The Cézava seniors’ home complex is among the most environmentally friendly properties in the Czech Republic. Its BREEAM certification and A energy class are attributed to industrial heat pumps, which also help keep the building’s operating costs low.
When the Cézava seniors’ home complex near Brno was designed, traditional natural gas was initially selected as the energy source. However, the designers changed their minds at the last minute, and the fossil fuel had to give way to a more modern solution.
“The advantage of industrial heat pumps is their versatility. In Cézava, the same equipment serves to heat, cool, and preheat hot water. Due to their high efficiency, operating costs stay low,” says Pavel Michal, Technical Director at IVT Centrum. The company is an Oilon distributor in the Czech Republic.
Cézava was completed in 2024. Its energy solution is centered around two Oilon Chillheat P150 industrial heat pumps, providing a combined output of 300 kilowatts. The refrigerant used is R513A, noted for its moderate climate impact.
The heat pumps are powered by 50 geothermal wells, reaching a total depth of six kilometers. These pumps provide underfloor heating and cooling for the 245 apartments. Often, heating and cooling are required simultaneously in various areas of the property. The waste heat generated from cooling is utilized to heat domestic water.
“The customer chose Oilon for several reasons, such as quality, reliability, a superior control system, and an advanced service inspection system. In addition, they appreciated the design software Oilon Selection Tool that was used in designing this complex heat pump installation,” Pavel Michal explains.
Farewell to fossil fuels
“In summer, geothermal energy is initially utilized passively, and when it is no longer adequate, we transition to mechanical cooling. The excess heat generated from this process is stored in the ground, allowing us to extract heat from the thermal wells with greater efficiency in winter,” says Oilon’s Sales Manager Meelis Kolmkant.
The maximum gradient of the heating circuit is low, only 45/35 degrees Celsius, which further enhances the efficiency of the heat pumps. The temperature of the hot water is 55 degrees.
All building services track the spot price of electricity. A 200-kilowatt solar power plant is located on the site. The building has received a European Union Class A energy certificate and achieved a top-tier BREEAM certification score of 88.6%. Only three buildings in the Czech Republic have reached similar levels. Without industrial heat pumps, it would not have been possible to achieve such a high BREEAM rating.
A low-cost future
Kolmkant believes that burning fossil fuels will gradually become a thing of the past in heating large properties. It makes more sense to extract heat from the ground or, for instance, from the outside air or bodies of water and use it efficiently.
“In large heat pumps, the initial investment may be higher than that of traditional systems, but the operating costs are lower. The payback period is reasonable, and after this point, the costs remain very low well into the future. The solution is both ecological and affordable,” says Kolmkant. In the Czech Republic, the demand for serviced housing is increasing rapidly as the population ages, and Cézava’s energy-efficient solution offers a model for future projects. Heat pumps’ ability to combine heating, cooling, and hot water into one system simplifies planning and enhances the building’s flexibility.
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