Denmark’s largest thermal energy network to date will supply 200 homes with clean heat from heat pumps. Situated near Hvalsø, just west of Copenhagen, it began operations at the end of 2024. The area is being developed by Hyllegaard Udvikling ApS (HUA).
The thermal energy network – known as a ‘thermonet’ – will use geothermal heat. This is supplied by 30 km of ploughed plastic pipes laid out in two separate sections on a total of approximately 3 hectares of agricultural land.
The development’s six residential communities will be connected to the ‘thermonet’ as they are built and put into use. The first one is already inhabited – its 35 homes are supplied by nine decentralised heat pumps. All six communities will be occupied by the end of 2035.
The developer can choose the type of heat pump to use – either one large heat pump per residential community located in a separate shed, or decentralised heat pumps connected to the thermal network in each building.
Regardless of which of the two design principles is chosen, the heat pumps are supplied to the greatest extent possible with electricity produced by a large solar cell system located on the roof of the area’s community building. Both this solar cell system and the distributed heat pumps are part of the overall heat supply system, which is owned by the energy community.
This design allows electricity exempt from electricity tax and grid tariff to be shared for use in the heat pumps across buildings.
