Geoter (Spain) and Green Watt (Hungary), winners of the ecoAWARDS 23

The Spanish company Geoter and the Hungarian company Green Watt have been recognized with the ecoAWARDS 23. The projects selected for their efficiency and innovation have been:

• Prize for the best installation with domestic heat pumps: Csécse – Castle Reconstruction by Green Watt Zrt.
• Prize for the best installation with high-power heat pumps: 56 apartments in San Sebastián de los Reyes AEDAS, by Geoter.

Ecoforest has also recognized the following installations:

• Runner-up for the best installation with domestic heat pumps: New Domestic Home for Daly Family, by Daly Renewables Ltd (Northern Ireland).
• Runner-up for the best installation with high-power pumps: Castle De Merode by Eplucon Belgium.

A total of 32 heat pump installations in three continents have competed for the ecoAWARDS, showing that heat pumps can work in any environment and offer an efficient heating, cooling and DHW solutions in both domestic and high-power installations.

Csécse – Castle Reconstruction

Hungarian companies Green Watt Zrt. and Geo Concept Kft. collaborated in the renovation of a 1920s-era castle to provide heating and cooling while protecting the character and historical features of the building. As an example of the challenges of this project, the machinery room was installed in an old and vaulted wine cellar and the company had to create a specific 3D plan to ensure the placement of the heat pumps in the building. Thirteen pieces of 100-meter-long ground probes were drilled, 3 units of ecoGEO⁺ B4T 5-22 HTR EH machines and 2 individual 500-liter Ecoforest carbon steel buffer tanks were installed. The system achieves a Seasonal Performance Factor (SPF) of 4.7.

56 apartments in Madrid with a SPF of 6.7

The Spanish company Geoter has designed a heat pump system compliant with the highest standards of the environmental certification BREEAM despite being a high-rise building with 56 apartments. A cascade of three ecoGEO⁺ HP3 25-100 kW produces heating, cooling and DHW. As emitters, a underfloor heating and cooling system covers 6,700 m2. The project was built with special care of thermal insulation and double-flow ventilation for heat recovery. As a result, an SPF of 6,7 shows the high efficiency achieved in this installation that could be easily replicated.

Runner-up: a detached home in Northern Ireland

With the aim of following the Passive House principles and ensuring all thermal bridging and air tightness, Daly Renewables chose an ecoGEO⁺ B4 1-9kw EH HTR to enable a low-temperature heating system in a detached house in Northern Ireland. Integrated with solar PV, the excess energy generated raises the hot water temperature to 58.5^oC (from 45 ^oC) and the heating temperature to 22 ^oC (from 20.5 ^oC), which results in a considerable fraction of the heating and hot water being produced at zero cost. Therefore, the estimated heat load is of 11W/m2 and total costs for heating, hot water and cooling for the first year were of only £132.00 for a family of six. The system achieves a Seasonal Performance Factor (SPF) of 7.2.

Runner-up: technology for a medieval castle in Belgium

Built in the 14th century, the Castle De Merode features now high-technology equipment with an ecoGEO⁺ 15-70 kW producing DHW and heating and installed by Eplucon Belgium. The heat pump provides heating through the existing radiators at 45-50°C water temperature. Furthermore, the existing gas boiler has been integrated into the system as an auxiliary system to provide peak temperature in case of extremely freezing weather. The collection is solved via an impressive open-loop system in the castle moat with the Aquathermie solution.

Information on all participating projects will be periodically published in the project section on the Ecoforest website to promote best practices in heat pump installation and energy efficiency.