Smart Heating Solution Implemented in the New Vormsi Sports Hall 

On the small Estonian island of Vormsi, a new sports hall has been built,  expanding the range of sports facilities available to local residents. The facility includes a full-size basketball court, suitable also for volleyball, badminton, tennis and floorball, alongside a gym and two changing rooms with saunas. 

At the heart of the building is a smart heating solution that draws on the island’s existing school boiler house, which operates on ground-source heating. The concept was developed by the Estonian Islands’ Energy Agency (EISEA), a social enterprise operating across the islands of Western Estonia, Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu, Vormsi, Kihnu and Ruhnu. EISEA supports local municipalities, communities and businesses in implementing projects that promote sustainable energy use and production and help reduce carbon emissions. Its activities are funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme. 

Spotting an opportunity before it was too late 

The original plan called for air-to-water heat pumps to be installed specifically for the sports hall.  However, during the review process, EISEA identified an opportunity to make better use of existing infrastructure. After assessing the capacity of the nearby school boiler house, which operates on ground-source heating, the agency determined that it could efficiently supply heat to both buildings. 

Working with the boiler house designer, EISEA verified the technical feasibility of connecting the sports hall to the existing system and proposed the solution to the municipality. As Jaan Mehik, Energy Consultant at EISEA, explained: “By connecting the building to the existing boiler house instead, we achieved savings in investment costs as well as improved energy efficiency.” 

The proposal was ultimately approved by both the municipality and the builder. As a result, “the heating of both buildings can now be managed conveniently and efficiently from a single system, reducing heating costs,” according to Mehik. 

 The project demonstrates how early-stage technical assessment can help optimise public investments while improving the energy performance and operational efficiency of local infrastructure. 

This best practice is extracted from our publication ‘Sustainable Regions in Action‘. Discover more best practices here!