VirtuHOT collectors are being installed on a group of nine new apartment buildings in Delémont, Switzerland. Each of the buildings has Naked Energy’s VirtuHOT solar heat collectors supplying renewable heat, in line with new Swiss guidelines requiring that all new buildings are carbon neutral. 

The energy consumption and carbon emissions of the build sector are significant. The government of Switzerland understood these concerns and available technologies when setting targets in their 2050 net-zero pledge. Noticing that the residential built environment is an important area to decarbonize, policy makers established that all new buildings in Switzerland, built onwards from 2023, can no longer generate any CO2 emissions. With construction for the Parc de la Sorne Apartment complex being kicked off in 2021 the project delivered carbon neutrality ahead of the start of the new regulation.

1,680 Naked Energy VirtuHOT solar collectors were used in conjunction with PV panels and ground source heat pumps to meet the entire energy demand for the nine new buildings. The total occupied roof area for the thermal installation is 15,188 square feet, with both forms of solar energy covering a combined area of 44,960 square feet. The system design is innovative, setting a new standard for modern residential construction by decarbonizing energy demands through the integration of multiple technologies.