Marco Polo Tower in Hamburg's HafenCity
In the Marco Polo Tower, hot water is supplied to the 55 metre tall building via a Viessmann solar thermal system with Vitosol 200-T collectors covering a total area of 180 square metres.
Architectural landmark with Viessmann solar thermal system
The Marco Polo Tower in Hamburg's HafenCity is an architectural landmark. The 55 metre high building offers 15 floors of condominiums ranging in size from 60 to 340 square metres. Whilst a district heating network supplies heating energy, the Vitosol 200-T vacuum tube collectors from Viessmann provide solar energy for supplying DHW to the entire building.
Efficient heating and cooling with solar energy
Heat is supplied by a district heating network operated by the local power supply utility. From the heating centre in the basement of the building, underfloor heating systems distribute heat to the residential units. Hot water is produced via a solar thermal system using vacuum tube collectors of the type Vitosol 200-T from Viessmann. 60 collectors with a total area of 180 square metres were installed on the roof of the 16-storey building.
This type of collector is especially designed for the horizontal installation of large systems on flat roofs of apartment buildings. The absorbers can be rotated through 45 degrees to mirror the path of the sun without increased shading. The absorber surfaces integrated into the vacuum tube are not susceptible to contamination, allowing for optimum energy utilisation. The highly effective thermal insulation in the header casing minimises heat loss in the spring, autumn and winter. The solar thermal system is conveniently controlled via the central Vitosolic solar control unit from Viessmann. It ensures that the obtained solar energy is used as efficiently as possible. Communication with the Vitotrol 200-RF wireless remote control takes place via the Viessmann wireless base station (KM-BUS).
In the warmer months, the solar yields are converted into cooling energy. This is carried out by a solar-powered absorption refrigeration unit, which converts the solar yield from the solar collectors on the roof into cooling energy by means of heat exchangers. This allows the residential units to be cooled in an environmentally responsible manner: the heat obtained by means of vacuum tube collectors is transferred via a heating water buffer cylinder to the generator of the absorption refrigeration unit. In order to avoid unwanted vapour formation on the collector surfaces and in the surrounding area, heat is dissipated through a closed hybrid cooling tower. In addition to the extensive glazing, a large proportion of the faççade is also closed. The wall plates thus not only reduce heat loss in winter, but also serve as an important storage medium to ensure a comfortable indoor environment.
