Energy Hub Aalsmeer - Smart Exchange of Heat and Cold

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D2Grids Project

2907 Last modified by the author on 25/06/2020 - 17:40
Energy Hub Aalsmeer - Smart Exchange of Heat and Cold

Part of the Hornmeer district in Aalsmeer is the scene of a unique energy exchange project. Three buildings in the district are now using residual heat from the nearby data centre of NorthC and are therefore completely independent of natural gas. In exchange for the residual heat, the data centre receives cold, allowing it to save on electricity for cooling. In short, a unique energy exchange project.

NorthC (data centre), together with ESA BV (pool/sports centre 'De Waterlelie'), JongLeren and Solidoe (new development integral child centre 'Triade') and Fertiplant (trader in potted plants) have been collaborating closely with the municipality of Aalsmeer on the 'Energy Hub Aalsmeer' since 2015. The project's innovative approach warranted a subsidy from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency for the construction of the energy exchange grid and adjustments to the systems of the participating parties.

Heat and Cold Exchange

A combination of two contractors built the exchange grid in the spring of 2019: Welvreugd for the (largely drilled) synthetic waterpipes Hamer for the installations in the buildings and the distribution pumps. The exchange of energy started in September of 2019. The parties use each other's heat and cold via the Energy Hub Aalsmeer in a technically savvy way. The residual heat from the Aalsmeer data centre NorthC is supplied at a temperature of approximately 20 degrees Celsius. Subsequently, the water is returned at approximately 10 degrees Celsius. Circulation pumps transport the water. Electric heat pumps in each building raise the heat to the desired temperature. In the summer,Triade and Fertiplant can also use their heat pumps for cooling purposes. During this process, the released heat is exchanged in turn via the grid and can be used by De Waterlelie.

 

Data center installation, NorthC

Jeroen Roos, energy advisor for the project, says the following: "The servers in the data centre consume lots of electricity, which results in heat that must eventually be rejected through cooling, costing additional energy. In this project, part of the data centre's residual heat becomes a valuable source for electric heat pumps for the other three parties. After the heat pumps have used the residual heat, this results in a cold flow that can be used by the data centre. In other words, in this way the three buildings provide cooling for the data centre. Energy Hub Aalsmeer is a wonderful example of locally closed energy loops in which we make optimal use of local energy supplies."

Residual Heat Extraction Connected to Heat-Cold Storage

The Energy Hub Aalsmeer is a unique project in the Netherlands. Whereas existing residual heat extractions are connected to a hot-cold storage system at data centres (for their regeneration), this is not the case in Aalsmeer. Here, the residual heat directly serves heating purposes. This is possible because the data centre is a reliable heat source, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and always needs cooling. Moreover, this is the first time that four parties have collaborated in this way and have made practical agreements. For this purpose, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency has granted a one-off Demonstration Energy innovation subsidy of €450,000. This subsidy took care of the unprofitable portion of the project.  After the start of the actual heat/cold exchange, other parties will also be able to participate, as long as there is residual capacity left in the system. The CO₂ reduction of the current project is equal to the CO₂ emission of about 74 houses.

Plastic pipes for the network                                                                            Heat pump at Waterlie

Development of Low Temperature Systems in Europe

Energy Hub Aalsmeer has several characteristics of a fifth generation heat/cold network (5G district heating and cooling, abbreviated as 5GDHC). For example, the Energy Hub Aalsmeer uses local residual heat with a quality befitting the temperature of the heat and cold needed elsewhere in the area. As a result, this minimises the loss of energetic potential (also called exergy). The system allows for the exchange of both heat and cold with heat storage (the pool as buffer) as one of the possibilities.

The participating parties of the Energy Hub Aalsmeer are currently gaining experience in the effectiveness of the exchange system in combination with their own systems. The idea is to maximally utilise the capacity in the network through smart operation of the heat pumps. These are important aspects of 5GDHC. A 5GDHC is a thermal smart grid based on low temperatures, in contrast to conventional city district heating. Through decentralised heat pumps, placed with or nearby the end user, energy is exchanged via the network and energy flows are generated based on the customer's demand. This facilitates large-scale use of low temperature residual heat from data centres, supermarkets, industry, etc.

Authors: Marc Setzpfand and Jeroen Roos, on behave of Stroomversnelling.

Traduced from Dutch : original article 


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