Danube GeoHeCo pilot investment in Pušćine, Croatia

The application of shallow geothermal solutions in Medjimurje county, one of the pilot areas of the Danube GeoHeCo project, is relatively uncommon, with only a few buildings utilizing geothermal heat pumps.

This limited adoption makes investors hesitant to commit to such investments. However, due to the initiative of Medjimurje Energy Agency Ltd. and the interest of regional authority Medjimurje County, who has been investing in energy renovation and the use of renewable energy sources in its buildings for many years, a planned pilot investment in one of the existing public buildings owned by the county marks an essential first step toward popularizing and more widespread use of these technologies on the regional market.

Following a preliminary assessment of the buildings owned by Medjimurje County with the greatest need for interventions in their existing heating and cooling systems, conducted under the technical guidance of experts from the Faculty of Mining, Geology, and Petroleum Engineering – University of Zagreb, also a partner in the project, it was decided that the pilot investment for the Danube GeoHeCo project in Croatia will be implemented in the building of an elementary branch school in Pušćine.

This branch school is an educational facility associated programmatically and staff-wise with the Elementary School in Nedelišće and is located in the village of Pušćine. The building, with a total gross area of 549.20 m², was constructed in 2007. It has a rectangular layout and consists of a single-story heated area, including classrooms, a computer lab, a staff room, sanitary facilities and other utility rooms (boiler room and kitchen).

The building currently uses a centralized heating system combining radiators (mostly in the utility rooms) and underfloor heating. Heating and hot water are provided by a gas condensing boiler with a rated capacity of 30 kW, located in the boiler room.

The pilot investment under the Danube GeoHeCo project involves upgrading the existing heating system by installing a geothermal heat pump of optimal capacity, to be determined by the usage of an IT tool also developed as part of the project.

This heat pump will operate as a hybrid system alongside the existing heating setup. Since there is no separate cooling system in the building, the heat pump will be designed and installed to allow future integration with a potential new cooling system.

By combining underfloor heating with a geothermal heat pump, efficient, comfortable and sustainable heating will be ensured.

This investment will lead to additional financial savings for the building owner, improve the energy efficiency of the heat pump, and provide year-round comfort to the building's users. It will, also, raise public awareness about the importance of investing in geothermal heat pumps to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, creating a long-lasting positive impact on the sustainable development of the region by reducing GHG emissions and fostering further investments in renewable energy sources.

As a result of all mentioned activities, Medjimurje County will be one step closer to becoming a greener, energy neutral and sustainable region.