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The Ground Cube in Niederwinkling
4 min read

SISTEMS Ground Cube: An underground heating station

In Niederwinkling, a municipality in the German state of Bavaria, the Ground Cube by SISTEMS – an underground heating station – reliably supplies an entire residential area with heat. The concrete cube measuring just under 25 m² bundles the complete supply technology and serves as a compact heating station. Its reliable operation is ensured by an all-round solution comprising valves and pumps from KSB.
In Niederwinkling, a municipality in the German state of Bavaria, the Ground Cube by SISTEMS – an underground heating station – reliably supplies an entire residential area with heat. The concrete cube measuring just under 25 m² bundles the complete supply technology and serves as a compact heating station. Its reliable operation is ensured by an all-round solution comprising valves and pumps from KSB.

The project:

Compact heat distribution for a local heating network

In the Bavarian municipality of Niederwinkling, the Ground Cube by SISTEMS has been reliably supplying an entire residential area with heat since 2025. The compact local heat transfer station is installed underground. As a plug-and-play solution it bundles the suburb's complete supply technology.
To make planning, installation and operation of the system as efficient as possible, the municipality of Niederwinkling, their building services consultant and the consultancy office HPE from Johanniskirchen jointly opted for an all-in solution: a pre-fabricated 25 m² concrete cube, equipped with KSB's EtaLine pumps with PumpDrive and various BOA valves.
This was a premiere for the new valve generation BOA-Systronic ePIC, our smart measurement and control valve. 

The customer:

SISTEMS GmbH – Thinking compact building services

SISTEMS GmbH, based in Markt Schwaben, develops and sells system solutions for building services in new and refurbishment projects. Their aim is to provide technical infrastructure that is efficient, compact and pre-assembled.
One of their central products is a technical facility that can be installed underground: the SISTEMS Ground Cube. This concrete cube serves to bundle the complete supply infrastructure of a building – from heat and energy supply through to other technical connections. 
KSB and SISTEMS found the perfect solution for an entire residential area.

The challenge:

Complex requirements under high time pressure

In Niederwinkling, speed was the name of the game. Comparable projects would generally take about a year from planning to completion; this building project was finalised in merely half that time. Planning, coordination and installation were carried out much faster than usual.
At the same time, the different building management system (BMS) requirements on the primary (heat supply) and secondary (local heating network) sides had to be considered.

This was added to by the special system concept: All of the technology is housed in the Ground Cube. Integrating all components into a restricted space of 25 m² was a challenge – which was overcome by KSB's matching pump and valve technology.
A decisive implementation benefit was being able to jointly plan and offer a complete system of pumps, control valves, butterfly valves and globe valves. This significantly reduced the time needed for coordination as well as for planning and installation – an important factor for meeting the ambitious time schedule. Having the system pre-assembled abroad also clearly sped up the installation at the site.
KSB's all-in solution in the Ground Cube
KSB's all-in solution in the Ground Cube
KSB's all-in solution in the Ground Cube

The solution:

From a single source: KSB supplied a compact system solution for the Ground Cube

What counts most for a project with such a tight schedule is close and fast coordination. And this is where KSB's strength as a full-range supplier for valves and pumps came in. With all required components from a single source, SISTEMS only had a single contact person to deal with for pumps, valves and automation. This simplified planning considerably and accelerated the completion of the project.

For the local heat transfer station, KSB supplied two Etaline pumps including PumpDrive and two BOA-Systronic ePIC valves. The solution was complemented by various valves of the BOA-H, BOA-S and BOAX-SF type series reliably taking care of control and shut-off duties in the system.

Successful premiere: BOA-Systronic ePIC in KSB's complete package

A particular highlight of this construction project was the premiere of the new BOA-Systronic ePIC. Especially in the Ground Cube, where space for technical equipment is at a premium, the compact all-in-one solution really came into its own: BOA-Systronic ePIC combines control valve, ultrasonic flow measurement, temperature sensors and numerous higher-level control and optimisation functions in a single valve. This is how continuous monitoring, control and optimisation of the system is ensured in the tightest of spaces.
With good contacts with the GC Group (that SISTEMS is a part of) already in place, working together was easy. KSB finally secured the order for supplying the pumps and valves and assisting with the project from planning through to commissioning. The experienced KSB SupremeServ team contributed by making everything run smoothly at the site.

Suitable products

Etaline/Etaline Pro/Etaline MyFlow

Etaline/Etaline Pro/Etaline MyFlow
Documents

Single-stage volute casing pump in in-line design with IEC-compatible power drive system comprising PumpDrive 2 and KSB SuPremE® motor or PumpDrive 3 (efficiency class IE4/IE5 to IEC TS 60034-2-3:2016) and motor-integrated frequency inverter. Pump shaft and motor shaft are rigidly connected; with uncooled mechanical seal to EN 12756 and replaceable casing wear rings. Drive lantern made of grey cast iron. Motor mounting points in accordance with IEC 60072, envelope dimensions in accordance with DIN V 42673 (07-2011). ATEX-compliant version available. Well ahead of the ErP Directive's efficiency requirements.

Details

BOA-Systronic ePIC

BOA-Systronic ePIC
Documents

Smart and pressure-independent measurement and control valve (all in one) for monitoring and controlling flow direction, volume flow rate, supply and return temperature, thermal output and quantity of heat as well as automating the hydraulic balancing process. With integrated ultrasonic flow rate measurement and temperature sensor not in contact with the fluid handled; includes: 2 additional Pt1000 temperature sensors for measuring the supply and return temperature, integrated basic control functions (position, flow rate, temperature, thermal output), integrated process optimisation functions (delta-T management and limitation features). Also available with electrostatic plastic coating (EKB) and DVGW-certified for drinking water.

Details

BOA-H

BOA-H
Documents

Bellows-type globe valve to DIN/EN with flanged ends, with on/off disc or throttling plug, standard position indicator with colour coding for identification of valve design, replaceable valve disc; bellows protected when valve is in fully open position; seat/disc interface made of wear and corrosion resistant chrome steel or chrome nickel steel.

Details

BOA-S

BOA-S
Documents

Strainer to DIN/EN with flanged ends, with standard or fine screen; all nominal sizes with drain plug in the cover. Made of grey cast iron or nodular cast iron.

Details

BOAX-S/SF

BOAX-S/SF
Documents

Centred-disc butterfly valve with ISO 5211 compliant square shaft end for butterfly valves from DN 350, with heat barrier and elastomer liner (EPDM XU or nitrile K), with lever, manual gearbox or electric actuator (BOAX-S and BOAX-SF); semi-lug body (T2) or full-lug body (T4) for downstream dismantling and dead-end service. Valve disc made of stainless steel 1.4308, connections to EN.

Details

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