Havelquartier Potsdam
Energy sheet pile wall for aquathermy use
On the banks of the Havel River and within walking distance of the city center at the Alter Markt, the Havelquartier Potsdam (HQP) is currently under construction. On a total area of approx. 70,000 m², six new building complexes are growing upwards - a new district in the middle of Potsdam.
The direct location on the river raised the question of whether this could not be used for energy generation. The solution: a sheet pile wall on the riverbank, which is thermally activated to heat and cool a block of buildings.
ZAI GmbH Ziegler-Aulbach investigated thermally activated sheet pile walls as part of a research project and determined extraction capacities in laboratory tests. With this experience, the engineers have taken the lead in planning with regard to the sheet pile wall as well as the energy and water planning in service phases 2-7.
For energy suppliers, this means: secure energy production at secure prices. The heat energy from the flowing water is almost inexhaustible and after amortization of the installation the energy can be used almost free of charge.
goodmen energy was selected by ZAI as a subcontractor to design the technical ground equipment (TBA) with a focus on hydraulics and heat pump integration.
Details
Thermally activated steel sheet piles, so-called energy sheet piles, consist of commercially available sheet pile profiles with special, welded-on absorber pipes. Depending on where they are used, they can extract energy from the ground as well as from open water. Water with its excellent specific heat capacity and steel with its outstanding thermal conductivity complement each other perfectly. The detailed line planning and dimensioning of the distribution shafts was carried out by goodmen energy on behalf of ZAI.