Intelligent energy source management
Heat pumps are a hot topic. These systems are attractive not only for private homes but also for commercial buildings. They are particularly efficient when they utilize as many different heat sources as possible, depending on the season. Intelligent energy source management helps achieve this. Metternich Haustechnik from Windeck has developed an innovative solution for this.
Sustainable heating and cooling of buildings is gaining significant importance in the context of the energy transition. Heat pump systems are ideally suited for this purpose. They enable the cost-effective provision of heating and cooling energy without the use of fossil fuels and without greenhouse gas emissions. Energy-optimized systems utilize many different heat sources with varying seasonal advantages and disadvantages, such as ambient air, groundwater, or the ground. Intelligent energy source management further improves efficiency. Such systems become increasingly beneficial the larger a building is, making them particularly attractive for commercial properties. Until now, however, these systems have required individual configuration and on-site installation.
Metternich Haustechnik GmbH from Windeck-Rosbach has launched an innovative solution. The company developed a standardized hydraulic support unit (HSU) that enables highly efficient source management for modern heat pump systems – from single-family homes to industrial complexes. The HSU utilizes the most efficient energy source available, thus reducing electricity consumption. The system is technology-agnostic and allows for the integration of waste heat, geothermal boreholes, and ground-source or air collectors. In 2019, Frank Euteneuer, managing partner of Metternich Haustechnik GmbH, founded Building Equipment Cologne with Mathias Hahn, managing director of operations, and his brother Christian Hahn to market their proprietary development. Since 2020, they have partnered with a leading German heat pump manufacturer, the main customer for the modules from Windeck. At the same time, the company is continuously developing its portfolio, for example, for use in large-scale systems or local supply networks. The standardized design of the system also reduces the effort required for planning and manufacturing the installations. Assembly no longer takes place on the construction site, but rather in series production in the factory hall. On-site, even untrained personnel can then install the system and put it into operation using "plug & play." This relieves the burden on installation companies, which are severely affected by the shortage of skilled workers.
Metternich Haustechnik GmbH was founded in 1947. Since 1999, the company has primarily focused on heat pumps and has installed over 2,000 systems to date. The innovative company's newest venture: ice energy storage. These systems are installed underground and are used as a sustainable solution wherever large amounts of cooling are required, such as for cooling residential and office buildings or logistics centers. To remain successful, Metternich Haustechnik and its subsidiary, Building Equipment Cologne, constantly need skilled workers. "So far, we have been able to cover 75 percent of our skilled worker needs at our North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) location," says Mathias Hahn. To ensure this continues, Hahn and Euteneuer also collaborate with universities in NRW, such as RWTH Aachen University and the University of Siegen, and offer positions for student trainees. Another advantage of the location: NRW is a large and important sales market for the company. This has enabled them to install their largest heat pump systems to date in NRW: in a DHL logistics center at Cologne/Bonn Airport and at the University Hospital of Cologne. In the summer of 2024, the company was nominated for the audience award “innovation4transformation” of the NRW Innovation Prize 2024.
This success story of an innovative transformation was published in January 2025. No updates or reviews of the information have taken place since then.
The publication series “Transformation through Innovation” aims to illustrate how companies in North Rhine-Westphalia have been able to write successful innovation stories thanks to the framework conditions created by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Are you interested in being featured in a future edition?
Then please contact us with your request at:
Commissioned by:
© 2024 NRW.innovativ
