Quiet technology for the energy transition – HSA3 and sustainability
Noise is one of the most common obstacles for heat pumps, storage systems and chillers in dense urban areas. HSA3 removes it with a material that is itself circular and saves energy in operation.
Many climate-friendly installations fail not because of technology, but because of noise
Air-source heat pumps, chillers, dry coolers and battery storage stand outdoors, often close to homes, schools or hospitals. If the noise limits cannot be met, the unit is throttled, relocated or never built – and the gas boiler stays.
- Permits: The night-time limit often decides whether a heat pump is possible at a site at all.
- Operation: Without noise control, units run in reduced night mode – with less capacity and lower efficiency.
- Low frequencies: The hum of compressors and fans travels far and penetrates walls and windows. Conventional absorbers would have to be very thick to deal with it.
- Our contribution: An acoustic enclosure with HSA3 makes the site possible – and the unit can run at full capacity.
Where HSA3 makes sustainable technology possible
HSA3 is built into all ForCoTech solutions as lining, tubular silencer or partition. These applications contribute directly to the heat transition, renewable energy and efficient cooling.
Air-source heat pumps in existing buildings
Acoustic enclosures for heat pumps at schools, sports halls, hospitals, care homes and residential districts – where noise requirements would otherwise block the switch from gas.
Heat pumps & air conditioning →Large heat pumps and chillers
Large units produce a lot of low-frequency noise. HSA3 is tuned to exactly this range and does not need metre-thick splitters to do it.
Chillers & large heat pumps →Enclosing R290 units safely
Propane has a very low global warming potential. Enclosures need non-combustible, fibre-free and earthable materials – HSA3 meets this as a class A1 metal.
R290 →PV inverters and battery storage
Storage systems and inverters are moving closer to residential areas. Small enclosures with HSA3 tubes in the roof reduce the tonal noise, with nothing that could burn in a fire.
Inverters & BESS →Data centres
Low-pressure-drop acoustic packs for chillers and dry coolers, optionally with adiabatic pre-cooling. A good basis for concepts with waste-heat recovery.
Data-centre solutions →Noise barriers
Where an enclosure does not fit, a noise barrier provides screening. HSA3 on the unit side prevents the sound from being reflected back or sideways.
Noise barriers →Less resistance for the air, less power for the fans
Every acoustic enclosure adds resistance that the unit's fans have to overcome – hour after hour, over the entire service life. HSA3 attenuates with a small component thickness, leaving more free cross-section.
Up to 40 % lower pressure drop
In ABSORA's comparative measurement: 12 instead of 20 Pa at the same sound power as a mineral-wool splitter (key data).
Slim wall build-up
Designed with CFD simulation and a maximum air velocity of 5 m/s. Inside the enclosure the unit works almost as in open air.
Quieter in hot weather
With the adiabatic module, intake air is pre-cooled on hot days. The fans do not have to ramp up, and the chiller stays efficient and quiet (adiabatic module).
Example calculation: reference data centre
Estimate based on assumptions: fan system efficiency 60 %, 6,000 full-load hours per year, emission factor 0.4 kg CO₂/kWh. Pressure drop of the acoustic pack from the reference design; comparison value derived from the measured reduction of up to 40 %. Actual savings depend on the unit, operating mode and electricity mix and are calculated for each project.
An absorber made of metal – from manufacture to dismantling
Conventional absorbers consist of mineral wool or foam, combined with fleece, foil or perforated sheet. What remains at the end is mixed waste. HSA3 works purely through its geometry – the absorber itself is metal.
Workshop instead of site
Panels and tubes are prefabricated and assembled in a modular system of slotted profiles. The enclosure weighs only around 13 kg/m² of envelope – on many existing roofs no additional steel structure is needed.
Weatherproof and durable
HSA3 does not absorb water, contains no fibres that could shed and is weather-resistant. Near the coast in seawater-resistant aluminium or stainless steel.
Clean instead of replace
After a leak or fire, mineral wool and foam must be replaced. HSA3 can be cleaned and reused.
Back into the metal cycle
The enclosure is bolted and slotted, not glued. It can be modified, adapted to a new unit, or separated by material and recycled.
Comparison
| Life-cycle phase | Enclosure with mineral wool or foam | Enclosure with HSA3 |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | metal, fibre or foam, fleece, adhesive | aluminium (optionally stainless steel), no fibres or foam |
| Fire behaviour | depends on product, foam combustible | A1, non-combustible |
| Moisture outdoors | absorbs water, needs covering | unaffected |
| Pressure drop in splitters | reference | up to 40 % lower |
| After a leak or fire | replacement | cleanable, reusable |
| End of life | mixed waste | separable by material, recyclable |
Where HSA3 also fits
Wherever energy-transition technology stands outdoors, needs air and has to be quiet, HSA3 plays to its strengths: low frequencies, low pressure drop, non-combustible, weatherproof. Get in touch if you are facing one of these tasks.
For your documentation and certification
Acoustic enclosures with HSA3 can contribute to evidence in LEED, BREEAM and DGNB certifications, particularly in energy efficiency, refrigerants and circularity. It is always the building that is certified; the auditor decides on a project basis which credits are achieved.
- Acoustics: reverberation-room test of HSA3 to DIN EN ISO 354 (measured values), noise prediction in advance, differential measurement on site after installation
- Fire safety: classification A1 to EN 13501-1
- Air flow: pressure drop per project by CFD simulation
- Materials: details of materials and build-up come with the quotation
Frequently asked questions
What makes HSA3 more sustainable than mineral wool?
HSA3 absorbs sound through its geometry, not through fibres. The absorber itself is therefore metal: weatherproof, non-combustible, cleanable and recyclable by material at the end of its life. On top of that, the lower pressure drop saves fan power in operation.
How does an acoustic enclosure contribute to the heat transition?
Many heat pumps are never built or are throttled at night because noise limits cannot be met at the site. An acoustic enclosure makes installation possible and allows operation at full capacity and efficiency.
Does the enclosure cost the unit efficiency?
Every enclosure causes some pressure drop. We design enclosures with CFD simulation and a maximum air velocity of 5 m/s to keep it low; HSA3 silencers have up to 40 % less pressure drop than mineral-wool splitters.
Doesn't the adiabatic module use a lot of water?
The module only operates above 28 °C outdoor temperature, i.e. on hot days only – typically a few hundred hours a year in Central Europe. Demand is around 4.7 litres per hour per 10,000 m³/h of air and kelvin of cooling. We calculate for each unit whether pre-cooling pays off.
Is HSA3 recyclable?
Yes. HSA3 is made of aluminium or stainless steel. Because the enclosures are bolted rather than glued, the materials can be separated and returned to the metal cycle – or the enclosure is modified and reused on a new unit.
Is there information for LEED, BREEAM or DGNB?
Details of materials and build-up for your documentation come with the quotation. The auditor decides on a project basis which credits the building achieves.
Request a project
Unit, quantity and location are enough to start – with a data sheet we can check dimensions, air volume and sound power straight away. For complex projects you will usually receive a binding quotation within 2–3 days; custom enclosures are usually delivered 40–60 days after order.
We usually get back to you within 2–3 working days.
- Review of your details – with a short follow-up question if needed
- Level calculation at the receiver and design of acoustics and airflow
- Binding quotation with drawing – usually within 2–3 days for complex projects
Brands ForCoTech and Silent-Mode
Via Trento 22 · 23875 Osnago (LC) · Italy
Email: info@forcotech.com
Web: silent-mode.com
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