HOA heat-pump projects fail more often on governance than on technology. Daikin's collective portfolio covers every realistic technical scenario; this review helps you pick the right one.
1. Four architectures
- Decentrale oplossing: one heat pump per apartment. Lowest coordination overhead.
- Centrale (cascade) oplossing: cascade of pumps via EKCC9-W controller. Shared heat source.
- Semi-central: low-temperature shared water loop, Altherma 3 WS per home.
- Altherma 3 WS: factory-sealed water/water unit (R-32, 1.70 kg, no F-gas licence).
2. Subsidy: ISDE vs. SDE++
Decentralised qualifies per device under ISDE (one-time investment subsidy). Collective installations >70 kW thermal qualify for SDE++ (operating subsidy 12-15 years), which over its term almost always exceeds ISDE.
3. The HOA reality
Realistic timeline: 12-24 months from first orientation to commissioning. AGM votes (often 70 % qualified majority per the building's deed of division) are the most common bottleneck.
4. Verdict
4.5 / 5. The portfolio is complete and the engineering is conservative (good thing for HOA boards). The 0.5 deduction is for the lack of an R-290 collective variant — F-gas regulation will eventually require it.
FAQ
What are the four Daikin collective heat-pump solutions?
Daikin distinguishes four types for apartment blocks and HOAs: (1) decentralised — each apartment has its own Altherma heat pump; (2) centralised — a cascade of heat pumps with a common controller (EKCC9-W) acting as shared heat source; (3) semi-central — a low-temperature shared water loop, with each home connecting an Altherma 3 WS unit; and (4) Altherma 3 WS — the specific water/water unit per apartment within that loop. Source: Daikin Collective Solutions catalog 2026, p.156-161.
When do you choose decentralised vs. collective?
Field rule of thumb: with fewer than 10 homes, decentralised is often more practical because the coordination overhead per home is lower. From 10-20 homes a centralised cascade becomes attractive; at 20+ homes or high-rise a semi-central water loop with Altherma 3 WS units wins. Roof or garden availability for a central outdoor source is often the deciding factor.
Does an HOA get Dutch ISDE or SDE++?
Decentralised installations qualify per device under ISDE (one-time investment subsidy). Collective installations with a total thermal capacity >70 kW typically qualify for SDE++ — an operating subsidy of 12-15 years that almost always exceeds ISDE over its term. Dutch RVO administers both schemes.
How long does an HOA decision for a heat pump take?
Realistically 12 to 24 months from first orientation to commissioning. Steps: orientation and board discussion, independent feasibility study, quotes and financing, AGM vote (often 70 % qualified majority per the building's deed of division), permits and SDE++/ISDE application, and finally installation.
How is consumption billed per apartment?
With decentralised installations each household has its own electricity meter — no issue. With centralised and semi-central installations heat-cost allocators per apartment are required (per the Dutch Heat Act 2025) or, with Altherma 3 WS in a loop, individual billing per unit via shared loop metering.
Does the Altherma 3 WS need an F-gas licence?
No. The Altherma 3 WS is a factory-sealed system on R-32 (1.70 kg / GWP 675). Per the catalog (p.499 ff.) no F-gas licence is required for installation or routine maintenance — an important practical advantage for HOA boards directly contracting installers.
Read the Dutch original at /collectieve-oplossingen-review.