A parking facility that produces regional heat
Thermal Storage Finland and Naulankanta have developed a parking facility concept that combines parking construction with heat production and storage as part of the same package. The starting point is a practical one: heat is generated and circulated in many forms in urban neighbourhoods, and if it can be captured, stored and managed properly, heat production can be localised and controlled. The solution is designed to serve nearby properties, so that heat is produced close to use and can be scaled to the needs of the area. At the same time, the parking facility serves as a platform for technology that brings predictability, cost-effectiveness and sustainability to heat production.
A parking facility that pays for itself and produces energy at the same time
The innovation, developed by Naulankanta and Thermal Storage Finland, uses TSF’s Hybrid Thermal Power Plant™, which is capable of collecting energy from any heat source, such as parking mass, geothermal heat, façade and roof solar collectors and air mass. The system is able to store excess heat energy and, with intelligent control, optimises the most advantageous heat source for its users under different conditions, and can also recycle waste heat from buildings.
The Hybrid Thermal Power Plant™ is suitable for projects of different types and sizes. One TSF power plant unit can provide the annual heating and cooling needs of up to six apartment buildings. By increasing the number of power units, and by storing additional thermal energy, the solution can be flexibly scaled up. The innovation combines a regionally centralised parking solution with local clean energy production. Compared to conventional district heating, Hybrid Thermal Power™ can reduce heating costs by up to 80%.
A fully energy self-sufficient block is a step towards a zero-emission future
The battery storage integrated into the parking facility will also enable the balancing of electricity price fluctuations and ensure a continuous energy supply. It can be sized so that the whole block is energy self-sufficient, providing both heat and electricity to neighbouring properties.
The Hybrid Thermal Power Plant™ can also be installed in existing parking facilities. Delivery and commissioning is quick, and maintenance is carried out via the TSF remote monitoring system.
“With this innovation, we want to show that a parking facility can be much more than just a place for cars. It can be an energy hub that supports the self-sufficiency and economic sustainability of an entire block. “, says Ville Simonen, Development Manager at Naulankanta.
Together towards a zero-emission city
Naulankanta brings construction and real estate development expertise to the project, while TSF provides a ready, tested and replicable hybrid thermal power plant concept™ built in a recycled shipping container that can be clad to fit the environment. It can also be implemented on a service model, without any investment.
