SolaX R290 Heat Pump Cascade System in Germany

Project Highlights: 64 kW Heating Capacity | 4-Unit Cascade System | Commercial & Residential Building | Heating Renovation

Project Overview

Located near Ulm, Germany, this mixed-use building combines commercial facilities with multiple residential rental units. The ground floor accommodates a beverage supermarket and a DHL parcel drop-off and collection point, while the upper floors provide living spaces for tenants.

With a heating system that had been in operation for more than 20 years, the building required a modern, energy-efficient alternative to its existing oil-fired boiler. However, replacing the heating system presented significant challenges, particularly the building's substantial heating demand and the need to maintain a reliable domestic hot water supply throughout the renovation.

Working with HenRyan Energie and a licensed local installation team, the project successfully upgraded the building's heating infrastructure with a SolaX Thermal R290 heat pump cascade system, completing the renovation in approximately three weeks.

Project Challenges

The renovation involved several key challenges:

• High heating demand: The building serves both commercial and residential occupants, requiring a heating solution capable of meeting the demands of multiple usage areas.

• Aging heating infrastructure: The existing oil-fired boiler had been in operation for more than 20 years and needed to be replaced with a modern heating solution.

• Continuous domestic hot water supply: With residential tenants and commercial businesses operating throughout the renovation, maintaining hot water availability was essential.

• Minimal disruption during installation: The heating system replacement needed to be completed efficiently while supporting the building's ongoing daily activities.

SolaX R290 Heat Pump Cascade Solution

To address these challenges, the project installed four SolaX Thermal R290 16 kW air-to-water heat pumps in a cascade configuration, delivering a combined nominal heating capacity of 64 kW.

The integrated solution combines intelligent cascade control, thermal energy storage, and domestic hot water management to support the heating requirements of the mixed-use building.

Intelligent Cascade Control

Four SolaX C01 control units coordinate the operation of the heat pumps, enabling intelligent multi-unit control based on the building's heating demand.

The cascade configuration allows the system to manage multiple heat pump units as an integrated heating solution, providing flexible capacity management for a building with diverse commercial and residential requirements.

Integrated Thermal Management

A dedicated heating buffer tank works alongside a fresh water station (Frischwasserstation) to support heating system operation and domestic hot water preparation.

The buffer tank helps manage thermal energy within the heating system, while the fresh water station provides domestic hot water through instantaneous heat exchange.

Reliable Hot Water During Renovation

Maintaining domestic hot water was one of the project's most important requirements.

On the first day of removing the existing oil-fired boiler, the installation team connected temporary electric hot water tanks and a fresh water station to maintain hot water availability during the renovation.

This temporary arrangement helped minimize disruption for both residential tenants and commercial occupants, allowing the building to continue its daily operations throughout the approximately three-week installation period.

Project Results

The renovation successfully replaced the building's aging oil-fired heating system with a modern SolaX Thermal R290 heat pump cascade solution.

Key project achievements include:

• 64 kW combined nominal heating capacity from four SolaX Thermal R290 16 kW heat pumps.

• Intelligent multi-unit control through four SolaX C01 control units.

• Integrated thermal management using a heating buffer tank and fresh water station.

• Continuous hot water availability during renovation, supported by temporary electric heating equipment.

• Approximately three-week installation period, minimizing disruption to the building's commercial and residential occupants.

The project demonstrates how a coordinated heat pump cascade system can support the heating renovation of a mixed-use building while addressing the practical challenges of high heating demand and uninterrupted domestic hot water.

Conclusion

The SolaX R290 heat pump cascade installation demonstrates a practical approach to modernizing aging heating infrastructure in mixed-use buildings.

Equally important, the renovation highlights how careful installation planning and temporary hot water arrangements can help maintain occupant comfort during a major heating system upgrade.

For building owners and installers considering the transition from oil-fired heating to heat pump technology, this project offers a real-world example of how SolaX Thermal solutions can support demanding renovation projects with minimal operational disruption.