ABSTRACT
With the improved demands in the EU Building Directive from 2010 aiming at a nearly zero-energy standard for new public buildings by 2018 and all buildings by 2020, and with a demand towards the EU member states to create a similar standard for existing buildings, the challenge is to create a whole new basis of energy-efficient building design in Europe. At the same time the City of Copenhagen has an ambition to become the first carbon-neutral capital by 2025. Extensive retrofitting of buildings, reorganisation of the energy supply and change in transport habits are some of many initiatives the City of Copenhagen will implement in order to become carbon neutral. With the Copenhagen Climate Plan the Danish capital combines growth, development and higher quality of life with a reduction in carbon emissions of around 1.16 million tons. In the EU Concerto project, Green Solar Cities (2007-2013) (www. greensolarcities.com) EU funding has been utilised as a strong support for the large-scale PV implementation plan in the Valby part of Copenhagen. It was launched in 2000 and aimed at supplying 15 per cent of all electricity use in Valby using 30 MWp of PV electricity by 2025. By 2013 around 4 MWp of PV has been established, but only 600 m2 of solar thermal installations. If this increased to 54,000 m2 of solar thermal capacity, a true 1:1 solar energy combined heat and power solution will be available to document an optimised combination to the large-scale combined heat and power system in Copenhagen. This will actually utilise biomass in the future in the form of wood pills. At the same time a number of new-build and housing renovation projects have improved their energy frame values by 30-79 per cent compared to normal practice. Figures 1.1 and 1.2 show a gable with solar art directed towards the railway in Valby (by artist Anita Jørgensen). Here, PV is supplying electricity for neon light, which illuminates at night and is a landmark for the Valby PV plan. In the Green Solar Cities EU Concerto project there is cooperation between the city of Salzburg in Austria and the local energy agency SIR. A
so-called micro grid with district heating has been combined with 2000 m2 of solar thermal solar collectors and a buffer tank in combination with a heat pump (Figures 1.3-1.5). The idea is to introduce elements from the so-called ‘Active House’ concept (see www.activehouse.info) in relation to the Green Solar Cities project evaluation in Valby. A number of specifications are defined within the areas of energy, indoor climate and environment. Within energy focus is on energy balance, energy design, energy supply, energy monitoring and verification and follow-up. Energy balance is based on a calculation of all energy uses in a building, including electricity-using appliances and the energy supply system. The Active House specification demands a procedure for energy monitoring, verification and follow-up. At present in Denmark focus is only on good calculation procedures, but there is no link between the calculations and the actual energy use in the building. This presents a good reason to introduce the same demands
1.1 PV art at ‘Prøvehallen’ gable in Valby, which can be seen from the railway, is a symbol of the Valby PV plan. Photo: Anders Sune Berg.
