Heating with Ice - Groundbreaking Heating Technology by Viessmann

Heating with ice

Vitofriocal ice store – innovative energy source for brine/water heat pumps

The use of an ice store as an energy source is a particularly innovative solution. The ice store consists of a tank with built-in heat exchangers which is buried in the garden and filled with ordinary tap water. Special solar air absorbers are installed on the roof of the house, which draw heat from the ambient air and insolation and supply it to the cylinder. The ice store also draws heat directly from the ground.

Using crystallisation energy for heating

The heat pump extracts the energy required for central heating and DHW heating from the water stored in the tank as needed. If the temperature in the tank falls to freezing point, more energy is obtained from the freezing of the water – hence the term ice store. During the transition from water to ice, the amount of crystallisation energy released is equivalent to that required for the inverse process of thawing. With an ice store measuring ten cubic metres – the standard size for a detached house – this corresponds to the energy content of approximately 120 litres of fuel oil. The key difference being that the fuel oil is entirely consumed to generate heat, while the water content of the ice store represents an almost limitless heat source that is continuously regenerated with energy from the sun and air.

The Stommel Haus clients in Aberdeenshire enjoy the following benefits:

• Combined utilisation of ambient air, the sun and ground as heat source
• No drilling – no environmental risk, no permits required
• Low operating costs thanks to the high COP of the heat pumps, up to 5.0 (B0/W35) to EN 14511
• Particularly high efficiency thanks to intelligent heat source management and heat pump with RCD (Refrigerant Cycle Diagnostic) system with electronic expansion valve (EEV)
• Easy-to-use control unit integrated in the heat pump