According to the European Commission’s meta-analysis on heating and cooling (H&C), solar thermal installations were rated as the cheapest solutions and were perceived as the heating option with the lowest price risk. This was true for the residential sector, as well as the industrial, and public sectors.
Citizen-owned solar thermal installations are therefore a no-regret solution in the achievement of decarbonised H&C. Solar thermal energy provide cities, towns, and communities of every size with clean heat, covering up to 100% of summer load, and include the possibility of combining them with other renewable H&C sources. Some solar thermal installations can convert the sun’s energy into heat and electricity through PVT panels.
The residential area of Duinwijck in Vlieland, the Netherlands, is using solar thermal energy installations (i.e. solar thermal collectors) and thermal energy storage to rid the community of gas.
The local energy community captures the heat and immediately supplies it to the neighbourhood when there is demand, the excess heat is then stored in an underground basin with 2 million litres of water, heated to a maximum of 90C. In winter, this thermal energy is harvested again and distributed to the citizens via a heat network, in a perfectly circular and renewable process. Citizens, municipalities, and the Urgenda Foundation all participate in the project so that the inhabitants of this town can live gas-free.
The German energy community BBEn (Bündnis Bürgerenergie e.V.) installed a 90MWh solar thermal installation, coupled with biomass, in the rural community of Baitz.
The first installation came in 2016, when they connected 24 homes to a renewable biomass district heating network, allowing them to transition for the first time away from oil and gas. A year later they added a solar thermal installation, followed by a further x2 expansions to the district heating network in 2020 and 2022 to connect a further 11 homes to the network. During this last expansion, they decided to couple this installation with a 14kWp photovoltaic installation. In addition to this, they also use air source heat pumps for all heating customers to supply domestic hot water in the summer period.
Today, 29 homes, 4 SMEs, and the local municipal building all enjoy access to renewable heating thanks to an energy community. This project in Baitz is a true example of coupling different technologies to help a rural community transition to renewables in a democratic and bottom-up way.
Avedøre Energy Community (Avedøre A.M.B.A.), established in 2020, is a Danish citizen-led initiative located in the Avedøre area of the Hvidovre Municipality in Denmark. It serves as a prominent example of how diverse local stakeholders can collaborate to implement renewable energy solutions and building renovations.
Does your energy community use solar thermal energy, and you would like to see it in these Digital Guidelines? Send an email to info@energycommunityplatform.eu.