The Senne could heat the European Parliament and cut its carbon emissions by 11,050 tonnes a year
European experts in renewable heating technology will meet at the upcoming European Heat Pump Association conference in Brussels to discuss the case for sustainable and affordable heating across Europe’s cities.
Heat pumps are an established and reliable technology to reduce import dependency by shifting our energy supply to renewable sources; thus also increasing energy efficiency, reducing GHG emissions and providing much needed local jobs.
European’s leading renewable energy company Star Renewable Energy, the inventors of the world’s largest zero carbon water heat pump installation, will be shedding light on the recent success of the Drammen Neatpump and how the 90°C district heat pump has helped the city slash its fuel consumption by 85% using heat harvested by the nearby fjord. The Neatpump delivers clean and affordable heating to the city’s buildings, hospitals, schools and businesses.
In the lead up to the event, Star Renewable Energy is calling on companies and governments to ask themselves whether big water heat pumps could be used to heat up their cities, towns, organisations or even the European Parliament in a renewable and affordable manner.
Company director Dave Pearson said, “In Brussels, heat harvested from the river Senne alone could provide enough energy to warm the European Parliament and cut CO2 output by 11,050 tonnes a year, as demonstrated by Drammen.”
Water heat pumps extract warmth from natural or industrial water sources and boost it up to high temperatures to produce hot water to heat homes and buildings and run industrial processes. Thomas Nowak, Secretary General of the EHPA, said: “The good thing about heat pumps is that they just work. They have a triple dividend in terms of environmental benefits. They use renewable energy, they are energy efficient and they reduce the greenhouse gas emission of the whole system. Star provide a good solution for district heating installations and can also use the existing city’s infrastructure very efficiently.”
With fuel prices continually on the rise and environmental legislation becoming more astringent than ever, energy efficiency and sustainable heating solutions have shot to the top of the EU agenda. With heating accounting for approximately 50% of Europe’s final energy demand, the time for action is now.
At the conference, Pearson will present an example of the Norwegian city of Drammen to show what could be replicated in other European cities. “Sustainable and Affordable Heating & Cooling: The Case of the European Cities” will showcase the benefits for cities of investing in sustainable and affordable heating systems. During the presentation, Pearson will highlight the importance of both regional and local players when it comes to minimising Europe’s colossal energy spend. He will encourage cities to review their urban plans and take steps to improve energy efficiency across the board. The presentation will wrap up with an overview of best practice examples from across the continent.
As a member of the European Heat Pump Association, Star Renewable Energy are keen to work with the EHPA to promote the benefits of water heat pump technology to Europe’s other major cities. The Neatpump is a renewable energy heat pump that extracts heat from rivers, lakes, sea water, mineshafts, aquafiers or even industrial waste streams.
Pearson said, “The Neatpump isn’t a technology from the future. ‘Science fact’ not ‘science fiction.’ With fuel prices and CO2 emissions on the rise, the time has never been more important to share and personalise with individual countries, and the EU as a whole, the benefits of heat pump systems, especially retrofit solutions in existing buildings like those of the Parliament. While the success of the Drammen Neatpump has been quite well publicised by both British and European leader-groups, I’ll be delving into the specifics of the project and offering attendees a valuable insight into the lessons we can learn from Norway in order to implement the same technology across Europe with the same level of success. We need to see ‘leadership in action.'”
The EHPA is expecting to welcome representatives from a diverse range of EU institutions, from energy company stakeholders to national government authorities. The EHPA conference will take place at the Commitee of the Regions, Rue Belliard 101, Brussels, Belgium on Thursday 2nd October 2014 from 14.30 to 17.30.
To find out more about Star Renewable Energy and the benefits its next generation Neatpump offers European cities, visit: www.neatpump.com. To find out more about the EHPA, visit www.ehpa.org.