The fact that the Grün-Weiss Mannheim e.V. tennis club is maintaining its membership figures at a consistently high level in times of widespread club fatigue is no coincidence at Mannheim's Neckarplatt. The reasons for this are undoubtedly the outstanding sporting achievements - especially those of the first men's team, which won the German team championship for the sixth time in the club's history in 2010 - as well as the intensive youth work. However, the club, which is one of the largest in Baden with around 1,000 members and 46 teams, is not only committed to high performance in sporting terms. The member of the exclusive Leading Tennis Clubs of Germany cooperation group also occupies a top position in terms of system technology: with the fully integrated H.Y.B.R.I.D. indoor heating system, the club recently invested in the most economical and efficient heating concept currently available from KÜBLER.
On the idyllically situated 50,000 square meter area with 18 outdoor and three indoor courts, Grün-Weiss is not only in the top league in terms of sport: tennis enthusiasts of all generations will find the perfect ambience for leisure activities here. "Our members appreciate the club's atmosphere. We do a lot to ensure that operations run smoothly. The comfort in the hall stands and falls with the technology."
Lower costs, more comfort and sustainability: the goals
When he took over five years ago, Dr. Ruckh realized that the previous hall heating system would no longer be sustainable from an ecological and economic point of view. The two club halls with a total of three tennis courts date back to 1952/53 and 1972 respectively. They were heated centrally with oil and both halls were very poorly insulated. Between 30,000 and 35,000 liters of heating oil were burned per year. Because investment costs were initially shied away from, the first step was to switch to a temperature-controlled heating system in the halls. However, as expected, this only had a marginal effect on oil consumption. The club only saw the solution in a completely new heating system: "Saving costs was certainly our top priority. At the same time, we wanted a system that we could control individually, that protects the environment and gives our players a pleasant feeling of warmth."
"I didn't have to worry about the details. Everything went flawlessly."
Dr. Peter Ruckh
Innovative and energy-saving: the new heating solution
The infrared hall heating specialist KÜBLER came into the picture via a neighboring sports club on Mannheim's Neckarplatt. They had heard a lot of positive things about the efficiency, control accuracy and comfort of the hall heating supply. Infrared is the ideal heating principle for high sports halls in particular. This is because, like the sun, infrared rays do not heat the air, but the objects they hit - a decisive advantage over all devices that generate warm air, produce heat pads under the hall ceiling and thus burn up unused energy. Tailored to the conditions at Grün-Weiss, the experts from KÜBLER developed a heating concept with integrated residual heat utilization that convinced those responsible at the club in every detail. "With H.Y.B.R.I.D., we opted for the latest and most efficient system from the technology leader because we are also transferring the idea of performance to our technology," says Dr. Ruckh, explaining the club's decision.
"We assume that energy costs will continue to rise. The investment will therefore pay for itself quickly."
Dr. Peter Ruckh
The future is now heating up at the Grün-Weiss tennis club: H.Y.B.R.I.D.
The three tennis halls have been heated with H.Y.B.R.I.D. since the start of the 2010 indoor season. The sustainable, energy-saving heating concept from KÜBLER combines infrared heating technology with the newly developed residual heat utilization O.P.U.S.X and the resource-optimizing control system R.O.S.S.Y ®. The 1,400 square meter and 6.8 m high total area is now heated by six energy-saving Optima 28 infrared heaters. The high-performance devices are mounted high up under the roof and tested for ball impact safety in accordance with DIN VDE 0710 Part 13/05.31. With the innovative O.P.U.S.X residual heat recovery system, the exhaust air from the infrared heaters is used for hydraulically-based heat generation.
Up to 15 percent additional energy is available almost free of charge for hot water preparation thanks to this residual heat utilization. At Grün-Weiss, this is used to heat the hall vestibule and support the hot water supply in the toilets and washrooms. This offers further valuable savings potential for the club.
