In Copenhagen’s Nordhavn district, Ripple Residence is redefining what it means to build for the future. The 13,100m² residential building prioritizes low-carbon construction, long-term circularity, and energy autonomy. These ambitions are underpinned by a fully electric Energy Machines™ Integrated Energy System, which supplies heating, cooling, and domestic hot water to all 115 apartments using geothermal energy stored seasonally beneath the building.
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Sector: Residential
Floor area: 13,100 m²
Project type: Energy Machines™ Integrated Energy System with BTES
Heating capacity: 352 kW
Cooling capacity: 244 kW
System efficiency: Annual COP of ~4 for heating and cooling combined (4x more efficient than district heating)
Energy savings: 75% lower energy consumption compared to district heating, all in the form of electricity
Ripple Residence is the final residential building in the new Århusgade district of Nordhavn in Copenhagen, developed by Nrep, designed by Henning Larsen Architects, and built by 5E Byg. The building includes 115 owner-occupied apartments built with a focus on sustainable materials and circular design principles. The building’s solid wood structure significantly reduces embodied carbon, while the use of recycled materials supports a low-impact construction process.
From the outset, the ambition around energy operations was clear: eliminate combustion-based heating entirely and operate independently of district heating and cooling networks.
Energy Machines was selected as the turnkey energy solution provider to realize this ambition.
At the core of Ripple Residence is a geothermal Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES) system, enabling seasonal energy storage and year-round efficiency. Excess heat from summer is stored underground for winter use, while winter cold is stored for summer cooling.
The energy system includes the following integrated components:
• 19 boreholes, each 250 meters deep
• 2 × Energy Machines™ EMHP heat pumps (352 kW heating capacity; 244 kW cooling capacity)
• 1 × 110 kW electric boiler for peak winter demand
• Energy Machines™ Control platform for real-time monitoring and energy optimization
The system provides all space heating, comfort cooling, and domestic hot water for the building and operates with an exceptional efficiency of COP ≈ 4, which is four times more efficient than conventional HVAC and district heating.
Rooftop solar PV panels generate approximately 132 MWh of electricity per year, contributing to the building’s on-site energy use and supporting Ripple Residence’s overall energy autonomy.
The property operates without combustion, fossil fuels, or local CO₂ emissions, and is fully independent of district heating and cooling networks.
Project targets include:
• DGNB Gold certification
• Operational emissions below 5 kgCO₂e/m²/year
• Full transparency through the 4-to-1 Planet initiative
Together, these measures position Ripple Residence as a leading example of climate-conscious residential development in Copenhagen and clearly demonstrate how buildings don’t need to contribute negatively to climate change, but instead have the power to be an important part of the solution.
%20(2).png)
