Drake Landing Solar Community

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The Drake Landing Solar Community (DLSC) is a planned community in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada, equipped with a central solar heating system and other energy efficient technologies. This heating system is the first of its kind in North America, although much larger systems have been built in northern Europe. The 52 homes (few variation of size and style, with average above-grade floor area of 145m2) in the community are heated with a solar district heating system that is charged with heat originating from solar collectors on the garage roofs and is enabled for year-round heating by underground seasonal thermal energy storage (STES). [1]

Contents

The system was designed to model a way of addressing global warming and the burning of fossil fuels. The solar energy is captured by 800 solar thermal collectors [2] located on the roofs of all 52 houses' garages. [3] It is billed as the first solar powered subdivision in North America, [4] although its electricity and transportation needs are provided by conventional sources.

In 2012 the installation achieved a world record solar fraction of 97%; that is, providing that amount of the community's heating requirements with solar energy over a one-year time span. [5] [6]

In 2015–2016 season the installation achieved a solar fraction of 100%. [7] This was achieved by the borehole thermal storage system (BTES) finally reaching high temperature after years of charging, as well as improving control methods, operating pumps at lower speed most of the time, reducing extra energy need as well using weather forecasts to optimize transfer of heat between different storage tanks and loops. During some other years, auxiliary gas heaters are used for a small fraction of the year to provide heat to a district loop. The systems operate at coefficient of performance of 30.

After nearly 17 years of continuous monitoring (far exceeding the initial 4-year test period), performance analysis and improvements, a significant body of knowledge and experience has been learned about this type of system for Canadian applications.

In 2020, the system started showing signs of deterioration resulting in significant maintenance issues. System components, knowledge, and technical expertise for repairs were becoming increasingly challenging to find. In response to system failures, the Drake Landing Solar Company added redundancies to the system to be sure that homes in the community were receiving heat.

After a thorough investigation on available next steps, it was determined that the significant reinvestment required to have the system operate reliably, was simply something that neither the Drake Landing Solar Company board nor the collective community could afford.

In 2024, a decommissioning process for the Drake Landing Solar Community began, where the majority of the 52 homes were converted to natural gas-fired furnaces. [8]

How it works

There are 52 homes in this subdivision that contain an array of 800 solar thermal collectors (2293m2 total gross area). These solar collectors are arranged on the roofs of garages located behind the homes. During a typical summer day these collectors can generate 1.5 mega-watts of thermal power. A glycol solution (an anti-freeze solution; a mixture of water and non-toxic glycol) is heated by the sun's energy and travels through insulated piping underground through a trench system to the heat exchanger within the community's Energy Centre. This is known as the Solar Collector Loop. The glycol solution then transfers its heat to water located in the short-term storage tanks. The District Heating Loop begins with water being heated in the heat exchanger to a temperature of 40-50 °C within the Energy Centre. This lower temperature is more energy efficient, as solar collecting is more compatible with lower temperatures. This increases the total amount of heat available to each home.

In the warmer months the previously heated water is taken from the short-term storage tank to the Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES). The Borehole Thermal Energy Storage unit is 144 holes located 37 m (121 ft) below the ground and stretches over an approximate area of 35 m (115 ft) in diameter. The water returns to the short-term storage tanks in the Energy Centre to be heated again in order to complete the circuit. During colder months the water from the BTES passes back to the short-term storage tank and is then directed to each home. Similar to a hot water tank, the heated water goes through a heat exchanger that blows air across the warm fan coil. Heat travels from the water to the air and is directed through the house via ductwork. When the temperature reaches that said on the thermostat, an automatic valve shuts off the heat transfer unit. [9]

