Office and factory building 100,000m³ geothermal energy store forms the heart of a complex energy system. - Completion: 1995 - Useful surface area: 22,000 m2 - Heating capacity: 520 kW - Cooling capacity: 520 kW - Client: Pago AG, Grabs - CH - Architect: Architekturbüro Leemann, Buchs - CH - Building services consultant: Ingenieurbüro Lippuner & Partner AG, Grabs - CH 570 precast enercret absorber piles 40/40 cm (total length 8,000 m) in steel-reinforced concrete constitute the heart of the energy supply system. 95,000 linear metres of HDPE piping with an outside diameter of 20 mm are incorporated in the 2,400 m³ of concrete used for the steel-reinforced piled foundations of the building and also act as absorbers. Together with the ground mass of some 100,000 m³, this concrete forms an active storage facility for the energy employed for heating and cooling purposes. It is this storage method which lies at the very heart of the PAGO energy system. Free cooling with absorber pile system: On warm summer days the lower ground temperature can be utilized to cool the printing machines, production areas and the office wing without the need for a refrigerator plant, thus saving energy. Environmentally friendly heating: On cold days, when the amounts of waste heat from production processes are not sufficient, additional thermal energy is extracted from the ground via the absorber piles by means of a heat pump. Project sheet download: To download the PDF file, please click here .* ) * ) To view PDF files you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this software, you can download the Acrobat Reader here free of charge.