CONTRACT FOR 40,000 SQFT/ 3.800 m² PLANT IN GRAZ, AUSTRIA
http://www.grazag.at/de/wasser/AndritzNEU.html
We are pleased to announce the closing of contracts for a solar plant which will supply energy to Graz District Heating and will provide space heating for the buildings occupied by the water agency of Graz AG.
The plant will include 40,000 square feet (3,800 square meters) of collector area. The collectors will be mounted on the ground in an area that is used for water runoff. Installation will begin in March, 2009 with scheduled completion in April, 2009
When the new plant comes on-line, Graz District Heating will have a
total of 6.5 MW of solar thermal energy to help meet the demand in the
summer months. There is a total summer demand of 14 MW. The current
plan is to develop sufficient solar thermal capacity, which when
combined with waste heat from industry and an existing small
cogeneration plant, will displace all use of natural gas boilers
during the summer months.
Solar radiation during the winter months in Graz sometimes is not
sufficient to produce the temperature needed for space heating. The
space heating system will include a heat pump that will allow the
production of the required temperature. The combination of a heat
pump with solar thermal for a large, commercial application is
unique. Detailed monitoring will help determine the effectiveness of
the combined solar/heat pump system.
SOLID will serve as the prime contractor and will use OKotech HT
collectors. The HT collectors are specially developed to produce high
temperatures (over 190 F (85C)) and will achieve better performance
that most vacuum tube collectors on clear days. The contract value
is 1.5 Mio Euro.
This project was developed in partnership with the city of Graz
supported both by the Mayor Siegfried Nagl and Vice Mayor Lisa Rücker,
by the city owned Graz AG and the utility Energie Graz GmbH& CoKG.
Attached articel shows Mr. Nagl and Mrs. Rücker in front of the
latest solar plant Graz/Puchstraße.
The utility pays the same rate for solar thermal energy as it does for
the energy produced by the gas boilers. The investment is supported
by the Austrian Climate Fund. The major Styrian news paper „Kleine
Zeitung" published attached report.




