Ecological Energy Production in Vaasa

In July-August Vaasa hosted the annual Finnish Housing Fair. In addition to the beautiful, sturdy-built homes and the latest trends in interior design, not only national but also worldwide attention is directed to the area thanks to implementation of pioneering energy production processes.

The most noticeable ecological feature is the low-energy system, which is unique in the world and utilises the warmth from the seabed to heat up the houses. Electricity and heating are produced and consumed within the area, making it almost self-sufficient.

Both energy production and distribution in the Fair site are located in a power plant building known as New Energy. The building consists of a fuel cell unit and a micro-turbine unit, and is fuelled by biogas or methane originating from a nearby landfill. The unique fuel cell unit producing electric and heating power delivered by Wärtsilä Oyj is based on planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology and is the first of its kind in the world. The landfill gas used by the fuel cell power plant is a renewable fuel. The significance of bi-ogases increases in decentralised energy production. The benefits of decentralised energy production include more efficient utilisation of local sources of energy, shorter transport distances for fuels and reduced energy transmission losses. In addition to landfills, biogases are generated e.g. in agriculture and water treatment plants.

Moreover, Vaasan Ekolämpö Oy and also Vaasan Sähkö Oy and KWH-Pipe Oy have created a concept that has led to an energy self-sufficient housing area at the Vaasa Housing Fair. Energy production from the landfill gas and from the heat from the seabed sediment is so high that it is possible to sell energy also outside the housing fair area. There is also going to be another housing area in Västervik where the heat from the rock and drilled wells are used as an energy source. Wells are also equipped with a coaxial pipe that gathers much more heat than a traditional u-pipe. Drilled wells are connected together and build the lowheat network. It is also planned to equip houses with solar panels so that in the summer it is possible to charge wells effective with solar heat.