Insights 2/2022

Dear readers,

It is not the first time that we have found ourselves in the midst of a turning point in history. The energy industry and global structures in general are undergoing a fundamental transformation. Global economic output (measured as GDP in USD) has increased eightfold over the past 40 years: since the 1950s, the Western economies have seen their gross national product grow virtually unabated, with China and the tiger economies also having exhibited enormous growth since the 1990s. This growth has been enabled by the inten‑ sive use of low cost energy – often without any regard for sustainability – and, since 2008, by the vast increase in spending and debt.

The traditional way to overcome crises, particularly over the last two decades, was to implement monetary policy measures on a massive scale (in line with the thinking that we must do “whatever it takes”). During this time, people’s confidence in unabated growth within an increasingly globalised world grew continuously, with most of us taking it for granted that everything would remain predictable and reliably available. Within this context, globalisation helped to keep prices low. The last three years have shaken this world view to the core. Initially precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic, supply chains and prices have experienced upheaval on a barely imaginable scale, with the area of chips and elec tronics remaining particularly badly affected to this day. In addition to the great suffering being inflicted on the local population, there are other major implications of the war in Ukraine for our economy and for us as members of the wider population. In the same way that we could never have imagined a pandemic restricting freedom of movement to the extent that it did worldwide, very few people seriously thought that we would ever have to worry about the secu rity of our gas and electricity supplies. As a result, concerns around the sustainable stability of global supply chains and the availability of energy may well lead to increasing deglobalisation.

Despite high levels of indebtedness, politics in many coun tries are attempting to accelerate the energy transition by passing laws and offering subsidies in record amounts. Within our own industry, this is causing not only a rise but also a shift in demand, mainly towards heat pumps and dis trict heating solutions – two mainstays of Hoval’s business. Having to ramp up the quantities while simultaneously navigating unreliable supply chains creates a challenge for everyone involved, the likes of which we have never seen before. Even we are not currently able to cope satisfactorily with the extreme rise in demand for heat pumps and are, unfortunately, having to make our customers endure long delivery periods. That is why we took some far reaching decisions in 2021 with a view to increasing capacity. In addition to a new heat pump production line that went into operation in Vaduz in September 2022, we will also be putting another one into operation at our Slovakian production facility at the beginning of 2023. In parallel with this, we took the decision at the end of 2021 to construct a brand new heat pump factory in Slovakia that is due to start running at the beginning of 2024. This will require an investment of more than EUR 60 million on our part. In order to increase our lead as an innovator even further in the area of heat pumps in the way our customers expect us to, we are also going to add another 30 people to our heat pump development team.

District heating solutions are experiencing a similar increase in demand to heat pumps. Even before the latest develop ments, we were already anticipating a steep rise in demand within this segment, which is why we expanded production capacity significantly at our YADOS subsidiary in Germany right back in 2020/21.

In today’s world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make forecasts. Only one thing is certain: demand for sophisticated, energy efficient and sustainable heating technology solutions is going to remain high for a long time to come. Even though politicians and members of the public are looking for black and white answers to the questions

of energy and climate policy, we know that the solution is much more complex than this and that only a sophisticated interplay between different technologies can get us there as quickly as possible. Innovative, efficient systems plus digital tools – which we will be telling you about in this issue of Insights – are a fundamental prerequisite for achieving the objectives of climate and energy policy. However, people are just as important, if not more so. Our advisers focus on solutions and we have a skilled and reliable customer service team; the way they interact with our planning and installation partners is crucial – therefore, I can whole heartedly recommend the three fascinating interviews in this edition to you.

It is my heartfelt wish that we will all be thoroughly confident in seeing the challenges of our time as an opportunity!

Gerner Executive Board Hoval Group Co-CEO

LEGAL INFORMATION Insights – the Hoval Group magazine.

Peter

IN FOCUS

IN DETAIL IN OPERATION

06 | Clear course set for the future

Huge boost for the heat pumps business at Hoval

12 | myHoval online shop

Product pages get a makeover and new functions

14 | Belaria® fit heat pump

A new addition to the market, extremely efficient and ideal for larger buildings

16 | Smart networking

Hoval and Loxone cooperate in the area of smart homes

18 | TopVent® C and S

The new generation of decentralised indoor climate systems

20 | Biomass reference project

A 100 year old farmhouse with modern pellet heating

22 | District heating reference project

A boiler house controlled via HovalSupervisor

24 | Renewable energy reference project

Heating professional replaces oil tanks with a heat pump

26 | Gas condensing boiler reference project

UltraGas® double boilers take good care of things at a hospital

IN CONVERSATION

28 | HVAC sector

An interview with Dominic Senn, a building services engineer and a Hoval partner

31 | Hoval Switzerland

Industry expert Luigi di Cola talks about his first couple of months as director

32 | Decentralised ventilation technology

An interview with expert Jürgen Kemper

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

34 | Impressions from the world of Hoval

Always on the road and heading for new solutions

Roadmap to the future

Hoval expands its heat pumps market segment

Hoval has always kept a close eye on its market and on technologies, gearing its actions to these accordingly. When it comes to development, the company has often been ahead of its time –as was the case with the heat pump, which arrived on the scene at Hoval in the 1970s and was regarded as a niche solution alongside the company’s best-selling product, the oil-fired boiler.

Since then, the market has realigned itself; it is now domi‑ nated by heat pumps and the units available nowadays are also suitable for replacing oil fired boilers.

In general, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry is currently undergoing changes like never before. Avoiding dependency on fossil fuels is a key focus, particularly in Europe, and promoting the use of heat pumps is a major lever for facilitating decarbonisation.

In the world of politics, heat pumps have now earned the same recognition as photovoltaic systems, wind power and battery banks. By the year 2030, 60 million heat pumps are expected to be in use across the EU. And achieving consid erably higher growth within this market segment no longer seems to be just a political and ecological necessity but also a real possibility.

Kerstin Jorna, Director General of the EU Commission’s Directorate General for Industry and Internal Market, is one of the current 17 million owners of a heat pump in Europe. At the 2022 Heat Pump Forum in Brussels, she said that the internal market of the EU is the key to achieving the ambitious political objectives.

To this end, many people need to combine their efforts and put some concrete measures in place. Ultimately, there are so many incoming orders for heat pumps that it is difficult to meet demand. In turn, this means long wait times for customers.

Blazing a new trail

As a pioneer in the area of heat pumps, Hoval is responding to the demands of the market by expanding capacity at its site in Vaduz (Liechtenstein) and at the one in Istebné (Slovakia).

As part of a joint venture in Austria, Hoval has already been developing and producing its own heat pumps for the past 15 years. With a view to ensuring the availability of the prod‑ ucts, the two existing production facilities are now being extended. Meanwhile, a further factory is being built from scratch at the Istebné site.

