Photovoltaics on roofs & canopies
Rooftop arrays, parking-lot canopies and shading pergolas deliver peak-hour electricity for pumps, lighting and HVAC — the parts of the load that track daylight.
Open project · Central Europe & world
The spa that makes
The spa that makes
its own energy.
A blueprint for a large-scale thermal aquapark powered by a hybrid of renewables — photovoltaics, geothermal, wind and a hydrogen buffer. Built to be replicated in every region with a geothermal resource, from Poland and Germany to Hungary, Turkey and Iceland.
~50%
share of energy used for pool heating today
60–80%
self-sufficiency target with the integrated mix
~22 B €
European wellness market, growing 5–8%/yr
COP 4–5
typical geothermal heat pump performance
Stage · Reference concept
Scope · 2,000 – 20,000 m² water
Lead · ITC Europe
Open to partners
A thermal aquapark is one of the most energy-hungry buildings in any city. It is also, by geography, one of the most likely to sit above a geothermal resource. There is no good reason why such a facility should not generate most of the energy it consumes — on site, from the ground beneath it.Wolfgang Beick · President, ITC Europe
01 — Why this, why now
Wellness is growing. Pool energy bills are crushing.
Thermal aquaparks and wellness resorts are one of the fastest-growing segments of European tourism. They are also, structurally, one of the heaviest energy consumers in the built environment: pool heating, ventilation, hot water, spa treatments and lighting run around the clock. Annual energy bills for a mid-size facility frequently reach 1–3 million euros.
At the same time, geothermal resources are widely available and still largely untapped across Central and Southern Europe. Combined with rooftop PV, a small on-site wind footprint and a hydrogen buffer for peak loads, a thermal aquapark can flip from a high-OPEX cost center to an energy-positive destination.
30–50%
Share of operating cost that is energy in a typical thermal facility
70+ °C
Temperature of usable geothermal water in Central-European aquifers
1.5 MWp
Typical PV capacity available on roofs + parking canopies
8–12 yrs
Typical payback for the integrated energy package
Site · 2,000 – 20,000 m² water
One resort. Four energy layers. One grid connection.
Pools, wellness, hotel, catering — every sub-programme runs off the same integrated PV, geothermal, wind and hydrogen stack. Peaks are absorbed on site, not bought at spot price.
02 — The concept
Four energy sources, one resort.
Each element of the stack covers a different part of the demand curve — together they deliver a near energy-positive operation. None of this is experimental technology; the novelty is in integrating all four in a single facility.
Deep geothermal for pool heating
Where the resource allows, direct-use geothermal heats the pools and the wellness zone year-round. Where it does not, large geothermal heat pumps (COP 4–5) take over.
On-site wind + battery buffer
A small wind footprint (1–3 turbines) plus a battery system smooths the PV profile, covers night operation and acts as the resilience layer for critical loads.
Hydrogen buffer for peak & seasonal balance
Surplus summer PV is converted into hydrogen and stored on site. A small fuel-cell plant returns power during winter peaks and cold snaps — closing the last 20–40% of the demand.
03 — Scenarios
Three sizes, one architecture.
Indicative envelopes for the three typical deployments. Real numbers depend on irradiation, the quality of the geothermal resource and local wind conditions.
| Scale | Water surface | Annual energy demand | Self-sufficiency target | Typical context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A · Wellness hotel | 500 – 2,000 m² | 2 – 6 GWh/yr | 50 – 65% | 4–5★ resort, shallow geothermal + PV |
| B · Municipal aquapark | 2,000 – 8,000 m² | 6 – 18 GWh/yr | 60 – 75% | Public facility, deep geothermal + PV + battery |
| C · Thermal destination | 8,000 – 20,000 m²+ | 18 – 45 GWh/yr | 70 – 85% | Integrated resort, full PV + geo + wind + H₂ |
04 — Who this is for
Four kinds of partners build this resort.
Municipalities & hotel operators
Public spa operators, wellness hotel groups and resort developers ready to build — or retrofit — with an energy-first mandate.
- Public
- Hotels
- Resorts
Geothermal & drilling
Geothermal developers, drilling contractors and geological services willing to co-develop sites where the resource is well-documented.
- Drilling
- Geology
- Heat pumps
PV, wind & hydrogen
Technology providers for PV, small wind, batteries, electrolysers and fuel-cell systems — the four layers of the energy stack.
- PV
- Wind
- H₂
Investors & funds
Tourism funds, regional banks, green-transition programmes and infrastructure investors co-financing the long-payback parts of the project.
- Tourism
- Green
- Infra
Detail · PV + geothermal loop
A resort that runs on its own ground.
Module layouts designed to double as weather shading, paired with a geothermal well field sized to the pools. Peaks covered by wind and H₂.
05 — How we work together
A staged path from concept to investment decision.
Exploration call
A 30-minute conversation to see if the site, scope and timeline fit your organisation.
Resource & load mapping
We map the geothermal resource, the irradiation, the wind profile and the demand curve of your facility or site.
Joint pre-feasibility
A bounded study (3–6 months) producing the numbers for an investment decision or a public funding bid.
Consortium
If the pre-feasibility lands, partners form a consortium to carry engineering, permitting and financing.
On the ground
Already walking sites. Now looking for partners.
Conversations with municipalities, resort operators and geothermal developers are already under way. A broader consortium is the next step.
06 — Join our vision
Write to us. Bring a site, a resource, or a mandate.
We treat every serious message as a conversation, not a pitch. Tell us briefly who you represent and what part of the programme you are curious about — we will come back with a short, specific reply.
Project inquiries
info@itc-europe.com
Working languages: English · German · Polish.