Moravske Toplice to exploit geothermal energy for heating and cooling

The Terme 3000 Moravci spa is situated above the underground spring MT1, water from which is used to fill some of the thermal pools open to the guests. The natural temperature of the water is 69°C, which the spa needs to cool to 47°C to use for the baths. In the past the hotel took advantage of the spring for heating purposes, but the system used to exploit geothermal energy is obsolete and filled with deposit and as such does not function anymore.

For heating sanitary water, the non-thermal pools and the air, the hotel uses water from the MT7 spring, with a temperature of 58°C. Water heated this way reached a temperature of 47°C then needed to be cooled down by adding cold water to 30°C, an inefficient process. The entire system is unreliable and subject to frequent clogging from the minerals in the thermal water.

Resalta’s long term solution is to direct the heat energy of the MT1 source more efficiently. Two new water circuits will be installed, using heat exchangers to extract heat from the source in order to simultaneously cool thermal waters for spa use and heat sanitary water as well as non-mineral pools in the hotel.

This solution will result in a far more energy efficient system, adequate levels of minerals in the natural pool water, less clogging and a smooth and reliable functioning of the circuits. The system is expected to start functioning in September 2017, with the contract duration set at 5 years. Resalta will install all the new equipment and will be selling the exchanged heat to Terme 3000 Moravci.