GreenV residential complex in Viernheim – sustainable technologies
On the northern outskirts of Viernheim, in the popular new development area of Bannholzgraben II, green v is being built, a modern residential project consisting of a total of five buildings with 87 modern owner-occupied flats. The location is excellently chosen: surrounded by nature, close to the forest and yet with ideal connections to Mannheim, Heidelberg and Weinheim.
GreenV – The project
The entire complex is connected underground so that all five buildings can access shared resources. This creates a sustainable building infrastructure consisting of PVT collectors, heat pumps and storage facilities. The primary goal of the property is to save energy in heating and electricity consumption, thereby enabling environmentally conscious living in the metropolitan area. Thanks to its joint planning and use, green V is considered a pioneer of modern, shared building energy. All flats have balconies or garden areas facing south-west, which is ideal for photovoltaic systems. All buildings are connected by a shared underground car park with space for 112 cars. The basement floors house the flats’ cellars and technical rooms.
The energy concept
The energy concept encompasses several levels. The flats will be built in accordance with current climate protection standards, which protect the environment and conserve resources. Against this backdrop, the use of fossil fuels will be avoided. Heat and hot water will be generated by heat pumps, which will be supplied with electricity and heat from over 160 PVT modules (photovoltaics and solar thermal energy) on the roof. The modules have a PV module on the top for generating electricity. On the back is a heat exchanger that cools the solar module and simultaneously absorbs heat from the ambient air. Cooling improves the yield of the solar module by 6-8 per cent and also increases the longevity of the PV. The energy generated (electricity and heat) ensures efficient and silent heat pump operation. The ratiotherm heat pumps then provide hot water and energy-efficient heating in the houses. The apartments are heated via underfloor heating.
The innovative ratiotherm heat pump technology in combination with PVT modules also allows rooms to be cooled by approx. 2-3°C below the outside temperature in summer. To lower the room temperatures in the flats, the floor can be temperature-controlled using room thermostats if desired when the outside temperature exceeds approx. + 25°C. After central switching on the heat pumps, cooled water flows through the pipes laid in the floor, in reverse to the heating concept. In this way, heat is removed from the rooms in summer by means of floor temperature control. This is done exclusively without air circulation and therefore without noise and draughts in the rooms. Most of the energy required to cool the water circuit in the pipe network is generated by the photovoltaic system on the roof. With a collector area of around 665 m², the energy concept generates around 525,000 kWh of electricity and heat per year – saving around 352,000 kg of CO₂ per year.
