New luxury Forest Hotel in Zlín utilizes a complete solar system from Schüco for water heating

The brand new four-star Forest Hotel, located in a quiet area on the outskirts of the city of Zlín, has been using solar energy for heating domestic hot water for more than half a year. The building, which was constructed in Zlín and began trial operations last autumn, accounted for the installation of a Schüco solar system. By utilizing renewable energy sources, the hotel contributes to environmental protection and sustainable development. The Schüco setup, which primarily serves to heat and provide hot domestic water for the basic operation of the hotel with 20 rooms of various standards, consists of 24 flat thermal collectors Schüco CTE 520 CH with a total output of 48 kWpt. They supply a 300l tank with hot domestic water (referred to as TUV) and three 1000l storage tanks with a removable insulation jacket of 10 cm thickness. There is also a complete solar transfer station equipped with pumps, switches, and venting, as well as a Schüco Maximo control unit with a touch display that ensures smooth and practically maintenance-free operation of the system. The system can save a significant amount of otherwise utilized natural gas.

The system significantly contributes to the positive energy balance of the building
"Schüco solar thermal systems, which can be installed on flat roofs, above roof levels, in roof structures, as complete roof constructions, as awnings, or into facades, enable accommodation facilities and other commercial and industrial buildings to address a significant portion of the energy needed for heating domestic water with low operating costs," explains Ing. Peter Tumpach, a solar system specialist at OKNO HOLDING, a.s., which supplied the system to the Forest Hotel in Zlín, adding: "In general, it can be said that a properly sized system should cover approximately 70% of the need for domestic hot water heating and up to 30% of heating costs." Thus, the system significantly contributes to the building's energy balance, is fundamentally maintenance-free, and does not require fuel or additional installation space for its operation, as mentioned in the installation options above. A major advantage of Schüco's solar thermal and photovoltaic systems is the potential for effective installation on both vertical and horizontal surfaces of warm and cold facades.

The large-capacity solar system of the hotel in Zlín is currently still awaiting evaluation and potential effective additions/extensions. The initial project even counted on 80 collectors; the performance and other technical and economic indicators (annual savings in gas, energy, and CO2 emissions) of the currently installed 24 collectors will be evaluated at the end of the season. Buildings with similar parameters in the Czech Republic are not yet available for comparison for investors. However, savings are already evident and significant, even on sunny winter days, the temperature on the collectors reached up to 95°C (measured in February, a sunny day with an outside temperature of 12°C). The system currently primarily serves to heat TUV, but also supports heating, which is primarily provided by gas boilers, as well as heating water in the hotel's wellness center pool and hot tubs.

Most components were supplied by Schüco
Practically the entire solar system consists of components from Schüco. The CTE 520 CH type thermal collectors are single-tube and belong to the Premium-Line series with high performance values and a whole range of usage options. The area measuring 2.69 m² and alternative double glazing (offered by the Schüco CTE 524 DH model) ensure higher-class solar yields. One CTE 520 CH collector achieves an installed output of 2 kWpt. The collector frames are standardly anodized in silver or bronze shades, but upon request, they can be provided in any RAL shade. The Schüco Premium series is unique also due to the compatibility of thermal and air-heating collectors, photovoltaic modules, and residential roof windows in the same grid scale.

A quality system, always tailored to specifications
The collectors in this series are certified in accordance with the requirements of standard EN 12975-2 and CE marking, also meeting the requirements of RAL-UZ 73 "Blue Angel" certification. The collectors with a total output of 48 kWpt supply a 300l TUV tank type WW 300-0 and three 1000l storage tanks type PS 1000 with a removable insulation jacket of 10 cm thickness. Schüco supplies solar tanks in various sizes and with different functions, always for a perfect and tailored solution. Thanks to double enameling and galvanization, they feature the best possible corrosion resistance. The storage tanks serve, as the name suggests, to retain available heat from the solar collectors (the water can last until the next day depending on the object's consumption and weather, even in winter at temperatures up to 85 °C), to reheat the TUV tank, and potentially also to support heating and hot water for the hotel wellness area.

The Schüco Maximo control unit maintains smooth and maintenance-free operation
Heat transfer from the collectors to the TUV tank is realized through a complete solar transfer station equipped with pumps, switches, and venting. The automatic control unit Schüco Maximo with a touch display ensures smooth and practically maintenance-free operation of the system. The combination of the Schüco solar station with the control unit ensures reliable operation of the entire system. The station automatically regulates the required flow using the pump speeds set on the control unit. No manual settings on the pump are needed. Thanks to the optimally set flow, system venting can be easily and reliably performed at the station's venting pot. The Schüco control unit allows for the setting of hot water circulation depending on consumption. Compared to time-conditioned circulation, there is a significant reduction in the consumption of heat, electricity, and water.

More information about Schüco solar and photovoltaic systems can be found at www.schueco.cz and on the website of OKNO HOLDING, a.s. www.oknoholding.cz.