Largest solar thermal plant in Finland
Savosolar has been selected as general contractor to build the largest solar thermal system in Finland to date, on behalf of Etelä Savon Energia Oy for its district heating network, which supplies households with healthy heating. The plant operate as an additional peak load sources during summer season while the main boilers are out of service.
The size of the solar heating system is over 5,600 m2, it generates over 2 600 MWh of clean energy annually, and is the fourth project of Savosolar for the French market. Savosolar has delivered the largest part of the whole solar thermal plant including the solar collector field, piping, design and delivery of heat exchange station and automation. LFDE subsidiary own and operate the solar heating system and sell heat to ENES Creutzwald, the energy service company of Creutzwald’s municipality, owner of the district heating network.
La Française de l’Énergie (LFDE) is listed on Euronext and leader in low carbon footprint energy production. LFDE produces gas, green electricity and heat in Northern France, Eastern France and in Benelux. Since 2019, LFDE develops photovoltaic and solar thermal projects on the areas where they operate, to reduce the carbon footprint of the final consumers. Through this first solar thermal project, LFDE reaffirms its commitment to the environment by developing renewable energy projects, prioritizing environmental benefits and reducing energy costs.
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 delivered -once again- the largest solar thermal installation in Finland. This system is located way North in Tupos, Liminka – less than 200 km from the Arctic Circle.
The heating load of Tupos district heating is usually covered by wood pellets. Yet during summer time, the load is often so low, that the substantial wood pellet burner cannot be properly used and an oil burner got used, instead. The special challenge here has been to design a very efficient solar thermal system that could replace the oil consumption in summer to run the district heating network almost completely fossil-free.
