Boiler and heat pump manufacturer Inventum Technologies opened a new production facility for ventilation heat pumps in Houten in December. This factory accounts for an additional capacity of 80,000 heat pumps per year. In addition, the new building offers training facilities to train installers.
"With the new production location, we are taking the next step in our contribution to the energy transition in the Netherlands," said Jorn van Strien, COO of Inventum Technologies. "Our vision is to continue to make an important contribution to sustainability in the built environment by providing sustainable, healthy and comfortable heating, cooling and hot water solutions to consumers. By continuing to produce our boilers and ventilation heat pumps on Dutch soil and sourcing the vast majority of components from the Netherlands and our surrounding countries, we also minimize our own carbon footprint. Moreover, by doing so, we offer security of supply because we are less dependent on supply chains in Asia, for example."
According to the objectives of the Climate Agreement, at least 1 million central heating boilers must be replaced by (hybrid) heat pumps by 2030. The heat pump will also play an important role in the energy transition in subsequent years. Projections point to growth in demand, especially for hybrid devices for existing homes. In order to sustainably and domestically meet that demand and deliver quickly, Inventum Technologies is expanding its production capacity for ventilation heat pumps with a location next to its current factory in Houten. At the current plant, Inventum Technologies will continue to produce boilers.
Heating and ventilation
Inventum Technologies has been developing and manufacturing ventilation heat pumps since 1989. These units differ from air-to-water and water-to-water heat pumps because they get their energy from the home's ventilation air rather than from the outside air. By cooling the ventilation air beyond the outside temperature, the ventilation heat pump becomes a source of renewable energy without the need for an outdoor unit. This saves outdoor space and prevents noise pollution toward neighbors. "Noise is a major issue with standard air-source heat pumps," says Richard Vermeeren, New Business Manager at Inventum Technologies. "Moreover, because our systems are installed completely indoors, no refrigerant pipes go through the facade. F-gas certification is therefore not required for installing the heat pump."
Sustainability and financial benefit
Inventum Technologies' ventilation heat pumps require an investment for the end user, but there are also immediate savings on energy bills. With a hybrid setup, gas savings reach 70 percent, while with all-electric use, no gas is used at all. At the same time, the home is optimally ventilated. According to Michel Pothuizen, manager of sales at Inventum Technologies, more and more consumers are becoming aware of the combination of sustainability, a healthy indoor climate and financial benefit. "We offer a high-quality product that in many cases has a payback period of six years or less. This gives households an affordable option to make their homes more sustainable and improve the indoor climate. And the latter is also important because indoor air is often five times more polluted than outdoor air."
In-house training of installers
The new production site that Inventum Technologies is occupying provides 5,500 square meters of space for manufacturing and logistics services. In addition, the building includes office spaces, an auditorium and a training center for installers and customers. With this center, Inventum Technologies is investing in the in-house training of technicians to help reduce the shortage of skilled installers. After attending training at the knowledge center, central heating technicians can immediately start installing the ventilation heat pumps manufactured at the same location.
The new factory carries the highest energy label A+++++, features highly sustainable installations and is energy-neutral or even energy-generating. Like the new building, Inventum Technologies' production also meets high sustainability standards. The boilers and heat pumps assembled in Houten consist of components almost all of which come from Europe.
