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(Image: archive app24)
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The heating system in the Herisau sports center has reached the end of its life cycle. Due to the poor availability of spare parts, there is a risk that the sports center will be closed if parts of the system fail, according to the municipality. Once before, such a leak could only be prevented by the rapid reaction of the heating company. A status analysis as part of the community sports facility concept (GESAK) underlined the urgency of replacing the heating system.
Energy demand continues to fall
In order to eliminate the risk of a company closure, the replacement should take place this summer, it is said. Since a heat pump for energy recovery was already installed in the sports center in 2020, the three existing gas boilers can be replaced by two smaller ones, which still provide a good half of the previous output. After the heat pump has already reduced the total heating energy requirement by 30 percent, efficiency gains of around 10 percent are expected again with the new boiler. There are also savings in maintenance costs for the new heating system. The municipal council has therefore approved a loan of CHF 220,000 to replace the boiler.
Additional heat pump next year
According to the announcement, a complete switch to renewable energies in the sports center is not possible in the short term. The heat supply must be designed redundantly so that it is guaranteed even if one system fails. In addition, the choice of renewable energies suitable for reaching high temperatures is limited. On the other hand, lower temperatures – for example for pool water treatment, which accounts for a large part of the energy requirement – can be achieved more easily. The municipal council therefore plans to purchase another heat pump to supplement the new boilers in 2023. Both the new boiler and the planned heat pump leave all options open for the future use of other renewable energies – for example if the energy master plan, which should be available by the end of the year, shows potential for a heating network in this area.
The last modernization step is cheaper
In the meantime, the municipal council has approved the construction bill for a further step to modernize the building technology in the sports center in a further decision. Last summer, the so-called monoblock for the ventilation of the indoor pool was replaced. The commitment credit of 320,000 francs was not used up by 37,000 francs. This replacement also brings significant energy savings.
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