The amount being invested for these purposes totals around EUR 60 million. In connection with this, the Group will be making further investments in logistics and in building up the workforce considerably in the areas of heat pump de‑ velopment and control technology.

“With the new heat pump production facilities in Vaduz and Istebné, we are increasing our production capacity and, in turn, will be better able to meet the high level of demand”, says Co CEO Fabian Frick. “Particularly as a result of our clear commitment to building a heat pump factory in Istebné that is wholly owned by Hoval, we are well placed to set an important course for the future. By strengthening our resources in relation to heat pump development and the new production line in Vaduz, we are adding a further element to our package of measures and making ourselves fit and ready to cope with the booming demand.”

“The changes are opening up interesting opportunities for both Hoval as a company and for our employees. As a team, we are actively seizing these as part of the Hoval family.”

Peter Gerner Executive Board Hoval Group Co CEO

Full steam ahead

The overall project is so large that it is, of course, being broken down into lots of different major projects and sub projects. The project managers are responsible for coor‑ dinating all the processes and actions while ensuring that the work is synchronised where necessary. The whole undertaking is being managed by Group wide Programme Management and a management team whose members are drawn from every area of the company.

“We are overseeing three major production projects that involve building up our R&D know how and the strategic expansion of our procurement processes”, explains Franz

Pfaffinger, Head of Manufacturing. “The new heat pump production facilities in Vaduz and Istebné entered the official start up phase in 2022 and the new factory is due to go fully operational in 2024. One thing’s for sure – a lot is going to happen over the next two years.”

In Vaduz, series production of our own heat pumps started up in autumn 2022 and further enhancements are due to follow in April 2023. After that, new heat pumps are going to start being produced at the existing building in Istebné as of the second quarter of 2023.

In September 2022, a new production line began series production at the headquarters in Vaduz.

Installation of the refrigeration circuit Fully installed and assembled

Pressure strength test

Leakage test | Evacuation

Finally, large scale production of the units will be able to commence in Istebné at the beginning of 2024 – the new heat pump factory in Istebné will be state of the art and, once fully completed, will employ more than 500 people.

Hoval is building a new state-of-the-art heat pump factory directly adjacent to its existing factory in Istebné (Slovakia). It will commence operation in 2024.

“We are strengthening our position in the area of renewable energies.”

Fabian Frick Executive Board Hoval Group Co CEO

Supply chain challenges

Each heat pump consists of around 300 individual com ponents. These components are generally sourced from a variety of suppliers based in several countries. Over the past two years, the majority of the industry has been affected by persistent supply chain problems. The geopolit ical situation and, in particular, the lockdowns in China have firstly led to production closures and secondly to a huge amount of container ship congestion. “These kinds of issues continue to be felt by the industry several months down the line”, says Co CEO Peter Gerner. “And problems with global supply chains naturally affect Hoval just as much as every other company around the world. Unfortunately, this means that expanding production capacity is not enough because essential components are not available in the required quantities. It is often the case that a production facility lacks just one specific electronic component and that can bring the entire production line to a standstill. On top of that, upstream suppliers are constantly postponing delivery at short notice.”

New technology for better protection of the natural environment

When it comes to challenges of any kind, Hoval always pushes itself hard to devise further development solutions and technological solutions. In the case of Hoval heat pumps, the focus is on finding alternative refrigerants. For instance, the Belaria® pro heat pump is operated using

propane with its low GWP value of 3. The R32 refrigerant similarly complies with EU Regulations while providing a solution that is fit for the future and has a small ecological footprint. “Through our clear commitment to the heat pump segment, we have simultaneously demonstrated our intention to position ourselves more strongly in the area of renewable energies in a sustainable way”, stresses Fabian Frick.

Hoval remains a full-service provider

Hoval realised very early on that what the market and the climate turnaround need is more than just products. “As a full service provider, we have to understand our customers and develop intelligent solutions that match their individual needs”, explains Peter Gerner. “With our combination of products, systems and services, and greater integration of the IoT, the company is ideally placed to meet the challenges of the future.”

The push towards heat pumps also offers huge potential across the Group. “Over recent years, the environment within which we operate has become much more dynamic. The changes are opening up interesting opportunities for both Hoval as a company and for our employees. As a team, we are actively seizing these as part of the Hoval family. Our cutting edge technology is progressing to the next level and, at the same time, we remain a full service provider with a fantastic service network.”

“We are overseeing three major capacity projects while at the same time building up our R&D know-how accordingly.”

Franz Pfaffinger Head Of Manufacturing Hoval Group

Heat pumps: Statistical data from the European region

Number of heat pumps 30.6% (+ 36 000 jobs) Heat pump installation

per one thousand households. 18.7% (+ 22 000 jobs) Component production

In 2021, heat pump sales in Europe increased by 34% –an all-time high. 2.18 million heat pump units were sold in 21 countries* – almost 560 000 more than in 2020. 13.2% (+ 15 000 jobs) Service and maintenance

heat pump market in the EU has expanded massively. 2.0 M 1.5 M 1.0 M 500 kInsights 02-2022 | 11 |

Do more with a single click

All product pages get a makeover along with myHoval

Installation companies have really got their hands full at the moment. That is why Hoval attaches central importance to designing all its solutions to bring time savings for the specialists involved. With this in mind, the company continuously develops its product detail pages and the myHoval online portal.

Our online presence is constantly being adapted in light of direct feedback from practice. The changes do not merely relate to the ordering process –in fact, the general user interface and level of user friendliness have recently been improved again for the benefit of customers.

“The product detail pages and myHoval portal were optimised after analysing conversations conducted with customers since 2018, out of a sense of what customers need, in light of usage data from the site itself and finally on the basis of internal experience”, clarifies E Commerce Manager Daniel Bickel. “Systematic further development of the myHoval online portal is extremely important to us.”

“Systematic further development of the myHoval online portal is extremely important to us. The focus here is on increasing efficiency and saving customers time.”

Daniel Bickel E Commerce Manager

Customers who are interested in receiving myHoval training are welcome to contact our E-Commerce Manager Daniel Bickel, remembering to include their own e-mail address: daniel.bickel@hoval.com

More than 5000 users from Austria, Germany and Switzerland have already opened a myHoval account.

Product pages have a fresh, compact look and feel

A significant enhancement was recently implemented: all our product detail pages have had a complete makeover. Visitors can now see more at a glance with fewer clicks of the mouse. This starts with the article number and price – which appear immediately – and also extends to accessories, services and availability, all of which can be identified at a glance.

