Park Harga, Schiedam: Self-sufficient living thanks to energy system with ground-source heat pumps

In the design of the homes, much attention was paid to sustainability. For example, the homes will be delivered gas-free and energy-neutral, with an EPC value of 0. Thanks to the application of triple glazing, underfloor heating, their own ground source heat pump and sufficient solar panels, the homes are not only self-sufficient, but also very comfortable. Commissioned by project developer VolkerWessels Vastgoed, BAM Energy Systems engineered and realized the complete energy supply for phases 1 and 2 (total: 158 homes). Part of this is the ground source heat pumps from Itho Daalderop.

"Phase 1 includes the construction of 85 homes, including 21 social housing units for housing corporation Woonplus," says Joel Granville, work planner at BAM Energy Systems. "Phase 2 includes 73 owner-occupied homes. For both phases, we investigated the possible soil effects of the soil energy system. We also inventoried to what depth the soil loops had to be made. Each house has its own closed soil loop and heat pump, which provide sufficient cooling in summer and heating in winter. For each home, we also installed 11 to 12 solar panels, with the possibility of purchasing additional ones."

High sustainability and EPC requirements

For the selection of the ground source heat pumps, BAM Energy Systems turned to Itho Daalderop. In part because of the high sustainability and EPC requirements in this project, combined with the high efficiency, Granville said. Itho Daalderop is one of the few heat pump manufacturers using clean water instead of glycol as a source. "Moreover, they supply various capacities of heat pumps, with separate storage vessels for hot tap water, which allowed us to offer a suitable solution for each home." 

In Park Harga, the 4th generation of water-to-water heat pumps, the WPU45 I-4G, with a COP of 6, was chosen, says Erik Groenewoud, project consultant at Itho Daalderop. "A unique feature of these heat pumps is an electrical backup element, which can provide a solution in case of emergencies. In the unlikely event of a failure in the energy supply, residents can continue to heat their homes for 24 hours each time the thermostat is turned on. They will also continue to have access to hot tap water. This gives BAM Energy Systems 24 hours to identify and remedy the fault, without residents experiencing any (comfort) complaints." In fact, the energy specialist also offers maintenance contracts for its systems. Some of the residents have also chosen to lease the energy systems, Granville said. "Here, maintenance is a standard part of the agreement. In addition, we provide maintenance and troubleshooting for the 21 social housing units. Because Itho Daalderop's heat pumps are produced in the Netherlands, we can quickly get the right parts if necessary."

High extractability

The heat pumps at Park Harga are combined with 150- and 200-liter storage tanks. "Because our heat pumps produce water at 58.5°C, instead of the standard 55°C, the storage vessels have a significantly higher tapping capacity (95 instead of 80%)," Groenewoud emphasizes. "Residents can therefore extract significantly more hot water from the vessels, allowing them to be sized smaller."

Newest generation of heat pumps

Phase 1 was implemented entirely with the 4th generation heat pumps. In the transition to phase 2, Itho Daalderop's 5th generation water-to-water heat pumps were introduced: the WPU45 I-5G. "Among other things, these heat pumps feature a double exchanger, which has further increased the tap water efficiency," Groenewoud said. "Also, the heat pump is equipped with an attractive casing with a square dimension, in which all the technology is integrated. Because it uses two A-rated pumps, cooling in the summer is almost free." Because no WPU45 I-5G heat pumps in larger capacities were available at the start of phase 2, a combination of 4th and 5th generation heat pumps was chosen. In the larger homes, the heat pumps are coupled with two storage tanks, for maximum domestic hot water supply. Meanwhile, the 5th generation heat pumps are available in capacities from 2 to 9.5 kW.