The housing company Vonovia has introduced a novel heating system in its residential complex in Ferdinand-Beutel-Weg in Kempten. This involves the use of the so-called heat pump cube, which is being installed for the first time in the Allgäu town. This system establishes a central district heating supply for 39 residential units and a total area of approximately 2,600 square metres. Through this investment, amounting to around EUR 15,000 per residential unit, Vonovia is taking a significant step away from fossil fuels such as gas.
The heat pump cube integrates a heat pump, hot water preparation, and all necessary components typically housed in boiler rooms, within a footprint of approximately 16 square metres. For the residential complex at house numbers 2 to 12, two such modules will be installed. These are delivered ready for operation by low-loader and placed on open spaces between or in front of the buildings. Installation merely requires an 80-centimetre-deep sub-base of compacted gravel, which serves as a frost protection layer. From this point, the plug-and-heat system is connected to the existing house pipes, allowing the buildings to be switched over to the new heat pumps within a few hours.
Manuela Gebhart, Regional Manager Bavaria-South at Vonovia, noted that it has already been demonstrated at other locations in Bavaria how flats can be reliably heated with the help of the heat pump cube, and existing radiators can even continue to be used. She emphasised that in Kempten, this concept of efficient, sustainable, and practical central district heating supply is now being implemented for the first time. A further benefit lies in the digital control and remote maintenance capabilities of the systems.
Erdem Caglar, Project Manager for Technical Building Services and Heat Pump Cubes at Vonovia, underscored that the rapid switchover ensures that flats remain warm and habitable, as hot water and heating are available again after the briefest interruption. The system also features integrated sound insulation, which guarantees that the quiet operation of the units is no longer perceptible to residents even at a short distance.
The new heat pump system leads to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. For tenants, the conversion results in lower operating costs, especially in view of rising gas prices. The cubes can fundamentally be combined with photovoltaic systems on the roof. As part of a strategic partnership with Enercube GmbH and Demonstrationsfabrik Aachen (DFA), Vonovia plans to install over 1,000 systems across Germany by 2029. This is intended to enable the heating of more than 20,000 flats independently of fossil fuels. The Enercube, developed by engineers David Riedl and Laurenz Sutterlüty in 2022, emerged from the need to easily and cost-effectively convert heating systems in existing buildings to renewable energy sources despite limited space. Since its conception, over 20,000 development hours have gone into the project. The modular heating centres are now designed for residential buildings with up to 50 residential units.
The installation of the heat pump cubes in Ferdinand-Beutel-Weg is part of a series of investments with which Vonovia is driving the energy transition in Kempten. Just a few weeks earlier, the energy-efficient refurbishment of a residential complex in Immenstädter Straße was successfully completed.
