Part of the Ignis Ecosystem
Decentralized Climate
for 1000-Year Buildings
One system. Five temperatures. Every building need solved.
−30°C · 0°C · +15°C · +30°C · +60°C
Why We Built This
Ignis needed this.
So we made it.
Ignis builds structures from molten rock—stone buildings designed to outlast civilizations. But a 1000-year building needs climate systems worthy of that permanence.
Conventional HVAC is centralized, fragile, and designed for replacement every 15 years. That's not good enough.
R290 is the answer: decentralized, redundant, and built to match the lifespan of the structures it serves.
The System
Five Temperatures.
One Unit.
Each R290 unit produces any temperature on demand. Units shift roles based on seasonal and daily needs—more cooling in summer, more heating in winter.
Visualization coming soon
Note: Glycol enables sub-zero temperatures. Water-only operation available for +15°C to +60°C applications.
The Unit
- •R290 (propane) refrigerant—near-zero GWP
- •Roof-mounted on welded stainless surface
- •5 port pairs—one per temperature loop
- •Shared compressor for efficiency
- •Dynamic role-changing based on demand
Buffer Tanks
- •Located inside building (not on roof)
- •5-zone thermal storage per unit
- •~100L+ capacity per temperature zone
- •Smooths demand/production mismatch
- •Enables seamless role-changing
Features
Built for Permanence
Climate infrastructure designed to outlast the buildings it serves.
Decentralized
Many small units per building. No single point of failure. N+1 redundancy standard.
Role-Changing
Units shift between heating and cooling based on demand. Summer, winter, day, night.
Five Temperatures
−30°C to +60°C covers freezing, refrigeration, cooling, heating, and hot water.
R290 Refrigerant
Propane-based. Near-zero global warming potential. Superior cold-weather efficiency.
Fail-Safe Potable
Heat exchange at point of use. If a coil leaks, water leaks out visibly—nothing leaks in.
Graceful Degradation
If one unit fails, others absorb its roles. Partial capacity loss, never total failure.
Scalable
1 unit with larger buffers for domestic. 4+ units for large multi-family. Same architecture.
Ignis-Ready
Designed for roof-mount on welded stainless. Built to match 1000-year building lifespan.
Architecture
How It Works
A decentralized system where multiple roof units feed building-wide buffer tanks, distributing five temperatures to every endpoint.
Building Cross-Section
Roof → Units → Buffer Tanks → Distribution
Visualization coming soon
Roof Level
Multiple R290 units mounted on welded stainless surface. Each unit has 5 port pairs—one per temperature.
Provided by Ignis building envelope
Buffer Level
5-zone buffer tanks inside building. ~500L thermal storage per unit. Smooths demand and enables role-changing.
Glycol (−30°C, 0°C) · Water (+15°C, +30°C, +60°C)
Distribution
Copper pipes carry each temperature to endpoints. +60°C heat-exchanged to potable at point of use.
Fail-safe: leaks are visible, nothing enters potable
Summer Operation
More units shift to cooling roles. Fewer needed for heating.
Winter Operation
More units shift to heating roles. System adapts automatically.
Progress
Development Timeline
Currently in prototyping. Building toward a working unit by end of 2026.
Concept & Research
2023Initial R&D, system architecture, and design
Prototyping
2024–2026Building and testing prototype units and buffer tanks
Testing multiple configurations, optimizing role-changing logic, and validating buffer tank integration.
Working Unit
End of 2026First fully operational system
Get Involved
Build with R290
For Ignis projects, large multi-family, or single-unit domestic installations.
Project Integration
For developers, architects, and Ignis builders
Contact
Get in Touch
Questions about integration, specifications, or availability?