Through a cutting-edge heat exchange system, the Museum of Bavarian History in Regensburg, Germany, efficiently heats and cools its building, showcasing a promising solution for urban decarbonization and clean energy strategies. Sustainable design and renewable energy are key to helping municipalities reach ambitious decarbonization goals, and resilient cities are turning over every stone in the hunt for innovative, clean energy technologies. One newly tapped source of low-carbon energy in large cities is the steady temperature of the cities’ own wastewater, which can be used as a source of energy for both heating and cooling.
A Shining Example of Advanced Energy Efficiency
The city of Regensburg, Germany, has aggressive climate protection goals to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency. The city heavily promotes the use of renewable energy sources and energy-efficient building practices. The Museum of Bavarian History is an example of this commitment, showcasing the implementation of a heat exchange system that uses the passive heat from city wastewater as a renewable energy source for building heating and cooling. Completed in 2018, the Museum of Bavarian History is a symbol of Bavaria’s rich cultural heritage, and its construction was a significant milestone in the state’s history. Located in the historic city center of Regensburg, this project presented unique challenges, including space constraints, a tight construction schedule that needed to culminate with Bavaria’s bicentennial constitution and centennial statehood anniversary, and energy-efficient goals that depended on advanced energy innovations.
Wastewater Provides Clean Energy
The museum turned to a hidden and surprising source of energy flowing beneath the city streets: the sewer system. Municipal wastewater typically maintains a temperature of between 50F and 68F (10C and 20C), even in the winter. This stable temperature range makes wastewater an excellent energy source for operating a heat pump that can be used for both heating and cooling. To take advantage of the wastewater heat, an inlet structure extracts 70 liters per second of wastewater from the sewer. The coarse solids are removed from the wastewater and the screened water is pumped to two HUBER RoWin Heat Exchanger units. Here, facilitated by heat pumps, the heat exchange process enables either heating or cooling of the museum building as per seasonal requirements. The self-cleaning feature of the heat exchangers ensures sustained performance, further enhancing operational reliability. Due to the heat exchanger operation in combination with the heat pump, heat is either extracted from the wastewater and introduced into the building (for heating) or heat is extracted from the building and introduced into the wastewater (for cooling). The wastewater is finally returned to the sewer together with the previously separated solids. HUBER supplied the self-cleaning ThermWin system with a heat output of 560 kW and a cooling capacity of 1,000 kW.
A Model for Sustainable Development in Cities
The significance of ThermWin extends beyond its application in the Museum of Bavarian History. Recognizing its potential as a future-oriented solution amidst energy crises and climate change, Bavaria’s Minister of Finance and Home Affairs, Albert Füracker, lauded the system as a model for sustainable development (Figure 1). The success of this project paves the way for broader adoption, inspiring similar initiatives globally. In Toronto, Canada, for example, HUBER supplied 16 RoWin wastewater heat exchangers (size 8) in 2023 for what was at the time the largest project of its kind in the world.
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1. Pictured here in front of the Museum of Bavarian History’s two HUBER RoWin Heat Exchanger units are Museum Director Dr. Richard Loibl, Bavaria’s Minister of Finance and Home Affairs Albert Füracker, Regensburg Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer, HUBER SE CEO Georg Huber, and HUBER Industrial Sector Manager Wolfgang Schnabl. Courtesy: HUBER Technology Inc. |
“In Bavaria, tradition and innovation go hand in hand. This is impressively demonstrated in the House of Bavarian History. The HUBER ThermWin system installed in the state-of-the-art building does justice to this idea of progress: It uses wastewater for heating and cooling and is a future-oriented showcase model in times of energy crisis and climate change. It is impressive to see that what once seemed like a dream of the future is now technically feasible. I hope for many others to follow suit and be inspired by this example,” Bavaria’s Minister of Finance and Home Affairs Albert Füracker said. The integration of HUBER’s ThermWin technology in the Museum of Bavarian History exemplifies a paradigm shift in building operations toward sustainability and decarbonization. By harnessing the latent energy in wastewater, this innovative solution reduces environmental impact and sets a precedent for future-centric infrastructure development. As architects, engineers, and building owners seek decarbonization solutions, HUBER’s ThermWin emerges as a beacon of sustainable progress, bridging tradition with innovation in the pursuit of a greener future.
—Nathan Madding is director of Green Building Solutions with HUBER Technology Inc.
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