High altitude
SHALLOW GEOTHERMAL SOLUTION AT HIGH ALTITUDE
At the foot of the Matterhorn in Aosta Valley, Geonovis has developed and implemented a unique energy project, serving a newly built lodging facility at an altitude of 2500 m.
The location of the building, an area of exceptional scenic and natural beauty, required special attention to the environmental protection and to sustainability while defining every aspect of the project.
The logistical difficulties of the construction site imposed very tight work schedules, as it can only be reached for a few months in the summer season via a dirt track.
This issue recurs in the winter months: the structure is accessible only by ski lifts or snowmobiles during the opening period, i.e., during the ski season. In the Breuil-Cervinia ski area, this goes from early November until early May, thus much longer than in other resorts, thanks to the high altitude.
For all these reasons, the project was marked by the search for maximum efficiency, reliability and sustainability, wanting to ensure the complete thermal autonomy of the facility, and the elimination of impactful emissions.
The subject of Geonovis intervention was the design and implementation of a system that integrates multiple green technologies to generate hot water at different temperatures, intended for different uses. In detail: heating of the building equipped with a radiant floor system; production of DHW in large amount for the kitchen and services; serving the air treatment unit.
The thermal needs of the facility are totally satisfied by Geonovis geothermal system, fed by a probe field consisting of boreholes with a depth of 200 m/each.
At this altitude, the temperatures of the ground substrate are not comparable to those normally found in the plains, which is also why the system has been implemented with solutions that allow all possible energy sources to be exploited.
Therefore, a solar thermal system and a thermal waste recovery system from the domestic hot water used by the large kitchen have been installed. These aim to increase the average annual temperature generated by the probe field, in order to enhance the performance and efficiency of the heat pump.
In the summer season, the facility remains closed. In the absence of thermal demand, the thermal energy produced in this period by the solar thermal system is channeled to the probe field to “recharge” it, for the benefit of the following winter season.
The plant was tested and activated in November 2014. This was a unique opportunity for Geonovis to pursue a truly sustainable design approach, in an exclusive naturalistic context.
The vision of the Client should be appreciated, as he understood and shared the potential of our proposal, and collaborated with sincere passion in the implementation of the whole project. Geonovis thanks him and all our established suppliers, who worked with us at various stages: Georicerche, Gts/Haka Gerodur, NIBEDomusgaia, Pacetti, Soland, Supertech.
Technical details
THE FACILITY
Volume to be air-conditioned: 1600 cum
Distribution systems: radiant floor
Ventilation system: AHU
Heat requirement: 56 kWt
DHW needs: 3-4000 l/day
Climatic zone: F
Degree days: 4524
Design temperature: -21°C