Solar Thermal District Heating Comes to North America

EBN

Vol. 14, No. 12), the largest residential development in North America to use solar seasonal storage is now fully operational. A government-funded demonstration project, Drake Landing Solar Community, in Okotoks, Alberta, is a 15‑acre (6-hectare) residential development composed of 52 detached, energy-efficient houses, all of which now benefit from a seasonal storage, solar thermal district heating system. Solar energy is collected year-round by 800 interconnected, garage-mounted, EnerWorks solar panels and stored in a thermal energy (borehole) system beneath the development’s park. In the heating season, a system of underground, insulated pipes delivers thermal energy to residents. The system will generate 5.1 million Btu per hour (1.5 MW) of thermal energy, and is designed to supply 90% of residents’ space heating requirements and 60% of their hot water needs. More information about the solar community can be found at www.dlsc.ca.