To ensure myHoval is customer friendly, the E Business Team decided to make the images bigger in general and to move them right to the top. Hotspot anima tions and videos have now been integrated directly into the preview images as well.

The design mock ups were refined in a series of stages and downloads are now shown more clearly and can be accessed faster – i.e. with fewer clicks of the mouse. Technical data can be opened in a table on the same page as the product being shown. Links to a successor product have been added directly under the selected product.

New functions

However, it is not just the visual appearance that has been improved; new func tions are also part of the package. For instance, tabs have been incorporated into the product pages so that visitors can find the information they are looking for more quickly and are able to switch between variants and product types. We are planning to integrate system technology – including associated images and downloads – in January 2023.

Diagrams and downloads can now be viewed directly under the product. Last but not least, the shopping basket templates for the relevant product are now available with a click and customers can place their selected products directly in the basket.

Fit and hybrid at the same time

Hoval Belaria® fit heat pump: the right solution for every large-scale project

Hoval is now offering the market an efficient heat pump for mid-range operation: the new Belaria® fit air/water heat pump is available with two performance levels. It can be operated at up to 1.4 megawatts either as a standalone unit or cascaded as part of a modular configuration –including in hybrid systems.

Warm in summer, cold in winter – the heating and cooling capacity required by a building changes with the seasonal temperature fluctuations.

The Belaria® fit air/water heat pump optimises its output to meet the prevailing heat demand. When it is used as a stand‑ alone unit, heat outputs of up to 85 kW can be achieved.

The inverter technology used enables this output to be modulated in the range from 40 to 100%. This means that both heating and cooling capacity are optimised to meet prevailing requirements and the power consumption of

compressors and fans is reduced in partial load operation. The unit switches on and off less frequently and also works more evenly.

Modular options

“The modular concept of the Belaria® fit facilitates efficient operation adapted to meet requirements in a wide oper ating range: this heat pump can be operated in cascades involving up to 16 machines”, says Product Manager Kevin Allenspach. For example, four Belaria® fit heat pumps in a cascade are capable of adapting heat output between 38 and 340 kW to meet the prevailing demand, corresponding to a modulation range of 1 : 9.

Multiple Belaria® fit units in a cascade also increase opera tional reliability through both redundancy of heat generators and the flexibility and scalability of the modular system.

Hybrid systems that use a Belaria® fit in combination with an additional heat generator for peak output offer particu larly good value for money. This means that the unit is also suitable for hybrid renovation solutions.

Hybrid systems with renewable energy

The Belaria® fit can be used to plan hybrid solutions that deliver ecological and economic benefits while also comply ing with regulations on renewable energy quotas.

“The use of the Belaria® fit in a hybrid system – together with an UltraGas® boiler, for example – enables an annual energy consumption of approximately 80% to be achieved by the heat pump with just a 50% heating load”, Product

Manager Kevin Allenspach goes on to explain. In addition to the benefits of efficient operation, this makes eligibility for public funding a possibility.

Sustainable refrigerant

The Belaria® fit is operated using R32 refrigerant. The favourable greenhouse properties of this refrigerant make it a solution that is fit for the future. Moreover, the volumetric refrigerating capacity of R32 is very high – approx. 1.6 times higher than that of R410A refrigerant, for example – enabling the unit to achieve high levels of performance in both cooling and heating operation.

Fraction contributed by heat pump to annual heating energy in %

The data relates to a moderate climate (location: Strasbourg) in accordance with the energy labelling guidelines.

Heat pump output as a share of maximum heat output in %

Bivalent-parallel mode of operation

Bivalent-alternative mode of operation

The graph shows the relationship between heat pump output (as a percentage of the maximum heat output) and the resulting heat pump energy fraction (as a percentage of annual heating energy). With a heat pump output of 50%, a hybrid system is capable of achieving a fraction of 83% when operating in bivalent-alternative mode and a fraction of 97% when operating in bivalent-parallel mode.

Source: Hoval

More comfort through smart networking

Cooperation between Hoval and Loxone simplifies system integration

To enable smart home applications, Hoval indoor climate solutions can now be integrated into the Loxone Energy Manager using plug and play due to their intelligent connectivity and then controlled from there in an energyefficient manner.

Increasing energy efficiency in buildings is one of the key concerns of our age. Heating, cooling and ventilation – in particular – are some of the core components of building technology, in turn making them major influencing factors for energy efficiency as a whole. Due to the increasing digitalisation of building technology, smart homes are becoming more and more on trend.

In order to transform a house into a smart home, the nec essary data is taken directly from the building and analysed, and the building technology is then matched accordingly.

Various settings can be controlled digitally in a convenient way, with the components selected for the smart home interacting perfectly. This means, for example, that a smart home can enable communication between the shading equipment, heating and multimedia system so that they all work together in unison.

An extremely flexible system

As of this year, Hoval heating systems can be integrated into the Loxone platform. Austrian company Loxone was estab lished in 2009 and is now the market leader in home and building automation. The company’s hardware and software is perfectly coordinated. Its software for configuring and visualising building and home automation projects is avail able free of charge and is unique on the market. And the bright green Loxone Miniserver has virtually revolutionised the smart home industry.

“At Loxone, we work together with strong partners to create intelligent solutions for contemporary home and working life. We are delighted that Hoval, a significant provider of indoor climate solutions, has now become one of our partners.”

Rüdiger Keinberger CEO Loxone

That is because Loxone offers an open interface structure via the Miniserver to ensure optimum network communication. This makes the system infinitely flexible and allows a holistic approach to energy management. One of the many interfaces provided is the one for the heating system.

To enable integration of the Hoval heating system, templates are available free of charge from the Loxone Library, with the Loxone Modbus Extension serving as a common interface.

Hoval integration case study

There are now lots of different application scenarios in which Hoval and Loxone indoor climate solutions have been success‑ fully linked. One example consists of an underfloor heating system with a buffer storage tank for heating and cooling used in combination with the Loxone energy management system.

In this scenario, the Hoval heat pump is integrated into the Loxone system from a control perspective. Surplus electrical power from the photovoltaic system is stored in a hot water tank, buffer storage tank or in the room via a temperature rise. This thermal energy storage allows the energy to be used when it is available. This is even possible in the summer when the heat pump is running in cooling mode and involves lowering the temperature slightly in the buffer storage tank and/or room.

Top priority: data security

A vast amount of indoor climate data ends up being collected as a result of building digitalisation. Data security is a very important matter in the context of smart homes. Both cooperation partners – Loxone and Hoval – have a common understanding of this key concern and regard data protection as part of their value proposition.

Gerner Executive Board Hoval Group Co CEO

“Our relationship with Loxone has exactly the right chemistry and we share the same values. Both our companies place great importance on solutions with maximum energy efficiency and on data protection and operating comfort.”

