1 December 2026
Brussels, Belgium
#HPForum 2026
Award Ceremony
1 December 2026
SQUARE Brussels

Golden Age Home for the elderly: renewable energy modernization, 300 kW heat pump heating and DHW production

Competing in the category:

Building Solutions Award
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Location: Hungary
Year of submission: 2026
Organisation: Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH, Bács Klíma Kft.
Sector of application: Residential
Funding from: Private

This project demonstrates how sustainability, clean energy, and social responsibility can deliver tangible benefits for both people and the environment. Serving a 150-resident nursing home, the system improves comfort, reduces emissions, enhances local air quality, and creates a healthier living environment. During the coldest winter periods (around −15°C), the previous biomass boiler consumed approximately 40-60 m³ of wood per week, at a cost of €10,000-11,000 per week. The new Panasonic Aquarea T-CAP heat pump system is expected to replace around 70-75% of this fuel consumption. Even in the coldest conditions, heat pump operation is expected to be more economical than wood firing, while in milder weather, when COP exceeds 2-3, operating costs can be reduced by up to 50-75%. The project also eliminates much of the wood storage, handling, and transport workload, while significantly reducing local combustion-related emissions. In addition, the site's wellness facilities are open to external visitors, meaning the benefits of renewable energy, cleaner air, and lower environmental impact extend beyond residents to the wider community. Technically, the installation showcases Panasonic Aquarea Big M T-CAP R290, a leading high-end heat pump solution. Its patented T-CAP technology maintains reliable high-temperature heating even in extreme winter conditions, demonstrating how renewable energy can successfully decarbonize demanding district heating applications while delivering environmental, social, and economic value.

The project aimed to modernize and improve the energy efficiency of the district heating system serving the Golden Age Home for the Elderly, a residential care facility with approximately 150 residents. The objective was to create a highly controllable and sustainable heating solution based partly on renewable energy, utilizing the site’s existing photovoltaic capacity while eliminating natural gas heating, significantly reducing biomass fuel consumption, lowering local emissions, and decreasing operating costs.
The district heating network connects multiple buildings and supplies local heat substations, domestic hot water systems, underfloor heating circuits, and swimming pool heating. To complement the existing 500 kW biomass-fired boiler, a 300 kW air-to-water heat pump system was integrated. The renewable cascade system consists of ten Panasonic Aquarea Big M T-CAP R290 heat pumps, each rated at 30 kW, providing precise capacity control, optimized seasonal performance, and balanced operating hours across all units. The use of R290 refrigerant, with an ultra-low GWP of 0.02, minimizes environmental impact, while Panasonic’s patented T-CAP technology ensures reliable heating capacity down to −25°C outdoor temperature and maintains flow water temperatures of up to 65°C year-round.

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