Energy centre

The Energy Centre building is a 232 square metre (2,500 square feet) building which began operation in 2007. [10] It is located in very close proximity to all 52 homes that are using it. It is home to the short-term storage tanks and most mechanical equipment such as pumps, heat exchangers, and controls. The Solar Collector Loop, the District Heating Loop, and the Borehole Thermal Energy Storage Loop pass through the Energy Centre. Two horizontal water tanks occupy the majority of the space within the Energy Centre. These tanks are 12 ft (3.7 m) in diameter and 36 ft (11 m) in length. The remaining space within the Energy Centre houses pumps, valves, heat exchangers and other necessary equipment to operate and control the energy system. These tanks are known as Short-Term Thermal Storage (STTS). [9]

The Energy Center also have 22 kW PV installation to help with pumping equipment and powering sensors and other automation in the Energy Center. There are no personnel on site, during normal operation, and it is monitored and controlled remotely and mostly in automated fashion.

Borehole thermal energy system

The borehole thermal energy system (BTES) is located underground to store large quantities of heat collected in the summer to be used in the winter. It consists of 144 boreholes, which stretch to a depth of 37 m (121 ft). At the surface the pipes are joined in groups of six to connect to the Energy Centre. The entire BTES is covered by a layer of insulation, on top of which a park is built. When the heated water is to be stored, it is pumped through the pipe series. The heat transfers to the surrounding soil as the water cools and returns to the Energy Centre. When the homes need heat, water flows to the centre of the BTES field and picks up the heat from the surrounding soil. The heated water then goes to the short-term energy tank in the Energy Centre and is pumped through the District Heating Loop to the homes. [9]

The BTES is in very close proximity to the Energy Center, and beyond pipes, also contains various temperature sensors. Construction started in 2005, and it was fully operational in 2007. It took about 4 years to fully charge with heat during summers, achieving maximum on 5th year.

Sponsors and partners

This project was conceived by Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY in partnership with governmental organizations and Canadian industries. Of the $7 million needed for this project this was the breakdown of funds:

Community members

Homeowners were willing to pay for these energy efficient homes because it ensured high quality construction. Until the solar heating system began working, ATCO Gas (an Alberta-based natural gas distribution company) fixed heating costs at $60 per month for the homeowners at the Drake Landing Solar Community. With rising fuel costs, this was a powerful incentive for homeowners to support the DLSC project. Even if the project had failed, ATCO Gas would have replaced the special hot-water furnaces with traditional natural gas ones. There was limited risk to the homeowners and this encouraged them to support the project. [12]

Local sustainability

The 52 homes in Drake Landing Solar Community are certified to Natural Resource Canada's R-2000 Standard as well as the Built Green™ Alberta Gold Standard. [13]

Costs and financing

International effects

A group of researchers from South Korea visited Drake Landing Solar Community in April 2012 to study the geothermal heating technology and how it can be applied to communities in South Korea, particularly ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. The main focus of this research trip was to learn about the economics and reliability of the technology. [15]

Performance

On October 5, 2012, the DLSC set a new world record by covering 97% of space heating needs with solar thermal energy. [16] In the 2015-2016 heating season, 100% of space heating needs were met with solar energy. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar thermal energy</span> Technology using sunlight for heat

Solar thermal energy (STE) is a form of energy and a technology for harnessing solar energy to generate thermal energy for use in industry, and in the residential and commercial sectors. Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United States Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low-temperature collectors are generally unglazed and used to heat swimming pools or to heat ventilation air. Medium-temperature collectors are also usually flat plates but are used for heating water or air for residential and commercial use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water heating</span> Thermodynamic process that uses energy sources to heat water

Water heating is a heat transfer process that uses an energy source to heat water above its initial temperature. Typical domestic uses of hot water include cooking, cleaning, bathing, and space heating. In industry, hot water and water heated to steam have many uses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar water heating</span> Use of sunlight for water heating with a solar thermal collector

Solar water heating (SWH) is heating water by sunlight, using a solar thermal collector. A variety of configurations are available at varying cost to provide solutions in different climates and latitudes. SWHs are widely used for residential and some industrial applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar thermal collector</span> Device that collects heat