Peter

Energy management taken to a whole new level: smart control of automation tasks indoors and out.

All completed from the roof

The new TopVent ® generation for decentralised indoor climate systems has arrived

The new series of roof ventilation units for supply air, recirculated air and mixed air offers maximum flexibility for the very best indoor climate conditioning and is a seamless addition to Hoval’s range of decentralised indoor climate systems. Maintenance and installation are performed on the roof.

Hoval indoor climate systems are designed as energy in dependent and freely scalable individual solutions. Quick and easy to plan, they can be perfectly integrated – in full and without compromise – into virtually any environment without the need for major structural measures. The modu lar systems are installed in carefully selected locations with a view to achieving the best possible climate conditions in the hall building.

Hoval has developed its TopVent® units specifically to meet the demands of today’s logistics, industrial and production

halls. They are the perfect addition to Hoval’s proven decen‑ tralised indoor climate systems in any situation that requires undisturbed hall operation at a constant temperature.

Six versions of the new TopVent® roof ventilation units are now available – for recirculated air and supply air, heating and/or cooling – with two performance levels in each case. These are able to accommodate all conceivable requirements for establishing an ideal hall climate.

“With the new TopVent® C and S versions, we are able to offer a roof ventilation unit that meets the modern demands of our customers”, asserts Thomas Bacik, Climate Technology Product Manager at Hoval.

“During development, the main priority was to ensure that very little space would be required in the hall to accommo‑ date the unit and maintenance areas. As a result, the full capacity of the hall can be utilised. This approach is par‑ ticularly important in the warehousing and logistics industry.”

“With the new TopVent ® C and S versions, we are able to offer a roof ventilation unit that meets the modern demands of our customers. Annual maintenance and any necessary repairs can be carried out without affecting the running of the hall.”

Thomas Bacik Climate Technology Product Manager at Hoval

Maintenance and installation from the roof

The TopVent® units are installed on prefabricated roof frames and roof ducts, and all of the installation work is carried out from the roof. All components that require maintenance can be accessed from the roof – so there is no need for access from inside the hall. This means that regular main tenance and service work can also be carried out without affecting the infrastructure and work processes in the hall. The only work that needs to be done inside is establishing

the hydraulic and electrical connections for the units. The zone based control concept, featuring operating modes that can be combined as required in various units, also meets high expectations concerning operating times and tempera‑ tures. The decentralised system is made up of highly efficient units and can be optimally dimensioned, making it extremely economical.

What’s more, the integrated Hoval Air Injector ensures optimum air distribution and low temperature stratification.

TopVent® roof units from Hoval have been developed specifically to meet the demands of modern logistics, industrial and production halls.

Tackling the main issue

A 100-year-old farmhouse in the Swiss canton of Bern has been equipped with modern wood pellet heating

It was a dream come true for Bruno Trachsel when he managed to buy a farmhouse near the town of Thun. Already aware that the house would have to be brought up to the latest energy standards, he opted for a climate-neutral biomass heating system fuelled by regionally produced wood pellets.

The area just outside the village of Oberdiessbach is a beau tiful idyll. It is hilly here and the scenery is characterised by meadows, fruit trees and woodland, with old farmhouses scattered across the landscape like pearls. One of these hap‑ pens to be home to biomass expert Bruno Trachsel, his wife and their two pet dogs.

Bruno Trachsel was already well aware of the fact that some things at the 100 year old farmhouse would need modern ising. However, it was just as clear where the priorities lay: the house had to be brought up to the latest energy stand ards. First of all, he replaced all the windows and external doors. After that, he tackled the main issue by replacing the existing 23 year old oil heating system and the three 1000 litre tanks with a modern BioLyt 15 wood pellet boiler. But could he have installed a heat pump solution instead? “Yes”, says Bruno Trachsel, “but heating with wood is my thing. Wood is a CO2 neutral resource that grows natively and is renewable. Not only that, but this solution allows me to make settings, define parameters and make constant tweaks in my own home. I can then pass on the experience I have gained to my customers. What’s more, wood pellets provide security and immunity against geopolitical events in these times when the costs of fossil fuels are exploding.”

something special for the buffer tank that is used to store the energy present in the hot heating water. In the adjacent room, there is a Unitec buffer tank that has received the “Hoval treatment” in the form of additional insulation. The unit is equipped with a PV electric insert, although this is not yet operational. However, photovoltaic modules are due to be installed in the near future as part of the roof renova tion work. This will relieve the burden on the wood heating while also improving the level of self generated renewable energy.

Kitted out for the present, ready for the future

The Hoval BioLyt 15 boiler has now been in operation for three years. It ensures a comfortable temperature through out the building, which contains the main house and a flat –amounting to approximately 200 m2 of living space in total. “There are never any faults”, says Bruno Trachsel, “and the heating costs are much lower than with the old oil heating.” He then proceeds to talk about how the system has been optimised to prevent harmful emissions as well. Instead of relying on the usual pneumatic suction turbine, his BioLyt boiler is supplied with pellets by a Steiner spiral conveyor. The advantage of this is as follows: suction mechanisms cause negative pressure, with the result that the heating has to be restarted several times a day. “The Steiner supply system allows the day tank to be refilled even during heating operation”, explains Bruno Trachsel. He also came up with

Step by step towards 100% sustainability

As far as Bruno Trachsel is concerned, the full renovation of the 100 year old house is a multi stage project. That also goes for the equipment responsible for producing the hot water for daily use. To ensure that the flat on the ground floor would be easy to rent out, he decided very early on to install a Hoval CombiVal WPE boiler, i.e. a domestic water storage tank with an integrated air/water heat pump. In his own living space, the domestic hot water is still being pro vided by an electric boiler. “But not for much longer”, states Bruno Trachsel. “Once the PV modules have actually been installed, we will be getting domestic hot water virtually for free.” Consequently, his vision of running the old farmhouse on 100 per cent sustainable energy and at a low cost is within touching distance.

Hands-on mentality: Bruno knows exactly what to do with his BioLyt boiler.

Biomass expert Bruno Trachsel is well on the way to creating his dream home.

All data in real time

A boiler house is controlled via the HovalSupervisor control system

This boiler house in Millstatt (Carinthia, Austria), which has won an award for its climate protection credentials, relies on Hoval district heating expertise. District heating transfer stations are responsible for ensuring that around 100 buildings receive a constant supply of sustainably produced hot water and heat.

