Heat depot in the ground
The future-oriented research campus "co-operate" is being built at Empa in Dübendorf - a complex of buildings in which groundbreaking research will be conducted.
The new research campus "co-operate" in Dübendorf is itself an object of research. This is because an experimental, seasonal energy storage system is being built under the site, which will supply energy not only to the new buildings but also to the entire Empa site. In summer, for example, the waste heat from ventilation and laboratory equipment will be stored so that it can be used in winter for heating or for the production of domestic hot water. The aim is to either use around 90% of the waste heat generated directly or to "store" it temporarily in the underground storage facility. In this way, Empa aims to reduce CO2-emissions of their buildings to a minimum and thus lay an important milestone for a sustainable energy future.
Maximum temperatures up to 50 degrees
For ten years, Empa can use the heat storage facility primarily for research purposes. The heat reservoir - an earth probe field with a temperature gradient - comprises 144 earth probes extending up to 100 meters deep into the ground. At this depth, the storage unit works particularly effectively, losing only a small proportion of the stored heat to the environment. In the center of the borehole heat exchanger field, maximum temperatures can be as high as 50°C, while at the edges the values are around 10°C. Using a tube system, it is possible to control each tube of the borehole heat exchanger individually or also defined areas and thus achieve the optimum mix between temperature, efficiency and energy storage.
Although such an earth reservoir is very effective, it is also sluggish due to its large mass. The Empa researchers assume that the final operating temperature will be reached after about three to four years.
Other topics:
Heating apartments with waste heat from the data center
