Heat pumps in harmony with nature, Bornem

The project demonstrates how heat pumps can be used for both heating and cooling in buildings that are (almost) energy neutral..

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Lessons learned 

  • The installation of groundwater heat pump can be a part of accomplishing even the highest ecological building requirements
  • The Natural Cooling function can sufficiently cool apartments by using groundwater#
  • Thanks to the installed system, the complex has achieved one of Flanders’ highest ecological levels, BEN ‘Bijna-energieneutraal’, meaning the building is almost energy neutral and the energy it still uses is green.

Key facts

BuildingHeat Pump and Source
LocationBornem, BelgiumNumber of HP1 per block
Construction2007Installed power3 x 143 kW
Heat distributionunderfloor heatingOperation modemonoenergetic
Heated area8,400 m²Heat sourcegroundwater, internal loop
No. of apartments58 (in three blocks)
level of insulationvery good
Heating sytemDomestic Hot Water
Heat demand– kWh / (m²a)DHW demand– kWh / (m²a)
Heating
temperature
35 °CType of systemcentral – decentral
Max. temperature– °C
Circulation system
Other information
COP4.5
RefrigerantR410A

Description of the technical concept

Guido Hendrickx, business development manager at Clivet distributor Thercon Belgium, explains:

“The three blocks of flats are equipped with geothermal heat pumps, underfloor heating and high thermal insulation. The heat pumps provide heating in winter and cooling in summer by exploiting groundwater. Thanks to the Natural Cooling function, groundwater is used in summer to fully fit with cooling needs without activating the refrigeration circuit.”

To maximize the efficiency of the system, the water temperature for underfloor heating is set at 35°C. Domestic hot water is produced separately in each flat with water-to-water heat pumps using the Clivet heat pump as the source.

BE002 Heat pumps in harmony with nature 

  1. Picture: https://www.ehpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Heat-pumps-in-high-rise-homes_case-studies-from-across-Europe_EHPA_May-2023.pdf ↩︎