The wood chip heating plant has a heat output of 2 mega watts and has been in operation since the end of 2016. The boiler house sitting above Lake Millstatt has two biomass boilers, a gigantic buffer storage tank and an additional fail safe feature to ensure an uninterrupted heat supply for the connected buildings. The plant delivers sustainable energy for space heating and hot water the whole year round. It supplies not only public buildings – such as the town hall, primary school, wellness centre and bath house –but also commercial properties and private households. The distribution network already consists of more than 6 km of pipework but is constantly being expanded to accommo date new customers. The CO2 neutral fuel is sourced from woodland lying within a radius of 50 km. In this way, the

What makes HSH Nahwärme Millstatt local heating company so resource-efficient?

The defining characteristic of the district heating plant in Millstatt is its above average efficiency. That is why the flagship project received an award from klimaaktiv – a broad initiative of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology – in recognition of its climate protection cre dentials. A special heat recovery system makes good use of the flue gases, thereby reducing wood chip requirements by up to 20%. The low return temperature of 45°C is another factor enabling excellent efficiency values to be achieved. The optimally insulated district heating pipes keep the heat losses constantly below 10%. In conjunction with the high quality components and software from Hoval, this all makes for an efficient overall system. The plant uses Hoval buffer management, network control, the district heating transfer stations featuring a special heat exchanger and the TransTherm aqua buffer storage solution. “With Hoval, you

district heating network is making a considerable contribu tion to climate protection and regional value creation.

get everything you need from a single source. The perfectly coordinated components do not just ensure efficient oper ation; together with the supervision and control equipment they even cut the payback time”, asserts Franz Palli, Product Market Manager for District Heating at Hoval. Everything is controlled and optimised via the HovalSupervisor control equipment.

Keeping an eye on the district heating boiler house

To ensure efficient operation of the plant at all times, the control system has to be easy to use and provide a good over‑ view. The HovalSupervisor boiler house visualisation system shows Mario Rauter and the Millstatt district heating team all the data in real time – from the heat production data and output values right through to delivery information. “Some of the key benefits of Hoval products are their intuitive opera‑ tion and the option of having an interface for customers, who are then able to access the system via the HovalConnect app.” Hoval also supplies all the transfer stations for the Millstatt district heating customers. “Currently, there are 120 of these stations spread across the entire locality – from hotels to single family homes. Hoval takes care of all the adjustment

work and control equipment. The heat meter data from these stations is transmitted directly to the boiler house and we can use the consumption figures to calculate the costs”, reveals Rauter.

Expertise and service are the keys to success

Another decisive factor for entering into a partnership with Hoval for this project was the team’s expertise. Although the Hoval centre of competence for district heating is based in Zeltweg (Styria, Austria), it can establish an online connection with the boiler house at any time. This background support provides security: “Should problems ever occur – whether in the boiler house itself or in one of the connected buildings –we can count on immediate assistance from a professional online or even on site within next to no time, if need be. That saves time and, above all, money. We are only a small team here and would never be able to cover everything on our own. With Hoval, we always have access to a contact person who can quickly make the perfect adjustments to the transfer station, including when new customers need to be con nected”, says Mario Rauter, expressing his satisfaction with the collaboration.

Customers get a precise explanation of the boiler house visualisation system.

Whether on site or online, Hoval professionals are always by the customer’s side.

Hoval takes care of all the adjustment work and control equipment.

HovalSupervisor shows all data in real time.

A system solution for every dimension of life

Heating professional replaces oil heating with a heat pump

The Kempers are a family of fitters based in North Rhine-Westphalia and a Hoval partner. When the time came for them to replace the old oil heating system in their combined home and office building, they opted for a heat pump system solution from Hoval. What they really appreciate about Hoval is being able to get all the future-proof technology they need from a single source.

Nicolas Kemper has always been a fan of heat pumps. As someone who works in the business himself, he was fully aware that a well planned heat pump system would be capa‑ ble of heating a large, partially renovated building efficiently and supplying it with hot water. Spring 2021 was to spell the end for the oil heating system at the 300 m² building that houses the office, storage rooms and two flats belonging to the Kemper family. It had reached the point where the oil

tank needed to be renovated but that would have cost just as much as installing a subsidised heat pump. Other factors that nudged the decision in favour of an air/water heat pump were rising heating oil prices, government grants for renewable energies and, last but not least, the building’s existing photovoltaic system.

With radiators and a heat pump, everything runs like clockwork! “As part of the deep renovation work carried out on the property right back in 2004, we installed underfloor heating wherever it made sense and was feasible to do so. In this way, we managed to create the optimum conditions for a heat pump”, explains Kemper. In the rooms where it was not possible to install underfloor heating, low temperature radiators are being used instead. It is as if the Belaria® pro comfort from Hoval had been created specifically for

renovation projects such as this. “The process of changing over the heating was quick and went without a hitch. We only had to manage without hot water for one day”, says Kemper enthusiastically. The heat pump technology was installed right where the oil tanks had previously stood. After that, the only thing left to do was swap over the connections. “The building no longer smells of heating oil”, say the Kempers in clear appreciation of the new clean heat source.

As a result, Mr Kemper can view the whole system on the display at a glance: both Belaria® air/water heat pump cascades, the two EnerVal 500 litre water tanks and the pair of TransTherm® modules for hygienic domestic water heating and for connection to the existing solar plant. Another fundamental requirement was having a good online connection – just like the one offered by HovalConnect –because Kemper’s parents also live in the building and are no longer able to take action themselves, e.g. if anything goes wrong. “This way I can access the units at any time via my smartphone while I’m out and about”, says the Hoval partner, highlighting the advantages of the solution.

Ecologically sound heating with an air-source heat pump

A high-class appearance and cutting-edge technology

In addition to expert service, minimal noise emissions and a high quality appearance were other factors of particular importance to Nicolas Kemper. “The system is located out side and must still look good in several years’ time without any signs of weathering. Many competitors use plastic but Hoval uses sheet metal”, says Kemper. For him, this is a clear indicator of quality.

Intelligent control for ultra-high efficiency

From the heating professional’s perspective, it was very im‑ portant that all the units should come from a single manu facturer and be easy to interconnect. In this regard, Hoval definitely got top marks with its comprehensive range of coordinated products and its TopTronic® E universal system controller for controlling all components.

When selecting the heat pump, the technician once again paid careful attention to the details: “Hoval uses a sensible refrigerant with a low GWP value”, explains Kemper. Due to the natural refrigerant inside the Belaria® pro, the heat pump already meets tomorrow’s legal requirements today. The system is particularly sustainable in terms of its interaction with the family’s own photovoltaic system. Consequently, the Kempers are able to benefit from low operating costs and a climate friendly heating system that is fit for the future, not only from a business perspective but also as a household.

“Hoval uses a sensible refrigerant with a low GWP value. As a result, the Belaria ® pro already meets tomorrow’s legal requirements today.”

