On a former air base just north of Copenhagen, thirty houses are supplied with low cost heating from a well used for environmental clean-up.
The future residents – several of whom are engineers – came up with the idea to use heat from the pumped groundwater. This avoids the need for a separate energy source, lowering the investment cost.
The well was originally put in by the local water company, Søndersø Waterworks, so drinking water would be safe from pollutants from former military activities at Værløse Air Base. After treatment, the groundwater is discharged to a nearby watercourse.
Now, a thermal network connects the heat exchanger at the well with Thermia heat pumps installed in each connected house. Heat is extracted from the well via a large heat exchanger, and the houses have heat pumps with buffer tanks.
The community, formally the property owners’ association, took on the role as developer for the thermal network or ‘thermonet’ system.
