BTES field as an energy-neutral solution for new headquarters

Alongside our future new headquarters in Ieper, a BTES field (borehole-thermal-energy-storage) is currently being constructed which will ensure the heating and cooling of the building in a climate-friendly manner. To realize this BTES field, we carried out a total of 136 drillings, each of which was 95 meters deep.

Thanks to the BTES field, we will be able to heat and cool the building through the principle of geothermal energy. During such a process, water containing glycol is sent through a heat pump via a circuit of deep pipes situated underground. This involves heat transfer between the fluid and the area underground. Since the ground at great depth has a constant temperature (8 - 10 °C), heat will be absorbed from the ground in the winter and it will then be released in the summer. Working together with a heat exchanger, the heat pump enables the water in the pipes to rise to a higher temperature. Therefore, we will obtain a fluid that is sufficiently hot to heat the building to the desired temperature. In order to cool the temperature, we just need to circulate the water from the BTES field through the duct system in the ceiling of the future headquarters to the desired temperature. The only energy consumption involved here will be the electricity from the circulation pump, which is supplied by solar panels.

We are very proud of this environmentally friendly solution and we’re striving to optimize our energy consumption so we can further reduce our carbon footprint.