Understanding building services centres
Modern building services are complex: they include not only heat and domestic hot water production but also cooling and ventilation. The latest systems ensure a healthy and comfortable living space while also integrating environmentally friendly technology and energy efficiency.
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Modern building services
Current systems not only ensure a healthy and comfortable living environment, they also integrate environmentally friendly technology and are energy efficient.
But the installation and coordination of various individual appliances is labour-intensive and difficult. A building services centre, on the other hand, offers all of these functions in a single unit – now that’s a true all-rounder.
Hybrid systems – in other words, combinations of various heat generators – are growing ever more complex. At the same time, the risk of losses due to interference between the different components also rises:
- Example 1: On a sunny summer morning, the solar thermal system should get to work and harvest environmentally friendly solar energy.
But the heating boiler already fully heated up the heat storage cylinder at six in the morning. As a result, the solar heat remains unused.
- Example 2: A highly efficient heat pump is connected to a standard heat storage cylinder that is not designed for the required flow rate of the pump.
The result: No temperature stratification can be established in the cylinder. The heat pump enters into inefficient operating states and consumes much more electricity than intended.
- Example 3: The mechanical ventilation system and heat pump come from different manufacturers. As a result, they do not work together optimally and the components take up a lot of space.
But this complexity and inefficiency can be avoided. A building services centre might be the right solution. As a complete package, all building services components are combined here into a single unit, ensuring that they work together smoothly.
The heat pump is not only a sight to behold, it can also provide cooling in the summer. It does this by reversing the direction of the heat pump and operating like a refrigerator.
The heart of this building services centre is the heat pump centre, which is installed inside. This includes the control unit and the heat storage cylinder. WOLF offers versions with 180 or 280 litres capacity for domestic hot water – with or without an additional buffer cylinder.
The ventilation module with highly efficient heat recovery completes the package for a fully capable building services centre.
Building services centres in new buildings
In a new building, a building services centre such as the WOLF CHT Monoblock is an ideal solution since it is optimised for an energy-efficient, well-insulated building. The air ducts required for controlled mechanical ventilation are also easy to install.
According to a building standard published by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), a building services centre should always be the first choice for a KfW Efficiency House 40 Plus. This is because it combines efficient heating technology with photovoltaic electricity from your own roof.
Building services centres in renovation projects
There are a number of prerequisites in older buildings to be met in order for building services centres to truly shine. For example, it doesn’t make sense to fit a poorly insulated house with controlled mechanical ventilation.
Improved insulation, including new windows and doors, can only be effectively combined with such a ventilation system in a comprehensive renovation project. If you are installing a heat pump, you should probably at least replace the old radiators with panel heating.
The best route is to consult a heating installer for advice.
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The building services centre combines all components for heat, ventilation and cooling into a single system. In many cases, when combined with underfloor heating, it can cool in the summer and heat in the winter – ideal conditions for an optimal indoor atmosphere.
A building services centre is always an interesting option if you have or are planning on a photovoltaic system. Especially with an older photovoltaic system, for which the energy feed-in compensation will soon be ending, you can make effective use of your homemade electricity with the heat pump and controlled mechanical ventilation. If the feed-in compensation for the photovoltaic power is lower than the current electricity price, it naturally also makes sense to use the energy yourself.
The controlled mechanical ventilation also ensures a continuous supply of fresh air, so mould won’t stand a chance. With a highly efficient heat pump and heat recovery in the mechanical ventilation, the building services centre only uses a small amount of energy and saves a good deal of money compared with a standard heating setup.
This is especially true when combined with photovoltaic panels on your roof. In this case, the building services centre is as easy on the environment as on your wallet.
Our recommendation: The WOLF CHT-Monoblock
50 years of experience have gone into the development and design of our top seller.