These efforts are part of the City of Arts and Sciences' commitment to environmental sustainability and the objectives of Valencia's European Green Capital status in 2024.
This plant is expected to achieve an estimated annual saving of 1,013,000 kWh of the energy currently used and a CO2 emissions saving of 335,000 kgCO2/year, as well as a reduction in the complex's carbon footprint.
This technology is already implemented in some public buildings in Valencia, such as the Nou d'Octubre administrative city and the La Petxina sports complex. The museum's plant will be the largest in the Valencian Community, with an installed thermal capacity of 4,050 kW, greater than that of the aforementioned facilities.
To achieve this, the water used to heat the building will be recirculated through a pipe circuit from the Museum of Sciences's machine rooms to the natural aquifers in the surrounding area. In summer, this water absorbs the excess heat produced by the air-conditioning units and transfers it to the subsoil, which maintains a constant temperature of approximately 20°C year-round, returning the cooled water to the Museum. In winter, the opposite effect will be achieved, as the water will acquire temperature from the subsoil to transfer the heat to the air-conditioning system.
To this end, a network of 32 small diameter wells (about 30 centimeters) has been designed on the land adjacent to the Museum of Sciences, which will carry pipes to the depth where the water is stored at a constant temperature. Because it is a renewable energy source, geothermal energy is environmentally friendly, as no water is discharged into the ground and heat is exchanged only through the pipes' contact with groundwater, functioning as a closed circuit.
Work began this June with the layout and excavation of the trenches that will house the water pipelines and the power and communication cables for the wells. Completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
This project is part of the Museu de les Ciències' sustainability and energy efficiency framework project for the implementation of renewable energy. This project includes the photovoltaic plant already operating on the cantilevers, bioclimatic architectural solutions to renew overheated interior air through the formation of natural currents, as well as improved water efficiency in water treatment management and the renovation of air conditioning and LED lighting equipment.
The overall implementation, valued at more than €16 million, is being made possible thanks to the Generalitat's commitment to the use of renewable energy and the agreement signed between the Consell and the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda for the implementation of the Program to Promote the Rehabilitation of Public Buildings (PIREP), funded by Next Generation EU funds, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