Impressive ease of use and functionality: R.O.S.S.Y®
Individual and needs-based control according to individual heating zones is an important factor in the heating of sports halls. The latest generation of control systems from KÜBLER is used at Grün- Weiss to meet the special requirements with regard to the different hall usage times:
R.O.S.S.Y®. The system, which was awarded the Innovation Prize by the German Federal Ministry of Economics, allows the infrared heaters to be controlled on demand via an LCD display located in the hall vestibule. Heating temperatures, switch-on and switch-off times can now be easily controlled individually for each hall space.
PRIMAGAS - Service, proximity, expertise
With more than 80,000 customers, the liquid gas specialist PRIMAGAS has been one of the most important players in the German liquid gas sector for 60 years. The company guarantees maximum security of supply and is one of the few providers to offer TÜV-certified service. KÜBLER GmbH has already worked with PRIMAGAS on numerous projects. Very successfully!
"There was enough space for the above-ground liquid gas tank right next to the halls. PRIMAGAS carried this out completely self-sufficiently."
Energy with many advantages: Liquid gas
The energy supply for the new heating system is provided by liquid gas. This environmentally friendly and largely price-stable energy option has proven itself wherever the off-grid supply of natural gas is important, so the decision in favor of liquid gas was quickly made. Here too, the club opted for cooperation with a top player and handed over the liquid gas supply to PRIMAGAS, which installed and connected the above-ground liquid gas tank directly next to the halls. This saves cost-intensive connection fees to the supply network and makes the club independent of the often unpredictable jumps in oil prices.
High savings, fast amortization: the new freedom in the budget
Pleasantly tempered, draught-free indoor climate, convenient demand-based control, low-noise heating operation, environmentally friendly, low-emission combustion and the aesthetic design: in addition to these advantages that the new heating system brings to the Grün-Weiss Mannheim club, the most important is the economic profitability of the system. While the old system burned 30,000 to 35,000 liters of heating oil per year, the new liquid gas-powered infrared heating system from KÜBLER impresses with its outstanding efficiency. With an additional plus of up to 15 percent extra energy from the use of residual heat, with optimized control and efficiency-optimized infrared heaters, the club has a total savings potential of 47 percent. At least! Naturally, the Management Board is delighted:
"We expect the system to pay for itself within a few years"predicts Dr. Ruckh and adds: "These savings give us important financial freedom for youth work in our association, for example."
Set and match for technology and project progress: the conclusion
The club management is very satisfied with the entire course of the project, including consultation, installation and operation, especially as there was only a six-week time window available for the installation of the new system - after the end of the medal matches in mid-August and before the start of the indoor season. In the end, the installation was completed within 14 days. The current indoor season is being used to gather experience with the heating control system. "We are currently trying out one or two things that can be done very well with R.O.S.S.Y®. I really like the ease of use of the system," emphasizes Dr. Ruckh. After just a few weeks of heating and playing operation, he sums up: "We are convinced that we have made a forward-looking decision with the new heating system - for our club and for the environment. And we had a reliable partner in KÜBLER. The entire project was completed smoothly in terms of schedule and budget."
About KÜBLER
With its innovative infrared systems, KÜBLER GmbH develops and sells cutting-edge technologies for energy-efficient hall heating. As a full-service provider of turnkey solutions, the company offers a comprehensive range of products for a wide variety of hall types and room environments. KÜBLER has made a significant contribution to the breakthrough of modern infrared technology in Germany and regularly receives awards for its innovative achievements.
Its national and international awards include the Federal Prize for Outstanding Innovative Achievements from the Ministry of Economic Affairs in 2004, the Bavarian State Prize in 2006, the Innovation Prize from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in 2012 and the German Sustainability Award. KÜBLER received the highest German award for sustainable entrepreneurship in the category "Germany's most sustainable product" for the special energy efficiency of the H.Y.B.R.I.D. system. KÜBLER has registered six patents and twelve trademarks.
Founded in 1989, the company employs over 100 people and is one of the top companies in the industry in Europe with locations in Ludwigshafen, Dresden, Hagen, Hamburg, Ingolstadt, Prague (Czech Republic), Fegyvernek (Hungary), numerous foreign agencies and a nationwide service network.
