Leipzig relies on solar thermal: Germany's largest complex is created!

Leipzig relies on solar thermal: Germany's largest complex is created!

The largest solar thermal system in Germany is in Leipzig and is the focus of an important project for the transformation of urban heat supply. Project manager Erik Jelinek from the Leipzig Stadtwerke explains that this project is a connection between renewable, innovative and conventional techniques of heat supply. With solar thermal energy, which is considered one of the most efficient renewable heat sources, the city can rely on sustainable and sustainable energy supply.

The advantages of solar thermal energy are impressive: it enables energy generation that can be generated three times as much as in photovoltaic systems and 30 to 45 times more than in biomass. The commissioning of the large system in Leipzig is planned for the beginning of next year and it should generate around 26 gigawatt hours of heat per year with a peak output of 41 megawatts.

The contribution to greenhouse gas neutrality

As part of the municipal district heating transformation plan, the solar thermal system will cover around 20 percent of the heat requirement on hot summer days. The system uses vacuum tubes collectors that are connected to pipelines both under and unearthly and where water is used as a heat carrier. Thanks to the intelligent control technology, the system is controlled on the basis of the solar radiation and adapted to the respective conditions in the Leipzig district heating network.

The plantings and an ecologically sustainable care concept of the system should even help increase biodiversity on the surface, which brings an additional ecological advantage.

support from funding programs

The creation of transformation plans, such as that for the new solar thermal system, is supported by the federal funding for efficient heating networks (BEW). These plans show the path to the greenhouse gas neutrality of a heating network by 2045 at the latest. They include the current current state, the desired greenhouse gas-neutral target state and the necessary steps there. A distinction is made between transformation plans for existing and feasibility studies for new heating networks.

The eligible technologies for heat generation include solar thermal, heat pumps, and deep geothermal energy, whereby the complete compliance with the funding criteria is crucial for approval. A heating network can be considered greenhouse gas -neutral if the entire heat feed -in comes from eligible systems. The creation of feasibility studies and transformation plans requires georeferenced technical data and the costs vary significantly depending on the size of the network.

Overall, the new solar thermal system not only makes a significant contribution to sustainable heat supply in Leipzig, but also a significant part to achieve the climate goals by promoting the use of renewable energies in the urban heating area. This will make it an important building block for the energy transition in Germany.