Nicolas Kemper Menden (North Rhine Westphalia, Germany)

Minimal noise emissions were a key criterion for Nicolas Kemper.

Where oil tanks once stood, there is now a completely new system consisting of heat pump cascades, TransTherm® modules and water tanks.

Savings of EUR 50 000 per year

By using two UltraGas® double boilers, a Belgian hospital has managed to achieve enormous efficiencies in terms of its operating costs.

Every organisation wants to reduce its costs as much as possible while at the same time ensuring smooth operations. Mouscron hospital, which has been recognised as a centre of excellence in various fields, has conquered this challenge by adopting an exceptional heating solution.

The origins of today’s Centre Hospitalier de Mouscron (CHM) in north west Belgium can be traced back to 1995 when it was created through the merger of two hospitals. It has 400 or so beds, twelve operating theatres, an MRI scanner, three radiotherapy rooms, a robot assisted operating theatre and the new particle accelerators that it acquired a year ago. The hospital’s greatest strength is its Oncology department, which is recognised as a national centre of excellence in Belgium. It is also renowned for its dialysis and diabetes

centres. CHM recently expanded its radiotherapy and A&E areas to a total size of 5000 m2

Hoval UltraGas® with a total output of four megawatts

Just like other healthcare facilities, this hospital also has very high heating and hot water requirements. “It was only ten years ago that we decided to install condensing boilers but then they began to leak”, relates Paul Ardenois, Head of Logistics at the hospital. “The model that we have recently selected to replace them – a Hoval UltraGas® boiler with an output of four megawatts – is a decision to future proof our‑ selves. The heat exchanger, which is 100% stainless steel on the water side, should keep the boiler in an operable condi‑ tion for 20 to 30 years. Indeed, with its exceptional levels of efficiency, this UltraGas® boiler represents the very best the market has to offer. By installing two UltraGas® boilers (2000D), we have recorded a 14 per cent saving within the first three years compared to the previously installed condensing

boilers. To put that in figures, it equates to savings of more than EUR 50 000 per year.” Jérémie Leleu, the hospital’s Technical Director, has the following to add: “As far as energy consumption is concerned, we can claim to be eight to nine per cent better off in the winter and 35 to 45 per cent better off in the summer.”

Managed by Hoval partner Edergen

The advantages delivered also include those of a technical nature: “Being able to run the system with a very large flow/return temperature difference (Delta T) allows a colder return temperature for the water. This is conducive to saving gas”, says Jérémie Leleu. “The boiler cascade man agement is also very impressive from a speed and output perspective.”

Jérémie Leleu is also keen to stress how quickly the tech‑ nical aspects of the project were implemented. These aspects – along with the sale of the products – were man aged by Edergen, a Hoval partner company based in Belgium. Edergen sells HVAC solutions for the medium sized business segment and also offers associated services. Looking back on the project, the hospital management team is not just highly satisfied with the products but also with their operation and with the customer service received. “The boilers have never broken down once since they were put into operation. Ease of maintenance is also

exceptionally good due to the boilers’ accessibility and design”, says Paul Ardenois. “Over recent years, we have no‑ ticed a general decrease in quality that has been getting worse and worse, probably as a result of planned obsoles‑ cence. In the Hoval brand, we have rediscovered the genuine quality of former times, but with an additional touch of the avant garde. Hoval does not just offer you a boiler with an extremely long service life but also outstanding technical performance. We are convinced that we have put our trust in the very best that the market has to offer.”

The UltraGas® boilers have impressed the hospital management team in every respect.

Mouscron hospital has been recognised as a centre of excellence in various fields.

“The shortage of specia

Dominic Senn has been the Managing Director of Müller + Hänni AG and a Hoval technical part‑ ner for eleven years. In this personal interview with Hoval, the 47 year old building services engineer talks about some fascinating industry‑ related topics.

Mr Senn, how did you first become acquainted with the HVAC industry? What appealed to you about it?

Dominic Senn: In a sense, the industry has always been in my veins. Even as a young lad, I used to help out in the family business and I learnt how to lay underfloor heating

at a very young age. Consequently, I made my acquaintance with the industry very early on. The tasks I was given turned into a hobby and eventually became my job.

Does the idea of doing your hobby as a job place extra demands on you?

Dominic Senn: Yes of course! *laughs* It is part and parcel of our company philosophy. We want to get homeowners enthusiastic about how simple methods can sometimes be used to conserve resources and create sustainable heating solutions. If we do not have this enthusiasm ourselves, homeowners won’t develop it either. And that is exactly the

Dominic Senn: “Sufficient numbers of workers will also need to be trained up in skilled manual jobs if we are going to achieve the energy transition.”

lists is really noticeable”

point: we all have to work together to become climate-neutral in the future.

What are the distinguishing features of your company –what are your precise areas of special expertise?

Dominic Senn: Our core competence definitely lies in the renovation of buildings. As a GEAK (cantonal energy certificate for buildings) expert, we can guarantee customised planning and design for every project. With our professionally trained staff, we are able to offer a tailored all-round package. This is demonstrated by the very fact that the installed systems are still functioning perfectly and exactly as planned whenever we inspect them on follow-up visits. Each project we complete acts as our business card.

Given that you also train apprentices: are you noticing a shortage of specialists?

Dominic Senn: It is dreadful what is happening to the labour market. We are noticing a dire shortage of specialists and the thinking really has to change around this – otherwise, we are going to have a major problem on our hands sooner or later. Sufficient numbers of workers will also need to be trained up in skilled manual jobs if we are going to achieve the energy transition. This will require more and more young people to learn a trade. At school careers fairs and at job fairs, we try to get people enthusiastic about embarking on a trade apprenticeship.

Has the industry changed since you started your career?

If so, in what way exactly?

Dominic Senn: Oh, quite a lot has happened, I would say *laughs*. The main thing is that our thoughts have turned from fossil fuels to climate-neutral energy sources. However, another change is the general awareness that now exists in relation to energy, waste and the environment. For instance, people take much more care over sorting their rubbish nowadays than they used to. Those are all positive aspects that are very welcome. However, it is also important to mention that the situation regarding the workforce has likewise changed. Today’s workers are constantly developing their skills. It is no longer enough just to complete an apprenticeship. One of the reasons for this is undoubtedly the speed at which technology is progressing.

And what about awareness among homeowners?

Dominic Senn: Because of the Internet, our customers can get hold of information quickly and easily. That makes it all the more important for us to keep our knowledge up to date and know our trade inside out. Anyone who does not know their stuff will end up missing the boat. And we don’t want to be mere sellers of products; we want to be experts.

“We all have to work together to become climate-neutral in the future.”

