Renovation of a block of flats with an active insulation, heating and cooling system, geothermal energy and a brine-water heat pump

As part of the energy-efficiency refurbishment of a six-flat block of flats in Dresden, built in 1938, an energy concept based on geothermal probes and a brine-water heat pump (Waterkotte EcoTouch 5018.5 Ai), which will bring the existing building (425 m² of living space) up to the ‘Effizienzhaus 70-EE-WPB’ standard. Construction and planning services are being provided by BauProjekt Dresden GmbH and the Institute for Building Climate at TU Dresden.
What makes this project innovative is the combination of underfloor heating and the so-called AktivDHKS – an active insulation, heating and cooling system that regulates the temperature of the façade from the outside, thereby combining heating, cooling and insulation functions within a single system.
A key advantage of the concept is its flexibility: it can be implemented even whilst the building is fully occupied – that is, in a building where tenants are living without having to move out – and does not rely on underfloor heating, but can also be combined with existing radiators.
Looking ahead, the concept can be supplemented in future with a photovoltaic system to improve self-sufficiency; empty conduits have already been pre-installed for this purpose.