Triple Aqua Consulting from Nijmegen is an experienced specialist in developing innovative heat pump technologies. They are primarily based on natural refrigerants such as propane and now also CO22, rather than chemical F-gases (fluorinated gases). This is a development that is still in its growth phase, with various limitations and challenges, but also tremendous potential.
Heat pumps are not unfamiliar to Menno van der Hoff, a self-employed professional. For 33 years, he has been an innovator and developer of heat pumps. Also at all his previous employers. His work has consistently qualified for the WBSO scheme without interruption.
In 1989, Menno was perhaps one of the first in the Netherlands to personally build a ground source heat pump using a groundwater source for his old house, replacing an oil boiler. As a young representative for an air conditioning company, he had already been able to apply substantial technical knowledge in practice. This is how he began developing his own vision for environmentally friendly cooling and heating. Today, Menno is the inventor of patents and numerous innovations in the field of climate control and refrigeration technologies. From this, the TripleAqua concept was born in 2013. This system is characterized by several unique innovations with granted patents in nearly 30 countries.
It was the first system in that sector to pioneer the use of natural refrigerant propane in commercial heat pumps on a pilot basis, and introduced cooling, heating, and storage in one integrated concept. This is made possible in part by the 3-pipe water piping system. The TripleAqua system has been the foundation for the enterprise Triple Aqua Consulting.
The largest energy consumer and emitter of our CO2 emissions (33%) is the built environment category. For the vast majority, heating and energy generation for climate control are still based on fossil fuels. One method to reduce or entirely avoid this fossil fuel-based generation is through the use of heat pumps. Triple Aqua Consulting aims to contribute to delivering ultimate thermal energy solutions using the best available technologies. In doing so, it contributes to the rapidly growing demand to achieve costly and essential environmental objectives. In the future, only products with natural refrigerants will be developed, sold, and produced that can efficiently cool and, importantly, heat as well.
In the 1990s, Menno’s eyes were opened when he learned that the so-called safe (freon) F-gases posed no threat to humans but did indeed harm the atmosphere. This was at a time when all refrigerators were still filled with F-gases. This remains true today because approximately 99% of all heat pumps on the EU market are unfortunately still filled with environmentally questionable F-gases. (fluorocarbons).
In 2015, the so-called F-gas Regulation came into effect, and it will be significantly tightened in 2024. The goal of the EU regulation is to protect the environment by substantially reducing the emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases (HFCs, HFOs, PFAS). As a result, these chemical refrigerants are gradually phasing out over this decade.
Indeed, in recent years, propane has made a breakthrough for use in residential construction. Various manufacturers are now also applying the TripleAqua innovation under license. In addition to heat pumps using propane for small capacities, the refrigerant CO2 is particularly suitable for large systems and replacing systems requiring high temperatures. Fortunately, CO2 has now proven itself widely, both technically and economically, especially in the supermarket sector. Menno also aims to introduce innovative heat pump technology based on natural CO2 to the market, both as an alternative to Asian VRF systems using F-gases and for the renovation/replacement of existing natural gas systems. This TripleAqua heat pump series features a high heating capacity ranging from 70 to 550 kW and is also capable of efficiently providing simultaneous cooling, hot shower water, and ample hot water for central heating. Perfect for transitioning existing buildings away from natural gas!
To elevate these technologies to great success, a feasibility study encompassing technical, practical, economic, and legal aspects was commissioned. With this study, Menno aimed to assess the feasibility of establishing a large-scale and fully operational production line. Additionally, he sought to investigate the technical feasibility of a demonstration project within the industrial hall of bridge builder Haasnoot Staal in Rijnsburg (ZH), together with an experienced manufacturer of large-scale CO2 systems in the EU.
Without the contributions from the TSE Industry 2021 and MIT Feasibility 2022 studies, Menno would not have been able to allocate sufficient resources to undertake the challenging innovation journey for the CO2 heat pump. Because he received full funding for these grants, he was able to conduct dedicated research for a year on the feasibility of this innovative project. It looks like the TripleAqua CO2 heat pump will be introduced to the Dutch market in 2023.
This shows that Menno is a technically innovative entrepreneur who is constantly seeking new technologies and refuses to accept limitations. Also, this is not the first time that we, at Ignite Group, have applied for WBSO grants for Triple Aqua Consulting. Since its inception, we have successfully applied for grants for several projects. All the applications have indeed been granted.
“I opted to apply for grants through Ignite Group because of their knowledge and expertise in various grant schemes,” Menno stated. “They helped me with drafting, applying, and guiding through the various applications. By handling my workload, I can focus on what I do best: Innovating!”
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