A geothermal plant will improve the air conditioning of the Valencia Science Museum • ESEFICIENCIA

The Valencia Science Museum will have the largest geothermal plant in Valencian Community, which will improve the energy efficiency of the building’s air-conditioning by achieving an estimated annual saving of 1,013,000 kWh from currently used energy and saving 335,000 kg of CO2/year, in addition to reducing the complex’s carbon footprint. In addition, it will have an installed thermal power of 4050 kW.

This is one of the actions included in the environmental sustainability projects being promoted by the City of Arts and Sciences, which also includes the installation of solar panels on the exterior overhangs that overlook the science museum’s north and south facades and climate architecture solutions.

Following the submission of the proposals, the various options for contracting energy improvement work for the Science Museum associated with the Public Building Rehabilitation Enhancement Program (PIREP) published in the Official Journal of the European Union (2022/S 103-287741) and the Public Sector Contracting Platform, on 30 May 2022, are evaluated.

With the implementation of the interventions included in this contract, it will be possible to reduce the primary non-renewable energy consumption of the Science Museum by 30%, which is also one of the requirements requested by PIREP, thus assuming a saving in energy cost of the building.

Energy Efficiency Measures

The geothermal plant will connect the science museum’s machine room to the Earth’s natural aquifers, through a circuit of tubes that will recycle the water used to condition the building.

In the summer, this water absorbs the excess heat produced by the air-conditioning machines and transfers it to the underground water, which is the same temperature year-round, about 20°C, which returns the cooled water back to the museum. In winter, the opposite effect will be achieved, as the water acquires the temperature of the earth’s interior to transfer heat to the air conditioning unit.

To this end, a network of 45 wells of small diameter (about 30 cm) was planned on the grounds adjacent to the Science Museum, which would carry tubes to the depth where the water would be at a constant temperature.

Refurbishing equipment to improve the energy efficiency of lighting so that it is also more efficient and installing charging points for electric vehicles are other notable projects. In the case of the Umbracle car park, which can accommodate more than 600 vehicles, 20 charging points will be installed.