In the Salamander residential villa, built in 2017 in the heart of Ljubljana, Slovenia, the investors aimed to offer residents maximum comfort and energy efficiency. The villa was designed according to sustainable building principles, with excellent insulation and a low-energy standard. Nevertheless, the initial choice of heating system – a competing heat pump – turned out to be a disappointment.
The existing system with the competing heat pump quickly revealed its shortcomings. Instead of the promised savings, the 11 apartments faced low efficiency – the measured COP was barely 1.3, meaning that nearly as much electricity was consumed as the heat produced. The system’s operation was unstable, malfunctions were frequent, and operating costs unexpectedly high. Instead of savings, residents were faced with high bills and uncertainty about whether the heating would work when they needed it most. Despite high expectations for the building’s energy efficiency, it became clear that the system simply couldn’t keep up with the set standards. The residents were left with one urgent task – to find a solution that truly works and delivers the expected savings.
We installed the KRONOTERM WPL 70 air/water heat pump, which now reliably handles heating, cooling, and domestic hot water. The key advantage of this system is the additional booster, which independently heats sanitary water even during summer months when the heat pump operates solely in cooling mode. This eliminates the need to activate the heat pump just for hot water, reducing system load and ensuring additional savings. This setup also avoids issues like losing heating or cooling during DHW preparation – the heat pump focuses on its primary task while the booster ensures continuous hot water supply.
The result is:
The new solution achieves a COP of 4.0 – more than triple the energy efficiency. A counterflow heat exchanger enables outlet water to be cooled to 4 °C for effective cooling. The system operates in reversible mode, thermodynamically creating optimal conditions for further savings and system stability.
Today, Villa Salamander fully lives up to its energy vision – not only in architecture and location, but also through its modern, customized, and efficient heating and cooling system. Its story teaches us that choosing a quality provider and a well-designed system from the start can save time, money, and frustration in the long run. Contact us today to find the best long-term solution for your building.
