There are various methods to sustainably generate heat, which mainly differ in terms of the fuel or energy carrier being used. Hellebrekers offers its clients a wide array of different methods and provides advice to help them make the best choice.
Heat pump
With a heat pump, energy is extracted from the air, the ground or groundwater, before being converted into usable energy to heat the building. Heat pumps are highly efficient, which greatly reduces the consumption of fossil fuels. Although heat pump system are powered by electricity, you can still reduce overall power consumption by generating all or part of the power required on site, e.g. with solar panels.
Cogeneration
Cogeneration involves simultaneously producing electricity and heat with a motor powered by a single fuel, which can either be a fossil fuel - fuel oil or natural gas - or a renewable fuel - biogas or biomass. The revolutions of the motor generate electricity, while the system cooling the motor produces heat. This heat can be used for various heating purposes, such as heating the building and heating water for sanitation or processes.
Biomass boiler
A biomass boiler is a wood-fired boiler that uses, for example, wood pellets or wood chips as fuel, making it a fossil-free alternative to gas-fired central heating boilers. In sports facilities, biomass boilers are used to heat the building and the pool, tap and shower water. The heat demand determines how much wood (biomass) is automatically fed into the boiler. Using wood as a fuel is more eco-friendly than gas as it produces fewer carbon emissions.
Solar boiler
A solar boiler converts radiation from the sun into heat and consists of solar collectors and a water storage tank. A special liquid that is heated by the sun flows through the heat pipes of the collectors, which run from the collectors to the storage tank. In the storage tank, the pipes give off heat to the water, which can then be used to heat tap water or other building services.
Heat and cold storage systems
With a heat/cold storage system, ground energy is used to heat and cool buildings. Groundwater is used as an energy buffer. In summer, a building can be cooled by pumping up the cold water. The water absorbs the excess heat from the building, after which the heated water is injected into the buffer. In winter, a building is heated by pumping up the hot water from the buffer and the cooled water is injected back into a cold source. For these systems to work properly, the building's cooling and heating demand must be well-balanced.
