Energy from the Earth Interior
The first building which was constructed in the innovation center “Skolkovo” was called the “Hypercube” due to to its special shape. Two dozen companies have their offices in the building, among them - Siemens, IBM, Cisco Systems. This unusual seven-storey construction is the main test-bed, where all Skolkovo control models are drilled. It is here where they created a special eco-system that will become one of the distinctive features of the Technology City of the future. It stems from energy efficiency, the use of the assets of the environment, ergonomics and the reduction of operational costs.
At the facility there was no opportunity to connect to the main gas line but eventually it was not a problem. The technical lighting (such as hallways, stairs, etc.) is provided by solar batteries that are located on its southern façade; the comfortable temperature inside the building is achieved with the help of the geothermal system that was created by the Uponor Company in cooperation with the Stiebel Eltron Company. It provides the required room temperature and maintains it at the desired level by means of heat pumps. The latter uses the interior energy of the earth to supply heating and cooling.
There is a heat carrying agent (glycol solution) that circulates within a closed circuit of 13 geothermal boreholes; depending on the season the agent either heats or cools the premises. Throughout the year the agent that circulates in the ground preserves a constant temperature of around 0 - 5 ° C. What is more, Stiebel Eltron heat pump that is used in Skolkovo can stand power cutoffs since it has a back-up generator. Besides that the system is equipped with an alarm warning function that is integrated into the Building Management System (BMS)
To achieve the unique internal eco-system of the “Hypercube” the specialists of the Uponor Company used special heat-exchange units, i.e. vertical ground accumulators. With the help of the pump the heat extracted from the ground rises to a certain level that is sufficient for heating or hot water supply. These geothermal systems work on the pipes that are known for their long life-cycle.
It took the specialists a month to install the whole system. During this period they made 80-meter boreholes, installed a recharge well, equipped the boiler-house, finetuned and test-launched the system. With the help of geothermal energy one can reduce operational costs to a minimum. That is why the amortization time of geothermal systems is way shorter compared to traditional boilers and traditional cooling units, although their installation is more costly. At the same time their service life is much longer.
The heating and cooling system operates by means of geothermal energy. This helps to reduce the estimated service temperature for heating and to apply a comfortable service temperature for cooling. Inside the “Hypercube” there are no radiators or convectors: heating and cooling are provided by multifunctional beams and fan coils. This way the latest smart technologies create a unique environment that is meant to inspire scientific thought in the innovative Technology City of the future.
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Material provided by the Uponor Company