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How does the building of the future look like? At Aalberts hydronic flow control, we never stop looking for the answer.
Sustainability is in no doubt top of mind. It is our mission to improve energy efficiency of buildings via sustainable innovation. From source to emitter, we engineer, innovate and optimize hydronic balancing systems that help to cut down energy consumption and CO2 emissions for buildings.Thanks to the growth of the Aalberts hydronic flow control family, we have an opportunity to showcase our own sustainability concept of future-proof buildings.
Maximize sustainability potential of the new head office
Designed with the utmost care for energy efficiency, the new headquarters office of Aalberts hydronic flow control is a green building with sustainable energy supply. The installations of our own hydronic balancing technology ensure that future-proofing buildings are no longer a challenge. In our new building, countless efficiency measures were considered during the designing phase and later implemented to maximize sustainability potential.
Best of all, 6,000 solar panels are planned to be installed on the rooftop of the building, meeting the energy needs of both the production and office facilities. Additionally, we provide electric charging stations for cars, which run on solar power. To bring sustainable innovation to the next level, Flamco’s thermal charging station Flextherm Eco is installed in the office kitchen. It utilizes renewable energy and converts electricity into heat during daytime and storages heat for whenever it is needed.
Recover and reuse residual heat
In addition to renewable energy supply, waste heat produced in the factory is recovered and reused in the heating system for the office area. Our state-of-the-art HVAC installations enable us to realize low temperature surface heating. In the boiler room, Flamco’s expansion systems and automats are installed for pressure balancing, temperature protection and leakage detection. In particular, the use of Flamco’s air and dirt separators guarantee system efficiency of the heating and cooling systems, as well as a reduction in heat loss and energy consumption. With the help of Flamco pump groups, heating distribution is regulated and secured throughout the entire office. Most importantly, the buildings, including the factory, are highly insulated to secure warmth.
Energy efficiency outside the boiler room
The boiler room is not the only place where we can improve energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. Heating and cooling distribution systems significantly contribute to energy savings and comfort control. The new headquarters office of Aalberts hydronic flow control is equipped with Comap’s underfloor heating and ceiling cooling systems. Our economical cooling system relies on heat pumps and renewable energy, and we use adiabatic cooling for the production hall.
“Benefiting from the Comap connection solutions and balancing valves, we are able to bring heat to where it is needed,” says Diem Kemper, PM director of Aalberts hydronic flow control. A change-over system with balancing valves is designed and installed to ensure the seasonal requirement for heating and cooling. The switch from heat to cold and vice versa is regulated via a change-over system and by means of regulating valves “from our own house”.
Beyond zero-energy building – Smart heating and cooling systems
The development and implementation of the Flamconnect remote services help us make one step further in our efforts to achieve sustainable innovation. The new headquarters office is not only a zero-energy building, it is also a smart building equipped with a smart portal for heating and cooling installations. It provides real-time operational data digitally, which makes system monitoring and maintenance easy and time-saving. Additionally, the Flamconnect Metering gives us insights on water and heat consumption and helps us optimize energy-saving measures. Thus, having a balanced hydronic system with high energy efficiency is right at our fingertips.
Flamconnect is not the only smart solution we have in house. For optimal energy control, Secos system manifold is installed in the office meeting rooms, providing flexibility for on-demand heat supply and precise temperature adjustment. It is therefore extremely easy to change room temperature, control energy consumption and improve energy savings based on the actual need of individual meeting rooms. This energy control system is paired with Comap’s smart home thermostats, regulating heat and flow at an optimal level, and thus putting comfort control and energy savings at ease.
These IoT innovations not only contribute to the digitalization of the buildings and construction sector, it at the same time lowers energy consumption, makes use of space more efficient and gives convenience and comfort to occupants indoors. With the help of sensors, our use of light, heat and water is reduced, which subsequently improves energy efficiency. Moreover, sensors in combination with our own IoT solutions, give us data and insights to help us better manage the sustainability of our own building. It is the key to future-proofing our new headquarters office.
