- The innovative energy upgrading initiatives will reduce energy consumption by around 40%
Genoa, May 21st, 2021 – Two iconic buildings in Genoa – the World Trade Center and San Vincenzo towers – embrace environmental sustainability. Both buildings symbolize trade and business, a point of reference for medium and large enterprises, with Torre San Vincenzo functioning, since 2005, also as the Genoa headquarters of Confindustria, which occupies one third of the floor space.
The works carried out by Enel X, the Enel Group's global business line that offers innovation acceleration and energy transition guidance services, consist of energy upgrading of the buildings by replacing natural gas-fired heat generators with high-efficiency air/water heat pumps. In particular, the existing natural gas-fired boilers were replaced with a 2 MW heat pump in the case of Torre San Vincenzo, and with two heat pumps of 950 kW heating capacity and 900 kW cooling capacity each, in addition to removing the existing chillers, in the WTC complex. Thanks to these works, energy consumption has been reduced by around 40%.
“The electrification percentage in the final consumption segment is extremely low,” said Sonia Sandei, Head of electrification projects for Enel Italia. “Electrification of the two iconic buildings is a pilot project that involved replacing the existing gas fired boilers with heat pump systems that, apart from reducing consumption by around 40%, also make it possible to reduce CO2 emissions. A sustainable project from the environmental and economic standpoints that embodies the Sustainable City concept.”
According to WTC Administrator Marco Bavastro, and promoter of the Torri del Centro San Benigno energy saving project Domenico Carmosino: “The heat pumps installed on the 24th floor at the top of the WTC supply a system that can heat the fully-glazed offices on the north side, and simultaneously cool those on the south side, based on their exposure to the sun. The project was crowned a success from the technical and economic standpoints: thanks to Ecobonus scheme subsidies, the return on investment was reached in just over three years and savings were found to be greater than anticipated. A tangible benefit for the tenants and for the environment, with a reduction of fine particulate emissions.”
“Thanks to the collaboration with Enel X, we have improved the energy and environmental characteristics of a prestigious and energy-hungry 23 story tower,” explains Lorenzo Merello, GGS proprietor and Torre San Vincenzo Administrator. “Replacement of conventional combustion generators with high efficiency heat pumps combined with advanced building automation systems will allow us to achieve energy savings in the order of 40%.”
Torre San Vincenzo benefited from the “Conto Termico 2.0” price-based mechanism, which finances the conversion of fossil fuel power plants, reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions thanks to the use of electricity. Conversely, the WTC complex was able to benefit from the Ecobonus initiative, which allows the recovery of 65% of expenditure incurred for energy improvement initiatives, and made use of tax deductibility thanks to the tax credit granted to Enel X in the context of the “Vivi Meglio” offer.
Enel X is the Enel Group global business line that offers innovation acceleration and energy transition guidance services. A world leader in the advanced energy solutions sector, Enel X manages demand response services for around 6 GW of total capacity on the global level, and around 100 MW of storage capacity installed all over the world, in addition to approximately 195 thousand charging points for electric vehicles made available globally. Through the offering of advanced solutions, including energy management, financial services, and electric mobility, Enel X supplies each partner with a bespoke ecosystem of technological platforms and consultancy services based on sustainability principles and the circular economy. The aim is to supply people, communities, institutions, and businesses with an alternative model, in full respect for the environment, capable of integrating technological innovation with daily life. Each solution is engineered to transform the goals of decarbonization, electrification, and digitalization into sustainable actions for all, in order to build a more sustainable and efficient world together.
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