Sunlight: there’s so much we can do with it. By using solar panels and solar boilers, we can convert sunlight into solar power and solar heat, products that we urgently need. It’s time for efficient sustainable energy generation solutions. Solar heating is one of those solutions.
Want to know which solution fits you best? Get in touch with one of our experts.
Solar thermal enery
Solar heating
We urgently need solar thermal energy, as we are gradually transitioning away from natural gas. This will reduce our CO2 emissions and our vulnerability to unstable gas prices.
That’s great, but you want to be certain you’ll have enough heat for your building or production. That’s why Novar supplies sustainable heating with large-scale solar thermal projects including the Dorkwerd solar thermal farm Dorkwerd solar thermal farm, which will heat more than 2,500 homes and business in the city of Groningen from 2023.
What is solar heating?
Solar heating means sustainably heating homes and other buildings with heat from the sun. To harness that heat, we use solar collectors that convert sunlight into heat. The difference between these collectors and solar panels is that solar panels convert sunlight into electricity.
Solar thermal energy in practice
Novar has developed a major solar thermal project in Dorkwerd in the Netherlands. This project uses a new technology and has more than 24,000 solar collectors. The difference between these collectors and ‘normal’ solar panels is that they generate heat instead of electricity. Water flows through the collectors instead of cables. On sunny days, this water is heated to around 85˚ Celsius. A special vacuum technology in the collectors makes it possible to reach high temperatures efficiently. A heat exchanger then transfers the heat to a district heating grid.
“With this technology, we can contribute to the transition away from natural gas in the city of Groningen. Solar thermal energy does not affect the local transport capacity of the electrical grid, which leaves space for other sustainable projects. Another benefit of solar thermal energy is that it is suitable for older homes without the need to make major structural modifications. The solar collectors are also fully recyclable. All in all, this is an innovative and sustainable solution with a lot of potential, including elsewhere in the Netherlands.”
Jan Martijn Buruma, Project Director at Novar, explains:
The heat is transmitted through a district heating grid to consumers, including homes and industrial users. Of course the system produces heat in the summer, which is why we use seasonal storage. This allows us to store heat for use at times when direct solar heat isn’t available.
Novar en K3 ontwikkelen samen een zonthermiepark op het baggerdepot Dorkwerd aan de noordkant van de stad Groningen. Zonthermiepark Dorkwerd – Groningen Novar ontwikkelt in Groningen in samenwerking met gebiedsontwikkelaar K3 en leverancier TVP Solar voor duurzaam nutsbedrijf Warmtestad het grootste zonnewarmtepark (zonthermie) van Nederland. Het is het derde grootste zonthermiepark ter wereld. Het park…
Will you join us?
At Novar, we believe that sustainable energy can make the world a better place. That’s why we realise large-scale projects with a major positive impact. We deliver reliable, affordable and sustainable solutions for companies, authorities and co-operatives.
Our mission is to harness the maximum possible energy from the sun. We develop solar thermal energy projects that turn sunlight into heat. We harness our years of experience, new technologies and a healthy dose of determination to get the most out of the sun. We’ll fix your new energy while you concentrate on your core business.
Do you want to know whether solar thermal energy is the solution for you?