A solar thermal collector collects heat by absorbing sunlight. The term "solar collector" commonly refers to a device for solar hot water heating, but may refer to large power generating installations such as solar parabolic troughs and solar towers or non-water heating devices such as solar cookers or solar air heaters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thermal energy storage</span> Technologies to store thermal energy

Thermal energy storage (TES) is the storage of thermal energy for later reuse. Employing widely different technologies, it allows surplus thermal energy to be stored for hours, days, or months. Scale both of storage and use vary from small to large – from individual processes to district, town, or region. Usage examples are the balancing of energy demand between daytime and nighttime, storing summer heat for winter heating, or winter cold for summer cooling. Storage media include water or ice-slush tanks, masses of native earth or bedrock accessed with heat exchangers by means of boreholes, deep aquifers contained between impermeable strata; shallow, lined pits filled with gravel and water and insulated at the top, as well as eutectic solutions and phase-change materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste heat</span> Heat that is produced by a machine that uses energy, as a byproduct of doing work

Waste heat is heat that is produced by a machine, or other process that uses energy, as a byproduct of doing work. All such processes give off some waste heat as a fundamental result of the laws of thermodynamics. Waste heat has lower utility than the original energy source. Sources of waste heat include all manner of human activities, natural systems, and all organisms, for example, incandescent light bulbs get hot, a refrigerator warms the room air, a building gets hot during peak hours, an internal combustion engine generates high-temperature exhaust gases, and electronic components get warm when in operation.

Seasonal thermal energy storage (STES), also known as inter-seasonal thermal energy storage, is the storage of heat or cold for periods of up to several months. The thermal energy can be collected whenever it is available and be used whenever needed, such as in the opposing season. For example, heat from solar collectors or waste heat from air conditioning equipment can be gathered in hot months for space heating use when needed, including during winter months. Waste heat from industrial process can similarly be stored and be used much later or the natural cold of winter air can be stored for summertime air conditioning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy recovery</span>

Energy recovery includes any technique or method of minimizing the input of energy to an overall system by the exchange of energy from one sub-system of the overall system with another. The energy can be in any form in either subsystem, but most energy recovery systems exchange thermal energy in either sensible or latent form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ground source heat pump</span> System to transfer heat to/from the ground

A ground source heat pump is a heating/cooling system for buildings that use a type of heat pump to transfer heat to or from the ground, taking advantage of the relative constancy of temperatures of the earth through the seasons. Ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) – or geothermal heat pumps (GHP), as they are commonly termed in North America – are among the most energy-efficient technologies for providing HVAC and water heating, using far less energy than can be achieved by burning a fuel in a boiler/furnace or by use of resistive electric heaters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central solar heating</span> Solar architecture

Central solar heating is the provision of central heating and hot water from solar energy by a system in which the water is heated centrally by arrays of solar thermal collectors and distributed through district heating pipe networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar combisystem</span> Solar collection system which provides heating and cooling

A solar combisystem provides both solar space heating and cooling as well as hot water from a common array of solar thermal collectors, usually backed up by an auxiliary non-solar heat source.

Energy recycling is the energy recovery process of using energy that would normally be wasted, usually by converting it into electricity or thermal energy. Undertaken at manufacturing facilities, power plants, and large institutions such as hospitals and universities, it significantly increases efficiency, thereby reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas pollution simultaneously. The process is noted for its potential to mitigate global warming profitably. This work is usually done in the form of combined heat and power or waste heat recovery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector</span>

Photovoltaic thermal collectors, typically abbreviated as PVT collectors and also known as hybrid solar collectors, photovoltaic thermal solar collectors, PV/T collectors or solar cogeneration systems, are power generation technologies that convert solar radiation into usable thermal and electrical energy. PVT collectors combine photovoltaic solar cells, which convert sunlight into electricity, with a solar thermal collector, which transfers the otherwise unused waste heat from the PV module to a heat transfer fluid. By combining electricity and heat generation within the same component, these technologies can reach a higher overall efficiency than solar photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal (T) alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot water storage tank</span> Tank used for storing hot water for heating or domestic use

