Context

According to the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD, Europe), Commercial office buildings require energy label improvement. This applies to all existing office buildings. Monuments and historic heritage are exempt from the implementation of EPBD.

Not only companies are increasingly faced with CSR and environmental challenges by customers as well as shareholders and local authorities, but many other social enterprises as well. Reduction of the company carbon footprint (both CO2 and NOx emissions) is on religious agenda’s too.

The Use Case

• Historic Office Building.
• Location: Vatican procurement office Rome, Italy
• The Vatican procured an EnerTwin in order to efficiently produce both heat and power.
• The challenge was initiated by replacement of a traditional condensing boiler due to age. With the implementation of EPBD for this building coming up, combined with the sustainability plan of the Vatican a more radical change was due. The company required strong improvement of the energy-performance and various options were investigated. Silent operation, as the unit would be operating in the proximity of the office staff, was mandatory. Engine-based CHP systems were therefore found unsuitable. The building would also not allow for costly changes for low-temperature systems that are required by other systems such as heatpumps or fuel-cells.
• The procurement office is driving towards sustainability and required a product that contributes to Vatican goals.
• Installation: EnerTwin is placed (see picture) in a very small housing, in which no other engine-based CHP systems would fit.
• Annual estimated running hours: 5000+ hrs

The role of the EnerTwin

The EnerTwin is installed in a shared heating room for a 2 level office building. In this set-up, the EnerTwin is connected to a buffer vessel and supported by a extra boiler covering peakloads, which itself is connected to the main heating circuit of the building.

Factual results of the project

• Installation: Installation costs totaled at around € 3000
• Engineering and installation performed by ATET Energy Solutions
• Annual running hours: 5000+ hrs
• Electricity produced: 10000+ kWh
• Existing condensing boilers used for peakloads
• Reliable heating solution covering 90% of heatload
• Subventions have been granted
• Climate goals have been achieved with CO₂ and NOₓ emissions reduced by 6,5 Tons a year
• Silent operation, inaudible for office staff
• Plug&Play installation with little impact on operations of the company

“Soft” results of the project, the projectteam feedback:

• Sustainability goals for the end-user were considered an important step into the future of the Vatican. Providing electrical energy for office-use whilst the building was heated by the EnerTwin at high efficiency was a very satisfying concept for the procurement office.
• The results that surfaced after the first year of operation regarding CO2 reduction based on the runhours were impressive. By installing a buffervessel, the runhours created more continuous operation and more runhours.
• The client was positively surprised by the impact on the end-users and ease of implementation, considering application in other real-estate in their portfolio.