Dominic Senn Managing Director Müller + Hänni AG

How long have you been collaborating with Hoval? How did you become aware of the company?

Dominic Senn: I came across the Hoval brand repeatedly while I was still doing my apprenticeship. Back when there weren’t many manufacturers to choose from, Hoval was the most prominent provider of heating and climate technology. When I took over Müller + Hänni, we went looking for a well-versed supplier. Ultimately, we decided on Hoval.

How do you feel about your collaboration with Hoval?

Dominic Senn: What I really appreciate is the way you can have a true partnership with Hoval. For instance, they regularly ask us what we think of the products or whether there is room for improvement. As far as I am concerned, a partnership is when you can feel that it is reciprocal, are able to discuss things on equal terms and it actually produces results.

Of course, there is a personal element to it as well, if you will indulge me: when I was an apprentice I used to install the products and now I can be involved in their development. That makes me really happy.

What experiences or challenges have particularly stuck in your mind?

Dominic Senn: Given that every project represents a new challenge, I can remember each and every installation job. They cover everything from systems that we’ve installed on ships right through to projects nobody believed were possible. But we always managed them in the end by working together as a team.

In your view, what are the specific advantages of collaborating with Hoval?

Dominic Senn: Hoval remains a family business to this day – and it shows! They make time for us and listen to any feedback. Hoval has a desire to supply first-class products. We want to inspire our customers with these systems and the expertise that comes with them. Ultimately, that means we are both on the same page.

Where is the familial atmosphere most strongly manifested at Hoval?

Dominic Senn: At Hoval, they are not always primarily concerned with getting you to buy products. Rather, interpersonal relationships and partnering together are the things that take centre stage.

Hoval feels compelled to take responsibility for energy and the environment. Do you share in this vision? And what are the specific ways in which we can assume this kind of responsibility jointly with you?

Dominic Senn: Absolutely! We are experts and this is something that we must grapple with – both for ourselves and for the sake of the next generation. That is our objective. As experts, we have to share our enthusiasm with others. And that can only happen if we actually demonstrate this attitude in our own lives. If we don’t do it, then who will?!

Where do you see the industry in ten years’ time? In your view, what will be the challenges for manufacturers along with fitters and planners?

Dominic Senn: I suspect that everything will be much more automated, economical and efficient. It is difficult to predict how all the technology will evolve. However, one of the main sticking points is bound to be the shortage of specialists and the need to build up a knowledge of new technologies.

From your perspective, where is there still a need for innovation in the HVAC industry?

Dominic Senn: As far as I can see, advances have been made in relation to lots of things. A major future priority will be to consider the entire life cycle alongside everything else – from development and energy use right through to disposal. There are still bound to be plenty of points that offer potential in this regard. In my opinion, if we can manage to borrow natural resources and then return them to Mother Nature after use, we will have successfully mastered the innovation challenge.

Mr Senn, thank you so much for talking to us!

Müller + Hänni was established back in 1980. This Swiss family business specialises in heating, plumbing and design. The areas covered also include 3D bathroom design, GEAK (cantonal energy certificate for buildings) energy advice and Minergie design.

Müller + Hänni AG has gradually expanded and now has branches in Spiez, Seftigen and Gwatt.

“A great privilege”

got tougher when Hoval became my competitor. Having to fight Hoval for market shares was a real challenge. That is an‑ other reason why I am now so very happy to be here at Hoval.

What have you seen happening in our industry over the last three years? What has impressed you the most?

Mr Di Cola, you started working as CEO of Hoval Switzer‑ land in September 2022. What have you particularly enjoyed so far?

Luigi Di Cola: I have really enjoyed getting to know the employees and the customers. For me, it is a great privilege to be able to develop the market with the help of such great products, a strong brand and a team of highly trained staff. After a three year absence from the industry, I am also relishing the face to face meetings with all the customers I got to know and appreciate in the past.

Do you have a special affinity with the Hoval brand?

Luigi Di Cola: Hoval has been a constant companion throughout my entire professional life. It all started during my years as an apprentice draftsperson for heating systems: that was when I got my first professional taste of the company’s fantastic products and the best technical documents in the industry. Later on, I always considered Hoval whenever I was issuing invitations to tender. Then, when I went to technical college to become a qualified technician, the title I decided on for my dissertation was “Measurements on a condensing boiler for oil fired heating from Hovalwerk AG”. That was a real milestone for me and it led me to appreciate both the people and the technology from Vaduz in equal measure.

Further down the line, I took over the management of Arbonia AG and suddenly Hoval was my biggest customer. Collaboration with everyone involved at their end was always constructive and on equal terms. Even back then, I was struck by the strong familial culture at Hoval. The situation then

Luigi Di Cola: Although I have spent the last few years working in a different industry, I never broke off contact with customers in the building services engineering sector. As a result, I could see how the market and needs were changing. Although digitalisation is continuing to make headway, the construction industry is lagging a long way behind other industries in this area and it really needs to do some catching up. The pandemic has definitely made its mark in this regard, though, by driving forward the digitali sation of processes out of necessity. That has been good for us, even though we hope that we never again have to live through such a time of uncertainty because of illness and lockdown measures.

Where do you see Hoval in ten years’ time?

Luigi Di Cola: In ten years, we will still be one of the most important players on the Swiss market for heat pumps. In other words, we will have the technical edge and be well ahead of our competitors when planning offices put their projects out to tender. As far as residential construction is concerned, I would not rule out the use of systems that combine comfort ventilation with a PV and solar connection along with hot water generation. Within the commercial and industrial construction segment, Hoval will also posi tion itself clearly on the market by adopting a strong tech nical focus. Of that I am absolutely sure. Moreover, sales and service will be performed digitally in the future; e commerce and predictive maintenance are going to become a standard part of sales and service. Consequently, efficiency is going to increase dramatically in both areas.

Mr Di Cola, many thanks for talking to us!

You can read the full interview with CEO Luigi Di Cola online at hoval.ch.

True vocation discovered at Hoval

Jürgen Dorenburg has been an expert in the field of decentralised ventilation technology right from the start. The graduate engineer has many years of experience in hall ventilation, particularly ventilation for production halls. In 2012, the former CEO of Hoval Klimatechnik Germany left the company to pursue a selfemployed career in the design, measurement and calculation of production hall ventilation systems, in the course of which he has published several textbooks on the subject.

Mr Dorenburg, you studied Physics and Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt and, before going self‑employed, were the CEO of Hoval GmbH Klimatechnik in Germany. What prompted you to join Hoval?

