The heat pump can be used on the primary circuit side to extract thermal energy from the ground via the foundation structures, which is then raised to a higher temperature suitable for heating purposes. While the average temperature to be found in the concrete foundations is in the region of 13 °C, the heat pump produces temperatures of between 25 °C and 40 °C in the heat transfer medium, which is suitable for radiant heating systems such as floor slab or concrete core heating. As a result of the presence of ever more technical equipment in offices, greater use of glass surfaces in building façades as well as improved building insulation, we can expect to see a further increase in building cooling requirements in the future. And as cooling requirements increase, so too will the relevance of earth connections for buildings. In many cases the building can be cooled at virtually no cost through the direct use of the cool temperatures available in the ground. Here the heat transfer medium which circulates through the absorber system is used directly in the cooling system. If the below-grade temperatures are not cool enough, a refrigerator unit or a reversible heat pump can be integrated into the system. When the system for energy extraction and utilization can be used both for heating and cooling the building, the investment and running costs are particularly economical as the cool ground temperatures can be used at virtually no cost. The energy potential is increased as the ground is cooled further through heating with the heat pump. Solar collectors in combination with enercret present an interesting possibility for using the ground to store thermal energy in one season for use in the next. The excess heat from production processes, as well as the cool temperatures produced when running the heat pump in the heating mode, or extracted from air or water during the winter, can also be stored and reabsorbed at a later date. The energy obtained can be used in conventional air-conditioning systems. Low-temperature heating systems, wall, floor and ceiling heating systems and also chilled ceilings are predestined for the use of geothermal energy. These systems can be used for both heating and cooling purposes. The heat transfer medium which circulates through the integrated piping system is cooled by the ground in the summer and heated in the winter. Thermoactive floor slabs are a new development which forms the ideal complement for an enercret system. These are also sometimes referred to as concrete core cooling and heating systems or hydronic radiant heating and cooling systems. In the case of thermoactive floor slabs, oxygen diffusion-tight PE-Xa piping is laid in the concrete. This is then used to circulate the heat transfer medium which transports the energy into the interiors. With this technology, the storage capacity of the concrete is ideally suited to buffering heat loads. For further information on thermoactive floor slabs, please click here.