GSI's experience in historic centers

Historic centers can be redeveloped — and must be!

GSI Blog
GSI Systems

19 June 2025

A few years ago, GSI was involved in an ambitious project in the heart of the Dolomites: the energy redevelopment of a historic town center through a cold district heating network powered by renewable energy sources. Although not directly involved in the construction of the network itself, GSI played a key role in the overall design of the project, with a specific and highly technical focus: the entire heat pump system for the buildings involved.

Thanks to our in-house team of designers, we worked alongside the client and other project stakeholders to define, assess, and integrate the most suitable solutions for the protected context and the existing building types.

Collaboration and Expertise: GSI’s Contribution

In delicate settings such as historic centers, synergy among professionals is crucial. While the cold district heating network was designed and implemented by companies specialized in energy infrastructure, GSI actively contributed to the design of the entire thermal system, with particular attention to the decentralized components: the heat pumps that individually serve each building.

We carried out meticulous work that included:

Technical analysis of the buildings (constraints, type of systems, thermal needs)
Customized system design for each user
Supply of GSI heat pumps, selected based on efficiency, low noise, and compact size
Full installation and commissioning in each connected building

This tailored approach made it possible to adapt modern technology to historical needs, with no aesthetic or functional compromises.

Results in Practice

The cold network brought low-temperature water from local sources directly to the buildings. There, the heat pumps designed and installed by GSI transformed that energy into useful heat for space heating and domestic hot water, ensuring:

Zero local emissions (no fossil fuels, no chimneys)
Full respect for historical structures, thanks to compact and invisible systems
Maximum energy efficiency for each residential, commercial, or hospitality unit
Comfort and savings for residents, who benefited from a modern solution without altering living spaces

A direct testimonial from a hospitality facility in the town center says:

“With GSI we found a skilled and reliable partner. They handled everything from design to installation. The heat pumps work perfectly and fit into our spaces without any visual impact.”

The New Project: Replicating the Experience in Central Italy

Building on this success, GSI is now replicating the model in another historic town center, this time in central Italy. As in the previous project, a specialized operator is in charge of the cold district heating network, while GSI is responsible for the technical design, supply, and installation of the heat pumps in all the buildings connected to the network.

Our team has already begun:

The energy assessment of the buildings involved
The design of tailored solutions for each user
Planning supplies and installations in coordination with the network works

A Replicable Model for Italy’s Historic Villages

This experience has strengthened our belief: historic centers can lead the ecological transition. All it takes is a respectful, competent, and integrated approach. GSI is ready to bring its expertise to new contexts, supporting administrations, public bodies, and designers in finding the right system solution for each protected building.

Want to know if this approach could work in your area?

Get in touch: GSI’s technical team is ready to design and install heat pump systems even in the most complex contexts — with the attention to detail that only real field experience can provide.