Jürgen Dorenburg: The advertised job caught my interest because of its varied nature. On the one hand, it involved heat exchangers and, on the other, ventilation technology. I had already built up some experience in the area of heat exchangers in the course of a previous job, where I had dealt with the project planning and sale of process coolers for the chemical and petrochemical industries, and with blast fur nace recooling technology. Up until that point, I had never had anything to do with ventilation technology and so you could call me a career changer in that respect. However, I had gained a thorough knowledge of fluid mechanics during my studies and so I felt well prepared. On arrival at Hoval, I discovered that the job involved a varied combination of project planning and sales, which I very much appreciated.

When you look back on your 29 years at Hoval, what do you regard as the major milestones in the company’s history in relation to climate technology?

Jürgen Dorenburg: Climate technology was constantly being adapted to accommodate changes in requirements and further developed to cater for new applications. How ever, I never really felt as though it was a process that could be measured in milestones.

Your self employed activities do not merely include the design, measurement and calcu‑ lation of production hall ventilation systems; you are also the author of several textbooks and a trainer in the area of hall ventilation. What tips can you offer your colleagues working in design and development?

Jürgen Dorenburg: My background is in physics and so I really like getting to the bottom of things. As a career changer, I began by studying the current guidelines and working through the sources I found cited there, focusing particularly on research reports. That is the way to build up your background knowledge over time, in turn honing your ability to think in a more joined up way. Although it is not easy, that is the best course of action and I thoroughly recommend it.

Let’s talk about the technology. What difficulties did you face initially when selling the decentralised ventilation units?

Jürgen Dorenburg: At colleges and universities, the central system was being presented as the standard solution. The decentralised concept was new and its use restricted to single storey halls. Consequently, the advantages of the new system essentially needed to be explained. On top of that, at a time when the vast majority of ventilation units were being supplied without heat recovery, we had to prove why our integrated heat recovery made good sense.

You have just said that both the system and its advan tages required a lot of explaining at the beginning. What exactly are the key distinguishing features of the two systems?

Jürgen Dorenburg: The main thing to point out is the weight. Central systems featuring an air duct network and air outlets are around three times heavier than the combined weight of all the decentralised units required with the other type of system. This allows for a more straightforward hall structure. In addition, it often proves easier to incorporate decentralised units into the infrastructure of pro duction halls than to fit an air duct network in between existing crane runways, conveyor systems or supply lines. When you do away with the air duct network, you also eliminate the associated leakage losses and, in turn, the need to increase the delivery volume accordingly.

So does the difference compared to central systems essentially boil down to the lack of an air duct system?

Jürgen Dorenburg: No, not just that. Decentralised systems allow for the gradual expansion of new systems and the un‑ complicated extension of existing ones. Another advantage is the ability to carry out maintenance during operation because individual units can generally be shut down for short periods without this causing any problems.

We have a multi‑layered customer base. It includes opera‑ tors, designers/planners and fitters. What benefits do they each get from using a decentralised ventilation system?

Jürgen Dorenburg: For operators, the use of multiple units results in a high level of system reliability. And because the units are supplied ready for use from a ventilation perspec‑ tive, it means less project planning work and therefore lower costs at the design stage. Compared to central units, decen tralised units call for significantly less installation work. This makes for short installation times and provides the installa tion company with a quick pay back.

You make an interesting point when you talk about less installation work and the associated cost savings. So what is the procedure for installing a decentralised system then?

Jürgen Dorenburg: Decentralised units usually consist of two parts: the below roof unit and the above roof unit. The below roof unit is slotted into the roof frame from above using a crane or helicopter. A second lifting operation places the above roof unit on top of the below roof unit and they

are connected using the prepared screw components. And that’s all there is to the unit installation process.

Occasionally, you hear concerns that strong sunlight heats up the air around decentralised units on flat roofs, with the result that they end up taking in fresh air at much higher temperatures. Could that be classed as an impediment?

Jürgen Dorenburg: It is true that the air above flat roofs does heat up strongly. This makes it lighter and causes it to become unstable so that it forms thermal bubbles at con stantly changing locations. These then detach themselves from the roof and rise up away from it. This results in a constant stream of unheated air that flows in behind. Meas urements have shown that the instability of the heated air prevents it from forming layers thicker than approx. 30 cm, which is significantly below the intake height of the units. Therefore, it is not an impediment.

Mr Dorenburg, many thanks for talking to us!

Jürgen Dorenburg: “It often proves easier to incorporate decentralised units into the infrastructure of production halls than to integrate central units.”

Farewell with a smile

Hoval technology in the limelight

The

Reaping the rewards of hard work

In October, German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to Hoval partner Ute Giese to find out all about innovative heat pump technology.

“In order to meet our climate targets, we need innovative technology – such as heat pumps. As of 2024, we want to be installing 500 000 of them a year”, he announced.

Excellent results are always cause for celebration! And that also goes for Hoval Italy: the team celebrated the most recent set of accounts by sharing a meal at a restaurant. Recognising the work of each and every individual and the combined efforts that have culminated in the fulfilment of a goal is the best way to grasp what can be achieved as a team.

A stunning commute

team at Hoval Austria fondly recalled some touching moments as they said goodbye to Franz Stöbich at his leaving party. After serving as CFO in Austria for many years, he retired in July having spent more than 30 years at Hoval, 20 of them as a senior manager.

Service technician Kevin Suter is always travelling through spectacular landscapes in the canton of Grisons. While on his way to carry out some maintenance work for a customer, he sent his drone up in Versam – the gateway to the Safien Valley –and used it to capture some images of Ruinaulta Canyon.

Source: Screenshot zdf.de

Large-scale exhibition appearance

Presentation to students

IFH Intherm, the German trade fair for sanitation, home and building technology, took place in Nuremberg again this year. In the midst of all the action was the exhibition team from Hoval Germany, who provided visitors with information about gas condensing boilers, indoor climate systems, high-output domestic water heaters, wood pellet boilers, heat pumps and residential ventilation.

Once again, Hoval has visited a university to showcase the company, its fields of work and the possible career opportunities. The visit to the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences in Rapperswil provided another great opportunity to make contact with students by chatting to them in a relaxed atmosphere.

International knowledge transfer

Appreciation for climate-friendly products

2 days, 8 countries, an all-consuming passion for marketing and a huge amount of networking – we’re talking about the International Marketing Meeting that was held on 19 and 20 May 2022 in Aschheim, Germany. One element was the Groupwide business overview but in addition to this, each of the Marketing departments from the national companies presented a chosen best practice project from their country and shared their experiences with the other marketers.

Austrian Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler and Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein Sabine Monauni paid a visit to the Hoval head office in Vaduz. During their tour of the site, the politicians and their delegations showed a particularly keen interest in the new heat pump production facility.

Responsibility for energy and environment

Hoval Aktiengesellschaft