A hot water storage tank is a water tank used for storing hot water for space heating or domestic use.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to solar energy:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar power in Denmark</span>

Solar power in Denmark amounts to 3,696 MW of grid-connected PV capacity at the end of June 2024, and contributes to a government target to use 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% renewable energy by 2050. Solar power produced 9.3% of Danish electricity generation in 2023, the highest share in the Nordic countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Storage water heater</span> Thermodynamic device that uses energy to raise the temperature of water

A storage water heater, or a hot water system (HWS), is a domestic water heating appliance that uses a hot water storage tank to maximize water heating capacity and provide instantaneous delivery of hot water. Conventional storage water heaters use a variety of fuels, including natural gas, propane, fuel oil, and electricity. Less conventional water heating technologies, such as heat pump water heaters and solar water heaters, can also be categorized as storage water heaters.

The Glossary of Geothermal Heating and Cooling provides definitions of many terms used within the Geothermal heat pump industry. The terms in this glossary may be used by industry professionals, for education materials, and by the general public.

Renewable thermal energy is the technology of gathering thermal energy from a renewable energy source for immediate use or for storage in a thermal battery for later use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold district heating</span> District heating with very low temperatures

Cold district heating is a technical variant of a district heating network that operates at low transmission temperatures well below those of conventional district heating systems and can provide both space heating and cooling. Transmission temperatures in the range of approx. 10 to 25 °C are common, allowing different consumers to heat and cool simultaneously and independently of each other. Hot water is produced and the building heated by water heat pumps, which obtain their thermal energy from the heating network, while cooling can be provided either directly via the cold heat network or, if necessary, indirectly via chillers. Cold local heating is sometimes also referred to as an anergy network. The collective term for such systems in scientific terminology is 5th generation district heating and cooling. Due to the possibility of being operated entirely by renewable energies and at the same time contributing to balancing the fluctuating production of wind turbines and photovoltaic systems, cold local heating networks are considered a promising option for a sustainable, potentially greenhouse gas and emission-free heat supply.

References

  1. ↑ "Drake Landing Solar Community" . Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  2. ↑ Climate Change Central. "Case Study: Drake Landing". Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
  3. ↑ Natural Resources Canada. "Unique Community a Model for a Greener, Healthier Canada". Archived from the original on 2007-11-06. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  4. ↑ "North America's First Solar Powered Subdivision - Drake Landing". Town of Okotoks. Archived from the original on 2008-01-03. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  5. ↑ "Canadian Solar Community Sets New World Record for Energy Efficiency and Innovation". Natural Resources Canada. 5 October 2012. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  6. ↑ Wong, B.; Thornton, J. (2013). "Integrating Solar & Heat Pumps" (PDF). Presentation at Renewable Heat Workshop. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "Drake Landing Solar Community: 10 Years of Operation" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "Drake Landing Solar Community | The Town of Okotoks". www.okotoks.ca. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  9. 1 2 3 "Drake Landing Solar Community". dlsc.ca.
  10. ↑ https://www.dlsc.ca/reports/bjul15/DLSC_SHC_2012_final.pdf pg5
  11. ↑ "CanmetENERGY" (PDF). nrcan.gc.ca. 26 March 2009.
  12. ↑ http://qspace.library.queensu.ca/bitstream/1974/1696/1/Wamboldt_Jason_M_200901_Master.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  13. ↑ Canada, Natural Resources (2012-10-05). "ARCHIVED - Drake Landing Solar Community". www.nrcan.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2019-02-20. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  14. ↑ "CanmetENERGY". nrcan.gc.ca. 26 March 2009.
  15. ↑ "Korean researchers learn from Drake Landing". Okotoks Western Wheel. Archived from the original on 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  16. ↑ "Canadian Drake Landing community sets world record for solar heating". solarserver.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
  17. ↑ "Welcome to Drake Landing Solar Community". www.dlsc.ca. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

50°43′51″N113°57′01″W / 50.73095°N 113.95029°W / 50.73095; -113.95029

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