Real solutions in Atecyr’s Decarbonisation Tour: two Prointer success stories presented by Ramón Campello

As part of his participation in the Decarbonisation Tour, Ramón Campello, Director of Prointer’s Technical Office, presented two key interventions carried out by the company. Both projects reflect the technical and strategic approach that defines Prointer’s commitment to the energy transition. These are two very different actions: one in a private hotel, aimed at improving efficiency and sustainability with freedom of design; and another in a public educational center, conditioned by regulatory and budgetary parameters. Both scenarios offer complementary learning on how to apply energy engineering in favor of the environment and comfort.

? Case 1: Comprehensive energy renovation in an urban hotel

The first case took place in a 24-storey hotel with high energy consumption, due to its continuous activity and the high volume of domestic hot water (DHW) required. Originally, the building had natural gas boilers and a solar thermal installation that contributed only 20% of the demand. The air conditioning was based on three 400 kW cooling machines and multiple fan coils.

Diagnosis and challenges

• Constant demand for DHW: more than 16 million liters per year, with peaks of up to 1,700 liters/hour.

• Fragmented and inefficient installations: three independent DHW production systems and outdated technologies.

• Low profitability of the solar system and strong dependence on natural gas.

Solución técnica implementada

Prointer apostó por una solución de altísima eficiencia energética y recuperación de calor, basada en una máquina polivalente capaz de producir simultáneamente frío y calor, optimizando el funcionamiento todo el año:

• Sistema de acumulación por doble salto térmico: depósitos a baja temperatura (40 °C) alimentados por recuperación, y otros a alta temperatura (hasta 70 °C) asistidos por bombas tipo “booster”.

• Integración hidráulica inteligente: la nueva máquina alimenta un colector secundario que reparte energía a los diferentes circuitos según demanda.

• Reducción del uso de resistencias eléctricas o picos térmicos innecesarios.

Resultados obtenidos

• Reducción del 7% en energía final consumida.

• Ahorro del 33% en energía primaria no renovable.

• Significant decrease in CO₂ emissions, thanks to the greater weight of the energy recovered.

• Operational improvement: greater stability, less maintenance and greater versatility in temperature control.

This case reflects the value of an intervention with criteria of flexibility, innovation and sustainability, where free design allowed Prointer to maximize energy use and significantly reduce environmental impact.

? Case 2: Energy rehabilitation in a school

The second project is framed in a totally different environment: a primary school built in 1979, of more than 1,000 m², located in the province of Alicante. This intervention, financed with public funds, was highly conditioned by the regulations, budgets and the previous technical design of the City Council.

Starting point

• Original installation based on a diesel boiler without mechanical ventilation.

• Recently renovated windows (aluminium with double glazing), but without action on the thermal envelope.

• Lighting and part of the electrical systems already in the process of renovation by the consistory itself.

Solution adopted

The aim was to provide the building with an efficient system, adapted to its structural constraints:

• Replacement of the boiler with a high-temperature heat pump, compatible with existing radiators.

• Installation of a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, introduced by means of skids and false ceilings to guarantee air quality and regulatory compliance.

• Redesign of the summer air conditioning, incorporating mixed terminal units (air conditioners + radiators).

• Boiler maintenance as a safety backup, in order not to compromise operability in the event of possible incidents.

Results and particularities

• Doubling of thermal demand due to the inclusion of active ventilation.

• Quadrupling of the renewed air flow, significantly improving thermal comfort and healthiness.

• Reduction of CO₂ emissions by 60% compared to the theoretical initial state.

• Despite the increase in total primary energy consumption due to the increased demand for ventilation and cooling, the use of more efficient technologies allowed for a 30% reduction in final energy consumed.

This case is especially illustrative because of the complexity of comparing the before and after: not only does the technology change, but also the level of performance of the building. We went from a system that barely ventilated to one that offers real environmental quality, complying with current standards. This shows that even within constraints, it is possible to achieve higher levels of comfort and efficiency, provided that technical knowledge and strategic vision are combined.

? Conclusions: engineering with impact

These two cases reflect Prointer’s ability to adapt decarbonisation solutions to very different contexts, without sacrificing efficiency, innovation and sustainability:

• In the private sector, energy savings are maximised thanks to freedom of design and technological choice.

• In the public sector, it is shown that even with constraints, significant results can be achieved if rigorous and adapted engineering is applied.

Both projects show that the energy transition is not a discourse, but a real practice, and that collaboration between technical teams and customers – whether public or private – is key to moving towards a more responsible and resilient energy model.