This solar thermal plant, the largest in Europe for industrial process, will deliver on average 4,000 MWh/year of heat. It will cover nearly 32% of the heated water need for the steam generation in the local paper mill. With the very high solar yield – more than 1,000 kWh/m2 – this solar thermal field is the first of its kind in the world due to Savosolar high efficiency solar collectors installed on a single-axis tracking system, manufactured and installed for Savosolar by Arcelormittal, Project Exosun. 66 tilting structures, each carrying four 16 m2 collectors, follow the sun from morning to evening and maximize the heat production.
The project was developed and financed by NewHeat and Savosolar acted as the EPC contractor. Meaning, Savosolar designed the whole system, delivered the solar collectors, and realized the installation with local French companies. This installation will be a reference for the huge growing market of heat-as-a-service for industrial clients in France and world-wide.
With a size over 13,000 m2, this system is the second largest solar heating system in France and the second largest solar thermal system for industrial process heating in Europe. Savosolar has delivered the largest part of the whole solar thermal plant including the solar collector field, civil work, piping and design and delivery of heat exchange station.
Kyotherm and its affiliate Kyotherm Solar are investment companies which specialize in the third-party financing of renewable heat and energy efficiency projects. Kyotherm Solar is selling heat from this system to a malt drying factory, which is operated by Malteries Franco-Suisses.
Swimming halls are very well suited for solar thermal production. Typically, their heat consumption is big and the required temperature level tends to be relatively low. In such cases solar thermal collectors are operating with a very high efficiency.
However, quite often swimming halls are closed some time of the year and summertime closure may mean extra challenges for solar heat supply.
For Hämeenlinna swimming hall Savosolar solved this issue by feeding surplus solar energy in summer to the nearby district heating network. Thus, the solar system is producing heat all days and depending on the swimming hall’s actual heat demand, the facility is either a district heating provider or a consumer.
Savosolar has been selected to deliver a tracker mounted solar thermal plant for the district heating of Nansha, Guanghzou, China. The system is combined with a geothermal seasonal storage and a chiller (not in Savosolar’s scope of supply) which allow the owner to deliver healthy energy, both heating and cooling, to its customers.
