new system was technically demanding and required extreme precision. Since any interruption of the spa’s operation would mean unacceptable losses, the old systems had to be replaced while the complex remained operational – a feat comparable to changing a car engine while driving. An additional challenge was the limited installation space, as existing pipelines and pool systems made access difficult. Despite the challenges, the KRONOTERM team managed to establish the new system in six months.
Bioterme sought a solution that would address the shortcomings of the outdated system. The new system consists of two parts. Because of the wide range of temperature source utilization, they chose to use low-temperature geothermal heat pumps combined with classic high-temperature heat pumps. This increased system management flexibility and resource efficiency.
They implemented KRONOTERM heat pumps of the WPG and WPB types, which enable the use of waste heat from cooling for heating domestic hot water and pools. With a combined heating capacity of 1.1 MW and a wide temperature range on the primary and secondary sides, these pumps represent an optimal solution for maximum utilization of geothermal energy. The system includes several buffer tanks for thermal and pool water, ensuring flexible operation even while the complex is in use, without interruptions.
System regulation via KSMpro enables automatic mode switching, consumption monitoring, and remote control, further enhancing efficiency and user comfort.
With the introduction of the new system, Bioterme achieved exceptional results:
With their sustainability-oriented policy and innovative solutions, Bioterme sets new standards for thermal complexes. By optimizing resources, they not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs, but also fulfill ambitious sustainability goals.
Become part of this success story – contact us today and let’s create solutions together that combine innovation, sustainability, and top energy efficiency.
