Technical installations ready for geothermal energy

Wilms is the Belgian specialist in roller shutters, blinds and ventilation. By its own admission, ecology is the company's hobbyhorse, so Wilms goes for sustainability in all the choices it makes. This also applied to the new construction of an office and two warehouses at its headquarters in Meerhout. The existing HVAC systems and other building technology at the site ran on fuel oil. But Wilms was keen to switch to renewable energy sources. In that switch, the company also wanted to make its climate control more energy-efficient and asked Mourik Technics, in collaboration with Smet Group specialists, to come up with an innovative solution for that. We found it in a combination of geothermal energy, heat pumps and process cooling.

HVAC system with thermal storage

Our part in the collaboration was the construction of the complete HVAC and sanitary installations in the warehouses and office. That includes the pipework, associated distribution stations, radiators and underfloor heating in the warehouses, plus the technical room from which everything is controlled. We laid more than two kilometres of transmission lines for this purpose. The entire system is connected to the KWO system with heat pump unit installed by our partner Smet Group. As always, we linked the installation to a building management system which is the beating heart of the HVAC system. Heating, cooling and ventilation can be set, monitored and adjusted remotely for the most comfortable working climate possible, with optimal energy consumption. More to the point: with substantial energy savings.

Concrete core activation and process cooling

One of the most energy-efficient solutions in this project is the use of concrete core activation (BKA) in the offices. Essentially, we incorporated the piping for heating and cooling into the concrete walls and ceilings, allowing the mass of the building to act as a heating and cooling element. The technique is similar to underfloor heating, but by using water regimes with high-temperature cooling and low-temperature heating, this application is even more energy-efficient. We found additional energy savings in process cooling. The heat released in the process is stored in the ground. In winter, the system recovers that heat to make the temperature in the buildings pleasantly warm. This contributes to even more energy savings and is an example of sustainable climate control.

On projects like this, we regularly work with engineering firms. But in this case, Mourik Technics handled the entire engineering itself. This allowed us to bring our practical experience directly into the design and closely monitor the entire process. That gave us the opportunity to respond flexibly and efficiently to the needs of the project, from design to implementation and management. CEO Erik Wilms put it aptly: "The people at Mourik breathe engineering: they know the theory, but also roll up their sleeves." A nice compliment, for which thanks.