The aim of the project was to demonstrate how to optimise the use of innovative solar energy technologies together with energy savings and an optimised energy supply for different types of buildings. Another aim was to start an urban ecology management process as part of the European Green Cities co-operation. Here a co-operation between builders, cities, contractors, suppliers/producers and utilities was required.

The main idea was to present a project where city authorities, builders and energy specialists from the Copenhagen region were working with similar people from Piemonte and the Warsaw and Poznan regions in Poland to obtain an opportunity of having optimised solar designs and new developed solar assisted low electricity ventilation technologies with a very low electricity consumption demonstrated in practice.

Description of work:

In Roskilde (the Copenhagen region)
100 solar low-energy row houses utilise an optimised solar low-energy design, including solar heating systems, wood construction including the use of unburned clay stonewalls and water and electricity savings. An energy display in the houses is showing the tenants their current consumption of space heating, domestic hot water and electricity. This should help motivating the tenants towards good user habits thus gaining high energy savings. Furthermore, a bio fuel based district heating system with pulse operation and a solar collector backup in the summer was implemented.

In Glostrup and Ballerup (The Copenhagen region)
An urban ecology planning process has taken place and 20 ecological designed single family houses were built. A combination of wood construction and best available technologies are used, such as solar DHW heating, condensing gasboilers and a new and innovative type of heat recovery ventilation systems from the company Airvex with a very limited electricity use. Besides, improved insulation, windows, and low temperature heating as part of lifecycle costs optimisation.

In Piemonte in Italy
A solar optimised design was based on the use of counter flow heat recovery ventilation systems with PV-assistance for energy efficient fans. At the same time a solar domestic hot water heating system was integrated in the buildings. Furthermore, improved insulation and windows, water and electricity savings incl. lighting was utilised in the project. An approach with sustainable urban planning was also a part of the project.

In the Warsaw and Poznan regions (Poland)
A hospital was equipped with an optimised solar district hot water system with guaranteed results based on EMS survey. Furthermore, an innovative solar assisted ventilation design with heat recovery was installed in a public school building.

For detailed descriptions of the demo projects click here.

Common activities
It was aimed to compile experiences on how to organise sustainable solar low energy building in practice as part of a sustainable urban management process. This included use of the "Greenbuild" tool by the partners including introduction of local criteria, as a way to promote a sustainable and energy efficient building design, as part of an urban ecology planning process. Besides the "Optibuild" tool can be used as basis of lifecycle costs optimisation.

The project is co-ordinated by Green City Denmark, Cenergia Energy Consultants and Metec&Saggese Engineering Srl.

A certain extent of co-operation took place between the two projects Green Housing Block and Green Solar Regions.

The Green Solar Regions project was supported by the EC - DG for Energy and Transport.

Timing: January 2000 - August 2003.