It is the first practical implementation of the AIT research project "Heat Harvest - Harvesting urban solar waste heat from buildings and surfaces to avoid summer overheating of the city."
"We are very pleased to receive the ÖGUT Environmental Award for the project 'Sozial100%Erneuerbar'. The project shows that it is possible to supply social housing with 100% renewable energy and actively involve residents in the process. By combining geothermal energy, asphalt collectors, solar energy, and intelligent energy management, not only can CO2 emissions be reduced, but energy costs can also be lowered. We hope that this model project will serve as an example for further housing projects." - Edith Haslinger, geothermal expert at the AIT Center for Energy.
The innovative energy concept of the residential complex based on the low-energy house standard enables sustainable heating and cooling without fossil fuels. The heating is supplied entirely by renewable energy sources obtained on-site. For the first time, so-called asphalt collectors were used here. These are absorber pipes invisibly installed in building surfaces, sidewalks, streets, and squares, which "harvest" waste heat and store it in ground probes for building heating.
Heat pumps and a low-temperature solar system ensure the right temperature in the rental units, with heat being emitted through the activation of the concrete ceilings. In summer, the rooms are also cooled through the ceilings, and the heat extracted from the rooms is stored in the ground around the deep probes. An additional heat generation, including heat storage in the deep probes, is achieved through unglazed low-temperature solar absorbers that convert sunlight into heat. They improve the efficiency of the heat pumps in the transitional period and contribute to the complete regeneration of the ground probe field in summer. A dynamic energy flow simulation carried out by AIT made it possible to achieve an economic design of the system components.
Hot water is exclusively provided through wastewater heat recovery.