First HUBER ThermWin® plant for wastewater heat recovery in Switzerland
Wastewater is not waste but a valuable resource: Sustainability is the catchword in this innovative system which ensures heating and cooling of the city’s landmark, the Winterthur WINTOWER.
Wintower, Winterthur
A technically highly innovative system providing sustainability into the future: Due to the sustainable thinking of the building owner, MINERGIE standards are met with the new building insulation and utilisation of the renewable energy source WASTEWATER.
In connection with the restoration of the complete high-rise with 28 storeys and 22,000 m² office space also the existing heating system was examined. The results of these examinations showed an enormous potential for improvement through installation of a modern heating and cooling plant that uses renewable energy recovered from wastewater. The energy required is supplied by heat pumps.
The ‘magic formula’ of this heating plant is however the utilisation of wastewater heat rendered possible by the HUBER ThermWin® system. A minimum of 440 kW of energy is extracted from the wastewater of the nearby public sewer at one point, and returned to the sewer when cooling respectively, without the need for extensive and expensive sewer modification. The energy is used to heat and cool about 22,000 m² office space in combination with the heat pump. Significant savings in fossil fuels and according reduction of CO2 emissions are achieved.
