SEW Eurodrive, a German manufacturer of motors and drives, is counting on INDUSTRIUM for the construction of their brand new plant in Leuven. We are doing this together with D E Architecten, Archimedes (stability), Struktuur (EPB) and De Fonseca (Acoustics).

Present renewable energy:

A two-pipe air-to-water heat pump on the roof was chosen for heating the workshop. In the offices, climate ceilings provide both heating and cooling, controlled by a four-pipe air-to-water heat pump. It also provides the base temperature for the production of domestic hot water for the showers. In order to make the water sufficiently hot, a booster water-to-water heat pump is provided for the showers. These heat pumps are large consumers of electricity. To compensate for this, however, SEW-EURODRIVE is making a bold sustainable choice. The company is providing a PV system of no less than 930 kWp on the roof, which is exceptional in an industrial project of that size.

- Description with preconditions and justification of choices:

The first step in sustainable building and operation is, of course, to keep energy requirements as low as possible. However, the comfort of those who work there must not be lost sight of. To create a pleasant indoor climate in the workshop without the need for active cooling, we started from a dynamic simulation. Data from previous years on sunshine and temperatures - measured over an entire year - are crossed with the insulation value (U) and heat transfer value (g) of all components of the building envelope.

Among other things, the simulation showed that it was better to replace the single-walled polycarbonate sheets in the upper strip of the facade of the studio by double-walled and insulated sheets. Also for the skylights in the roof, roof elements themselves and the other cladding, better insulating elements were chosen. During very hot summer nights, the air groups of the workshop provide free cooling, and the natural rwa installation can also be opened to let the heat escape from the ceiling of the rooms to the outside.

The interior layout also affects rational energy consumption and working comfort. In the original plan, the loading and unloading areas opened directly into the workshop. We recommended shielding them with an additional wall, which makes a big difference in the workshop, especially in winter when the gates are open.

The complete sketch, preliminary, detailed design as well as the site follow-up were also part of the assignment and this for subsequent lots:

• HVAC
• SAN
• ELECTRIC
• PV installation
• Charging infrastructure

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