aqua-concept GmbH and geoKOAX jointly receive the German 2015 innovation award for climate and environment (IKU) from the Federal Environment Ministry and BDI. The overall system, consisting of innovative geothermal probe technology and highly efficient heat transfer fluid, can even be used in potable water reserves.
Gräfelfing, 25 January 2016—aqua-concept GmbH and geoKOAX GmbH, two Gräfelfing companies, have jointly won the German 2015 innovation award for climate and environment (IKU). In the category “Produkt und Dienstleistungs-innovationen für den Klimaschutz” (Product and service innovations for climate protection), the two companies were able to withstand the strong competition and can look forward to an award worth €25,000.
They were honoured for their unique overall concept for an inexpensive and environmentally compatible geothermal energy solution. The novel geoKOAX borehole heat exchanger and the environmentally friendly heat transfer fluid, coracon® GEKO, together form a perfectly coordinated system enabling near-surface geothermal energy now even in potable water reserves.
A renowned jury acknowledges leading-edge innovations
The IKU award honours processes, products, services and business models protecting climate and environment while making important contributions to improve our living conditions in various areas.
For the fifth time, the Federal Environment Ministry and the Federation of German Industries (BDI) award outstanding innovations for climate and environmental protection. From numerous applications the high-ranking expert jury, headed by former Federal Environment Minister, Prof. Klaus Töpfer, selected the award winners in six categories. The scientific assessment was performed by the Fraunhofer institute for system and innovation research.
Award presented by Federal Environment Minister, Barbara Hendricks
In a formal ceremony, Federal Environment Minister, Barbara Hendricks, presented the IKU award 2015 to the two Managing Directors, Dr. Andreas Detig (aqua-concept GmbH) and Jörg zu Dohna (geoKOAX GmbH).
Barbara Hendricks, Federal Environment Minister: ”The German industry’s ingenuity and willingness to innovate is one of the highest trump cards of our environmental and climate policies. Together we will show that we are at the forefront of climate protection while remaining a powerful industrialised country. The innovations honoured today show that ambitious environmental protection strengthens the German industry.”
An innovative overall system
The unique heat transfer fluids of the coracon® GEKO series are ideally aligned to the properties of the geoKOAX probe and make clever hardware a perfect overall system. Because all three elements—probe, heat pump and heat transfer fluid—must be perfectly coordinated to effectively increase the total COP value of a geothermal energy plant. Add to that a heat pump purely running on CO2-free electricity from renewable energy sources, then you have realised CO2-free heating and cooling for buildings, making it possible to globally implement key targets of the COP 21 world climate conference.
Highly efficient and inexpensive
The probe’s required borehole depth is so small that the geoKOAX probe can be used even in particularly sensible areas with borehole depth limits or on smaller plots with a high energy need.
coracon® GEKO heat transfer fluids optimise not only operational performance and system protection. They are 100% biodegradable.
These two features make it possible to use the system in potable water reserves where groundwater protection has so far prevented the use of near-surface geothermal energy.
