Located off the east coast of Denmark, the island of Samsø meets 100% of its electricity demands with wind turbines, and 70% of its heating needs through renewable energy.
Samsø won a national competition issued by the Danish Energy Academy in 1977 to select an island that would convert to using 100% renewable energy within 10 years.
The 44-square-mile island has 11 wind turbines that produce 11 megawatts of energy to serve the island's electricity needs. Four heating plants use solar panels as well as locally grown straw and wood pellets to produce hot water that is piped underground to heat residences.
Also located on the island is the Samsø Energy Academy, a public entity that assists Danish and foreign scientists in sustainability endeavors. The Academy building itself is designed to meet ecological and sustainability principles.
The roof utilizes about 6,800 sf of Rheinzink integrated solar Quick Step panels. Photovoltaic cells integrated in 1,000 sf of the building's roof provide approximately 8,000 kWs of power each year, estimated to meet 40-50% of the building's electrical needs. On the backside of the 144 solar crystalline power cells are eight solar hot water generating panels that provide domestic hot water for the facility.
The Samsø Energy Academy was designed by Denmark-based Arkitema. The firm designed the facility as two overlapping forms—a concept based on the single-winged farmhouse style typical on the island.
“We created two juxtaposed, metal-clad floating building volumes with a layout and orientation that interplays with the site's natural conditions and makes optimal use of the sun,” said Lars Kvist, Arkitema's environmental manager.
Rheinzink
Input No. 336 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
