Old Industrial Site Transformed Into Solar Collector Field

Case Studies
07 June 2016
by Arcon-Sunmark

Scarcity of available land may often be quite a challenge when heating plants are looking into the possibility of building a large-scale solar heating system. However, instead of only looking for unused land, the management of heating plants could look into opportunities of converting old and maybe polluted industry lots into sustainable solar heating plants. Trustrup-Lyngby heating plant in Denmark is a great example of just that. As a bonus the solar heating solution reduces the energy price by 30%.

Until the end of 2015 an old factory that used to produce feed for the mink industry in Denmark was quite an annoyance for the people living in the community of Trustrup-Lyngby in Denmark. The heating plant was about to be modernized and the management found out that they could acquire the old factory, demolish it and instead erect a 7.245 m2 solar collector field producing renewable and clean energy.

”Trustrup-Lyngby is a fine example of how a large-scale solar heating solution can generate several positive side effects for the community. Solar thermal energy is 100% clean energy and additionally the modern solar heating systems generate a most cost competitive heating price for the customers. It makes environmental as well as economical sense to use former industrial sites or other vacant premises for a large-scale solar heating installation. Locations that you would normally deem unsuitable can be converted into sound, sustainable business. These aspects become even more obvious in densely populated areas where space is quite often an issue to be dealt with,” says Søren Elisiussen, CEO of Arcon-Sunmark.

In the case of Trustrup-Lyngby the factory was situated right next to the heating plant. But a collector field can in fact be located several kilometers away from the heating station itself. This means that in areas with a scarcity of available land, management may be looking for vacant industry facilities or similar opportunities in a wide radius. Add to this that instead of leaving contaminated areas unused for years or spending expensive clean-up, a solar heating solution (which is not affected by the polluted underground) quite to the contrary will attract a fine biodiversity so that efficient energy supply and environmental considerations go hand in hand.

Besides finding good use for the polluted and vacant industry lot, the heating plant in Trustrup-Lyngby will be able to cut the yearly heating price by an astonishing rate of 30 % which the households connected to the heating plant may fully enjoy as they will see an immediate price reduction on their annual heating bills. The average household will get an annual price reduction of Euro 675. 30% of the yearly energy production is coming from solar thermal energy, and the heating price offered by the plant is now among the 30 cheapest in Denmark.

”Large-scale solar heating is a sensible path to choose both in regard to the environment and financially. Our analyses and calculations have been thorough,” says Michael Meldgaard Christensen, daily manager at Trustrup-Lyngby heating plant.

During the summer the plant is solely depending on the solar heating solution for four months. This means that maintenance on the wood chip boiler can be conducted in a preplanned and cost-effective manner, which is expected to prolong the lifespan of the boiler by approximately ten years.

Facts about the Trustrup-Lyngby solar heating solution:

To be completed late June 2016
Size of collector field: 7.245 m2
Number of collectors: 575
Maximum output: 5,1 MW
Amount of energy supplied in percent: 30%
Additional energy source used at the plant: Wood chips (70%)
Price reduction for users: 30%

Further information

About Arcon-Sunmark

Arcon-Sunmark is a merger between two of the world’s leading companies within large-scale solar heating – ARCON Solar and Sunmark. ARCON Solar was established in 1974 in Skørping, Denmark and was a pioneer in the large-scale solar thermal industry, with a special focus on solutions for district heating. ARCON Solar has installed the largest large-scale solar thermal systems in Europe. Based on more than 25 years of experience and know-how, Sunmark was established in 2008 on the isle of Ærø, Denmark. Sunmark established highly specialized production facilities both in Denmark and in Asia, and installed more than 200,000 m2 of solar heating plants, including the world’s largest solar plant for the mining industry in Chile. In 2015 the two companies joined forces to establish the world’s leading company in this line of business.

Arcon-Sunmark is owned by VKR Holding. In total, VKR Holding’s companies employ some 13,500 people in more than 40 countries. VKR Holding owns companies which bring daylight, fresh air and a better environment into people’s everyday lives. We always choose the most solid and reliable partners. Like Energia Llaima in Chile.

Source: Arcon-Sunmark