Innovative Solution for Mixing Loops Smart Mixing with Cloud Monitoring
OVE, a German medium-sized energy contracting firm, provides sustainable energy to more than 450 properties nationwide. Emphasizing innovation and efficiency, OVE has always looked for smarter solutions to maximize heating plant performance and reliability. In modern energy management, accurate monitoring and precise control are as important as sustainable generation. Much like in the field of water treatment solutions, where every detail in flow, filtration, and recycling matters, OVE understood early on that adopting advanced mixing loop technologies would define the future of their energy contracting business.
Early Adoption of Advanced Technology
Back in 2017, while attending a trade fair, OVE came across Grundfos’ MIXIT system, a compact, all-in-one mixing loop solution with built-in pump control. Much like a core water treatment plant component that streamlines entire treatment cycles, MIXIT was designed to simplify heating system design, installation, and performance monitoring. Its combination of efficiency, integration, and reliability convinced OVE to test it in their projects.
The results were immediate and impressive. The system was not only easy to use but also optimized energy efficiency and reduced complexity in plant setup. Within a short span, OVE completed its first project with MIXIT. Encouraged by its performance, the company began adopting it on a wider scale. Over the years, more than 30 heating plants across Germany have been equipped with this intelligent solution.
By 2021, a new generation of MIXIT was launched, and OVE was among the early adopters once again. The updated system introduced greater control, simplified management, and enhanced efficiency, much like how next-generation water treatment plant components enhance both traditional and modern treatment facilities. For OVE, this collaboration with Grundfos underscored how forward-thinking, holistic solutions can enable them to provide sustainable, future-proof energy services to neighborhoods across the country.
Running the Latest MIXIT Generation
OVE’s first project with the new MIXIT generation was in a housing estate in Bad Rothenfelde. This reference property consists of 16 housing units, with the first eight completed in 2021 and the rest scheduled for the following year. The supply technology for all units was designed in advance to ensure consistency and performance.
The heating system primarily relies on a gas-powered CHP (Combined Heat and Power) unit, which generates both electricity and heat. To extend the lifespan and efficiency of this CHP, the decoupled heat of 70°C–85°C is buffered using a phase-change memory. The low-temperature circuit, supplying each unit with 45°C/35°C flow and return year-round, ensures comfort and energy optimization.
Each unit has its own transfer station, underfloor heating manifold, and an electrical flow heater to manage peak loads for domestic hot water. Balancing supply and demand in heating systems is quite similar to how industrial wastewater treatment plants handle inflows, storage, and discharge. A well-designed system keeps everything stable, ensures smooth operation, and extends the life of the plant.
The Role of the Mixing Loop
The Grundfos MIXIT mixing loop is key to keeping the flow well-regulated and precise. It mixes cooler return water (25–30°C) with warmer supply water (60–70°C) to reach the required circuit temperature of approximately 40–45°C. This careful regulation guarantees energy utilization and system balance, preventing waste while maximizing efficiency.
Alexander Grafe from OVE emphasizes that using MIXIT as an integrated solution streamlines installation. Traditionally, engineers would need to select, design, and configure separate components. With MIXIT, the pump, control unit, and sensor information are already integrated, saving time and reducing the margin of error.
This level of integration can be compared to automated processes in modern industry. For instance, automated conveyor systems in manufacturing eliminate redundant handling, reduce manpower, and ensure consistency. In much the same way, MIXIT integrates components into a single unit, lowering installation costs and ensuring accurate operation from day one.
Optimizing Control and Efficiency
With the MIXIT control unit, plant operators can easily set flow rates and fine-tune Delta T (the difference between supply and return temperatures). This simple control helps make heating systems more efficient and reliable. In the same way, operators in industrial wastewater treatment plants adjust aeration, filtration, and chemical dosing to keep their systems balanced and running smoothly. In both cases, control systems backed by reliable data are what make sustainability achievable.
Moreover, streamlined system design ensures scalability. Just as advanced water treatment solutions can be deployed in both small-scale and industrial-scale plants, OVE can install MIXIT in small residential estates or larger district heating plants without major redesign.
Smart Cloud Monitoring with BuildingConnect
One of the biggest improvements in the new MIXIT generation is the addition of cloud monitoring. It comes with an RJ45 input that allows remote access through the Grundfos BuildingConnect platform. This setup lets OVE’s headquarters watch, adjust, and improve the heating system’s performance instantly, without being on-site.
This is very similar to the progress seen in the water sector, where modern water treatment plant components are linked to digital dashboards. By monitoring pumps, filters, and reactors remotely, operators can keep systems efficient, cut downtime, and plan maintenance before problems occur.
BuildingConnect makes these features accessible even to smaller properties that might not otherwise have comprehensive control systems. While the basic version of MIXIT includes key functions, the full suite requires a software upgrade, making scalability a practical choice.
“The cloud solution is an important advanced development for mixing loops,” says Alexander Grafe. “Now, all we need is an active internet connection to access every data point via the dashboard at the factory.”
The parallels here with industrial wastewater treatment are striking. Just as treatment plants use SCADA systems for real-time monitoring of inflow, treatment stages, and discharge, OVE can now manage energy loops with precision. Both fields demonstrate how digitalization is revolutionizing traditional systems.
Future Plans and Broader Impact
OVE plans to roll out the latest MIXIT technology not only in new plants but also when modernizing older facilities. For them, the solution has proven itself repeatedly across dozens of installations. Its combination of lower planning costs, simplified handling, and maximum control makes it an indispensable tool for the future.
The introduction of cloud monitoring makes the system even more attractive to operators who are looking to optimize plant performance consistently. In broader terms, this shift reflects a trend across industries: from energy contracting to water treatment solutions, digital integration is setting new benchmarks for efficiency.
The philosophy is clear, whether it is in heating plants, industrial wastewater treatment, or municipal water treatment plant components, the future belongs to systems that are integrated, data-driven, and sustainable.
Lessons Beyond Energy Contracting
The OVE-Grundfos collaboration highlights lessons applicable beyond heating systems. The success of MIXIT as an all-in-one unit mirrors how innovation drives progress in multiple industries.
- In manufacturing, automated conveyor systems are central to efficiency. By reducing manual handling and enabling precise, programmable movements, they achieve consistency and speed. MIXIT does the same for heating by automating flow control and sensor coordination.
- In utilities, water treatment solutions achieve sustainability by integrating multiple processes, filtration, chemical dosing, biological treatment, into cohesive systems. MIXIT embodies this principle for energy systems.
- In wastewater management, industrial wastewater treatment facilities depend on modular, scalable solutions that can be customized for varied inflows. OVE applies a similar philosophy to district heating, ensuring each plant can be adapted to its unique demands.
This link between industries proves that when technology is built for integration, it delivers lasting value and benefits across many different sectors.
Conclusion
OVE’s experience with the Grundfos MIXIT system shows how modern, connected, and integrated technologies can transform entire industries. By adopting smart solutions, they have not only improved operational efficiency but also set new standards in sustainability.
The same principles, automation, integration, and cloud-based monitoring, are transforming other sectors, from water treatment solutions to industrial wastewater treatment. In the same way that water treatment plant components improve with new technology to guarantee safety and reliability, heating systems are also shifting toward modern, future-ready designs. Across industries, the rise of automated conveyor systems and other smart automation shows a clear direction, driving efficiency through innovation.
OVE proves that communities can benefit from sustainable, future-ready energy when the right technology is paired with a strong vision.
