In the energy balance survey for the Hippos sports park, Granlund Jyväskylä and Granlund Consulting provided the energy company with energy procurement options for the future.
”The survey for the Hippos area is a good example of how the search for suitable energy solutions can be incorporated into development work,” says Juha Viholainen, Granlund Consulting Oy’s Energy Expert. ”Jyväskylän Energia is one of the frontrunners in this respect, and the company began to map innovative energy procurement solutions in support of the needs of the Hippos area, as well as alternative generation, distribution and power management methods to be used alongside traditional ones.”
The project consisted of two parts. The first part was completed in August 2016, and the second part at the end of the year.
”During the first phase, we evaluated the energy needs of the area and we envisioned suitable new energy solutions together with Jyväskylän Energia,” says Viholainen. ”In the second phase, we assessed profitability in order to gain deeper insights into factors such as exhaust heat utilisation, local cooling solutions and photovoltaic electricity, as well as the most interesting possibilities for electricity and heat storage when the customer’s starting points and the regional objectives set for Hippos are taken into account. The different solution models for regional heat, cooling and electricity procurement were compared by means of cost analyses and suitability assessments.”
Focus on the special features of the area and the surrounding environment
When determining the most important aspects of energy procurement, attention should be paid not only to the properties of the site but also to how the different solutions interact with the surrounding environment and the energy system as a whole. During further evaluation of the energy solutions, attention was paid to the special features of the Hippos area and the links to the surrounding environment.
”After the first phase of the project, we wanted to extend the survey to the areas around Hippos, and Granlund’s experts stepped up to the new challenges,” says Tytti Laitinen, Jyväskylän Energia’s Project Manager. ”We also searched for ideas to utilise the special features of the sports park. One option is to use ice scraped from the surfaces of ice rinks for cooling. The survey was important to us as it confirmed our earlier assumptions with solid calculation results. We obtained the information we needed for decision-making, as well as facts on which to base future discussions.”
Keeping streets ice-free for users
One of the most important themes of the survey was the study of the amount and utilisation of exhaust heat.
”We wanted to find out which buildings generate exhaust heat, how much heat is generated and when, and how this heat could be utilised to heat the area and keep the streets ice-free,” states Laitinen. ”Jyväskylä has extensive experience with keeping its streets ice-free. In sports parks, it is particularly important for us to encourage people to be active and safe
all year round, including in the winter. Granlund’s office in Jyväskylä provided us with detailed calculations on the matter, which will be very useful for further planning.”
More accurate results as regional planning progresses
The initial data of the energy balance survey have changed during the project. Therefore, some results will need to be reviewed in the future.
”The next step is to adjust the amount of exhaust heat from the Hippos area according to the updated initial data,” says Laitinen. ”We also intend to determine the impacts of the different solutions in terms of emissions. Along with techno-economic objectives, investors are increasingly assessing ecological values. Therefore, how energy is produced in the area is extremely important. Environmental responsibility will become more important in the future.”
