Bathing, wellness, ice skating, or culinary delights – the new Silvretta Thermal Baths in Ischgl, a leisure centre of superlatives, opened its doors in December 2022. Right from the start, both construction and operation of the Silvretta Thermal Baths aimed to be as energy-efficient and sustainable as possible. The total investment amounted to around 75 million euros, creating around 80 additional year-round jobs at this tourist hot spot in the mountains.
Three energy sources
During the planning stage of the building complex, which has an area of around 75,000 m3, special emphasis was placed on efficient insulation and the heat recovery system. Waste heat from cold production for the artificial ice rink is used to heat the building and the pools. In fact, there are several heat sources, i.e. waste heat, groundwater and geothermal energy. The entire system comprises 37 geothermal probes of 290 linear meters each and a dedicated new groundwater well.
Optimal interplay
A sophisticated regulatory and control system, as well as a source and heating storage tank, ensure efficient use of the three heat sources. Each heat pump draws its energy from the source tank or the groundwater and uses it to raise the temperature to the consumer-specific level. Heat from heating storage tank is used in two ways, that is to heat the building via underfloor heating and other heat distribution systems, and to serve as a source for the Optialtum heat pumps, which heat the water for hot water usage to even higher temperatures of up to 75 °C.