Glashütte is located in the Erzgebirge mountain range, an area particularly suitable for geothermal heat extraction. A total of 57 geothermal boreholes, 125 meters deep and no more than 164 millimeters in diameter, will be needed for Lange’s new building. In comparison, a single borehole would be enough for an average house. A probe consisting of two U-shaped plastic pipes made of polyethylene, bundled together in pairs, will be introduced into each borehole. These probes will be filled with water, which will circulate through the loops. In the process, the water will take on the average temperature over the length of the boreholes.
In summer, the air conditioning plant can dissipate heat directly into the probes, cooling the building. This raises the average water temperature underground, so that the phyllite stores up this energy for the following winter.
By employing geothermal energy for heating and “eco-energy” to drive the heat pump, the new Lange manufacture will be a zero-carbon installation. In comparison with conventional heating systems based on fossil fuels, the use of these technologies will reduce energy costs by more than 50%.
Very interesting concept.