In Písek, there is a Center for Energy Efficient Buildings

Písek - The Energy Efficient Buildings Center focuses on research and development in the field of renewable resources and energy-saving solutions, which has been established in a part of the Žižkov barracks in Písek that has been unused for part of the summer. Its construction cost over 450 million crowns. The center has more than 6000 square meters of space available with technologies for business use. The operator is RG Group a.s.

At the center, which was created in collaboration with the Czech Technical University in Prague, the largest installed battery in the country is currently operational. "Currently, we have about 20 percent occupancy. We prefer candidates from companies dealing with the methodology of low-energy buildings and construction technologies related to this topic," said Jiří Šnajdar, the manager for science and research at RG Group, during today's ceremonial opening of the center.

The project began six years ago, and the owners of the center speak of it as the most modern facility in Písek and a complex of the future. They stated that they are preparing for a situation where all new constructions must be passive according to European standards within two years. "This applies to buildings over 1500 m2 since 2018; from 2020, the regulation will apply to all new buildings including family houses, administrative, commercial, and industrial buildings," Šnajdar stated.

"We particularly welcome organizations that can collaborate with us on projects and appreciate the technological equipment of the center. Cooperation on prepared public contracts, research, and program development is also possible," said the center's manager, Pavla Setničková Nováková.

For its operations, the center has access to several renewable energy sources. "Three different types of photovoltaic power plants, geothermal wells, and wind turbines," Setničková Nováková stated.

With these renewable energies, there is the possibility of storage and subsequent use. The center is equipped with various types of batteries where excess energy is stored for future use. "We also have the largest battery in the Czech Republic, with a capacity of 800 kWh," Šnajdar mentioned. "It is also possible to use an underground tank with a capacity of up to 700 m3 for heating the building or cooling the facility," he added.

The center is located opposite the Technology Center, which has been operational since 2012 and focuses on the support and development of information and communication technology sales. At the time, it was the first center in the Czech Republic to provide both hardware and software cloud services to customers in the public and commercial sectors. Its construction cost 450 million crowns.