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information facts best practice examples renewable enerGY lip – local investment proGramme, sweden maY 2009photo: Ulf Karle/Kungälv energi ab
sunshine brings cheap heating
to Kungälv
the second-largest solar heating facility in Europe is in the municipality of Kungälv in sweden. the plant delivers an average of 4 GWh of heat annually to the municipal district heating network. oil consumption has fallen by 440 m3/year and emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide have decreased.
As part of the expansion of its district heating network, the Municipality of Kungälv in 1998 received a grant from the local investment programme (LIP) for an array of solar collectors.
In cooperation with Chalmers Technical University and contractors, the
municipality built a solar collector array with a surface area of 10,000 m2. This
delivers an average of 4 GWh of heating. The whole array was in operation in April 2002. Kungälv has the option of expanding the solar collector facility by
another 5,000 m2.
The plant also won grants from the European Commission in competition with other similar demonstration projects for new energy technology.
PositivE EnvironmEntal and Economic imPacts
The solar heating replaces a normal year’s consumption of 440 m
• 3 oil.
CO
• 2 emissions have fallen by around 1,000 tonnes/year
Emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide fell, but as figures are lacking •
for emissions prior to the switch-over, it is not possible to say by how much. If depreciation costs are also included, the costs of the district heating supplied •
for fUrther information contact:
thore eklind, planning engineer at Kungälv energi ab, +46 (0)303-23 80 00,
thore.ekelind@kungalvenergi.se. contractors/providers:
sunstrip ab supplied the solar collectors. arcon solvarme a/s assembled the facility. cit energy management ab coordinated the project. the municipality of Kungälv was itself responsible for control equipment and some pipe-laying and construction.
the project on the internet:
www.enerma.cit.chalmers.se/cshp/kungalv_se.htm for further information on best practice: www.swedishepa.se/bestpractice www.naturvardsverket.se/mir facts
lip Kungälv 1998 action 01
environmental investment: mseK 20.3 Grant: mseK 3.7
swedish EPa se-106 48 stockholm. visiting address: stockholm - valhallavägen 195, Östersund - forskarens väg 5 hus Ub, Kiruna - Kaserngatan 14.
tel: +46 8-698 10 00, fax: +46 8-20 29 25, e-mail: registrator@naturvardsverket.se internet: www.swedishepa.se orders ordertel: +46 8-505 933 40,
orderfax: +46 8-505 933 99, e-mail: natur@cm.se address: cm-Gruppen, box 110 93, se-161 11 bromma. internet: www.naturvardsverket.se/bokhandeln
imPlEmEntation
The 800 solar collector modules of 12.5 m2 each were installed in rows on simple
concrete foundations. The heat from the modules is passed to the district heating network through an ordinary heat exchanger. The heating plant has a computeri-sed control and monitoring system.
The cooperation between the municipality, contractors and consultants worked well, largely because they had previous worked together on other projects.
The facility has recently encountered problems with vandalism (stone thro-wing).
PotEntial and futurE bEnEfit
The sun is our cleanest energy source. Today it is often technically efficient and cost-effective to use solar heat to supplement smaller systems that use other fuels, or to supplement the district heating network. There are good prospects for simi-lar facilities producing energy at competitive prices even without grants.
The early Swedish commitment to large systems, often with ground-level solar collectors connected to substations and district heating systems, meant that Sweden became a world leader in the area. Interest in large-scale solar heating technology together with efficient system solutions is rising in Europe.
The cost of investing in solar heating facilities remains high in relation to the amount of energy produced.
whY best practice
the plant is the second-largest solar collector facility in europe. the solar collectors have a new type of glass with an antireflection coating and a new type of sputtered absorbers, which means 10% higher efficiency compared with previous facilities.the facility receives several hundred study visits annually from sweden, the rest of europe, south america and china.
information facts best practice examples renewable enerGY lip – local investment proGramme, sweden maY 2009 isbn: 978-91-620-8399-1
