BLOG: Decarbonizing Student Residential Buildings with Multi‑Source Heat Pump

Renovation Package 1: Multi-source heat pump: efficient, decarbonizing heating and cooling for student residences – smart comfort and lower energy costs year-round.

Today, there is an urgent global need to phase out the use of fossil fuels in favor of clean, renewable, and energy-efficient technologies. Decarbonization of the built environment – one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions – has become a central priority for governments, industries, and communities worldwide. In this context, heat pump systems have emerged as a cornerstone technology for the energy transition. By capturing and transferring heat from natural or waste sources rather than generating it through combustion, heat pumps drastically reduce harmful emissions, improve air quality, and deliver substantial progress toward climate neutrality. For residential and institutional buildings alike, they offer reliable year-round comfort, lower operating costs, and a significant reduction in local and campus carbon footprints.

PSYCTOTHERM, a Greece-based company, stands at the forefront of this transformation. Specializing in integrated and cost-effective refrigeration and energy systems, the company’s R&D and production teams develop innovative heat pump and waste-heat recovery solutions that push the boundaries of energy efficiency and carbon reduction. Among these, multi-source heat pumps represent a major leap forward. Unlike conventional single-source systems, these advanced units can intelligently draw heat from multiple renewable sources – such as air, ground, waste heat, or solar thermal energy – optimizing performance according to environmental conditions. Equipped with smart control systems, these systems ensure high performance, resilience, and flexibility across seasons.

Within the REHOUSE project, PSYCTOTHERM developed a pioneering multi-source heat pump system to provide heating and cooling for the student residences at Democritus University of Thrace (DUTh) in North Greece (Xanthi). This system combines geothermal water from the campus’s geothermal field with ambient air through a specialized air heater/cooler, achieving high energy performance (COP up to 5.5) even under varying climatic conditions.

The impact of such technology extends far beyond energy savings. By reducing CO₂ emissions and local air pollutants, multi-source heat pumps directly enhance public health and environmental quality. Their high performance and capability to exploit multiple sources or even recover waste heat leads to reduced operational costs, while their deployment creates a demonstration effect that accelerates market adoption across Europe. Furthermore, by tapping into locally available renewable resources, these systems enhance energy security, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, and contribute to the growth of the EU clean-tech industry – paving the way for a more sustainable, self-reliant, and decarbonized future

Author’s name: Dr. Apostolos Gkountas, PSYCTOTHERM

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