Modern building heating and ventilation solutions: save costs, save space!

01 of September '23

The new generation of Vitocal heat pumps makes extremely efficient use of ambient energy to heat and cool a building

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From the series "Air conditioning, ventilation, heating—solutions, trends 2023"

Modern heating, ventilation or air conditioning systems primarily provide thermal comfort and minimize operating costs. Their use also saves the space necessary for the installation of the elements included in the system and the possibility of allocating valuable space in the building for other functions.

Modern energy-efficient heating systems are largely based on heat pumps. According to a recent study by the Polish Organization for the Development of Heat Pump Technology (Port PC), two out of three new buildings in Poland are equipped with these devices. There is also a clear movement toward heat pumps in existing buildings. Not surprisingly, these are among the most efficient and economical heating devices. They are the only ones that provide heating for the building, hot water preparation and space cooling. They allow you to create an emission-free, comfortable and inexpensive heating system based on green energy. Investors are still most interested in air-to-water heat pumps. Among them, monobloc units are available.

Monoblock heat pumps

Like popular split-type units, monobloc heat pumps take the energy accumulated in the environment and turn it into heat transferred to the heating water in the central heating system, with a high COP and a high energy efficiency class. However, unlike split heat pumps, in monobloc units the entire refrigeration system is factory-assembled, hermetically sealed in a single unit. Even if the monoblock heat pumps are separated into two units, the installation of the unit does not require interference with the refrigeration system, as they are connected by water pipes. Such a solution greatly simplifies and streamlines installation work. The installer also does not need to be certified to work with refrigeration systems, and the use of a monobloc air heat pump relieves the need to order annual leakage checks of the refrigeration system, which are necessary for splits.

Among monoblock heat pumps, you can find units designed for outdoor installation (such as Vitocal 100-A). They allow you to realize a modern heating system in a building so that it provides comfortable heating with the lowest possible energy consumption, while not taking up much space. Installing the heat pump outside the building saves interior space, which is particularly important for both modernized buildings and new buildings with a small footprint.

The Vitocal 100-A monoblock heat pump is a unit designed for installation outside the building. All that remains on the room side is the domestic water tank, the heating water buffer and the hydraulic equipment.

The range of monoblock heat pumps also includes models dedicated to retrofitting, which can operate with a flow temperature of up to 70°C (e.g. Vitocal 250-A and Vitocal 252-A). This means that modernizing a boiler room with such a heat pump does not require switching to low-temperature heating, i.e. installing an underfloor heating system or replacing radiators with new ones adapted for low temperatures. Such devices can work with existing radiators. The fact that they do not need to be replaced reduces the cost of modernizing the heating system in the building and shortens the course of modernization work.

Vitocal 250-A monoblock heat pump is a new generation device that can work with existing radiators. Such a solution not only saves time, but, above all, reduces the costs of modernization as much as possible.

An invisible energy system

The heating system in a building, not only does not need to take up much space, but also does not need to reserve a separate technical room. All its components can be enclosed in a small enclosure and remain completely invisible. An example of such a solution is the innovative Viessmann Invisible energy system. It consists of an air-source heat pump, a ventilation module with heat and moisture recovery, a domestic water tank and complete accessories, and the whole thing remains hidden behind a development only 27.5 cm deep made of decorative panels. Enclosed in a narrow enclosure, the Viessmann Invisible system is a much more favorable solution in terms of functionality and room comfort than traditional technical rooms with free-standing heating system equipment. Various variants of module positioning (corner, row or block) provide the possibility of optimal integration of the development into the space of the room, while providing maximum freedom of its arrangement.

Viessmann Invisible allows you to maximize the use of space in the building and impressively hide the entire heating and ventilation system in a discreet enclosure.

Combination of heat pump and efficient ventilation

A mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery (recuperation) has already become a standard feature of modern energy-efficient buildings. An ideal addition in buildings heated with compact heat pumps is the Vitovent 300-F ventilation module, among others. It allows up to 98% of the heat contained in the exhaust air to be recovered and the incoming outside air to be heated without consuming additional energy. Control of the air handling unit is intuitive and is carried out using the heat pump controller. Such a solution ensures optimization of the entire system operation. Importantly, the Vitovent 300-F recuperator mounted directly to the heat pump allows you to create a harmoniously matched unit on an area of just 0.68 m².

The combination of a Vitovent 300-F air handling unit with a heat pump in passive buildings, on the other hand, makes it possible to dispense with a traditional water heating system and replace it with a water air heater, for example.

The Vitovent 300-F recuperative air handling unit provides flexible ventilation in low-energy and passive houses.

Efficient cooling of the building

The comfort of building occupants is determined to a great extent by the temperature of the rooms. It should be optimal both in and out of the polite season, which includes summer. Maintaining a comfortable temperature in several rooms at the same time without having to expand the system with additional outdoor units is provided by a multisplit air conditioning system (Vitoclima 300-S). It allows the connection of several indoor units to a single outdoor unit. As a result, when planning the installation of air conditioning in a building, there is no need to decide which rooms will have a pleasant temperature in the summer, or to think about how to find space for the installation of several units installed outside the building. Such a solution not only provides pleasant cooling wherever it is needed, but also improves the aesthetics of the installation and allows better use of the space around the building, since it is not occupied by additional system components. A single outdoor unit is also easier to integrate into the architecture of the building without affecting its overall appearance.

Vitoclima 300-S is a multisplit air conditioning system that allows up to 5 indoor units (wall or cassette) to be connected to a single outdoor unit for cooling and space heating.