Sustainability is one of the fundamental values at the heart of the project of Ombria Resort.
By specially designing infrastructures and considering the sustainable project of the resort, the objective is to minimise the use of natural resources and reinforce the preservation of the unique biodiversity existing in the region through a surface geothermal system, which is already considered a pioneer in technological applications in sustainable tourism in Portugal.
From the first moment, the resort has shown extra care in choosing energy efficiency solutions best suited to the surroundings and construction. Located in the interior of the Algarve, Ombria Resort opted for a geothermal solution, which provides greater thermal comfort and allows for economic savings and CO₂ emissions.
In an interview with Novoperfil magazine, the engineering director of Ombria Resort, Cláudio Correia, says that, from the beginning, the final objective was well defined: the issue of energy efficiency, sustainability and respect for nature, which facilitated the entire process: from architecture and materials to energy solutions.
As the engineer recalls, today, buildings are responsible for 30 to 40% of total energy consumption. And this situation gave an extra boost to companies to find greener energy solutions. In the specific case of Ombria, the primary energy optimisation vector was the use of geothermal energy. We chose to use the geothermal system, also called 'low depth', which uses the difference between the air temperature and the ground's stable temperature. Through that system and with the help of reversible heat pumps, it generates energy that is used for climate control of indoor environments (heating in winter, cooling in summer), supply of hot water and heating of swimming pools throughout the year, safely and responsibly.
“Geothermal is basically energy in the form of heat that is stored underground”
Cláudio Correia, Ombria Resort's Director of Enginnering
According to the engineering director, this type of geothermal solution is lesser known in the Mediterranean and more used in Nordic countries for heating buildings. "But the development of these heat pumps that provide heating and cooling brought a new solution for the climate control" of hot sanitary water and water heating in the swimming pools of the tourist resort. Unique in the Iberian Peninsula, 70% of the energy needs of the Ombria Resort will be of green origin.
The project director, Ville Tallbacka, mentions that "Ombria is working with a vast and specialised team and that this project is also an excellent opportunity to show society that geothermal energy is a renewable and safe energy, which must be understood and considered in the present".
The advantages of this energy from a renewable source, clean and available 24 hours a day, are significant:
- low CO2 emissions
- completely risk-free for the community
- allows for the reduction of energy costs for the owners of Viceroy Residences apartments. This is because the heat pumps themselves "suffered" some adjustments in the development to be more efficient: they transform 1Kw of electricity into 8Kw of energy
This solution includes the 5-star hotel Viceroy at Ombria Resort, the 65 apartments for sale, Viceroy Residences, restaurants, a conference centre, the Clubhouse on the golf course, and Spa, among other infrastructures.
