Elipse BLC is a developer of distribution and logistic centers for large companies setting up operation in the Baltic countries. When Elipse BLC set out to construct a new distribution center in Riga, Latvia, they looked to North American expertise in the design and optimization of the heating and ventilation system.
The SolarWall® technology was chosen not only because it uses renewable energy, but also because of its costcompetitiveness and ability to satisfy the ventilation requirements for the new facility. There is a growing interest in Eastern Europe to adopt proven green technologies which are currently used in other parts of the world.
The SolarWall® air heating technology heats the ventilation air that is required in commercial and industrial buildings using an all-metal solar collector system developed by Conserval Engineering. Conserval worked with their representative, Sia ABACO in Latvia to design the entire ventilation system for the warehouse part of the complex.
The solar heating and ventilation system that Conserval Engineering designed and supplied was integrated into the other mechanical systems of the complex and was optimized for the site-specific conditions.
A series of seven SolarWall® systems, totaling over 1800m2 (19,461ft2) were integrated into various facades of the warehouse distribution center (four of the collectors face south, two of the collectors face east and one collector faces west). The systems will heat 174,200m3/hr of air. The architect selected a charcoal color for the SolarWall panels to compliment the existing color scheme of the facility.
The system also included the fans, fabric ducting, controls/monitoring, and other SolarWall components. The exterior SolarWall panels were framed on top of existing sandwich panels and connected to mixing fan boxes with fabric ducting to distribute the solar heated air throughout the warehouse facility.
The completed SolarWall® system is one of the largest in Europe, delivering more than 1MW of thermal energy and projected to displace over 400 tons of CO2 each year.
Ventilation heating is typically one of the largest single energy requirements for commercial and industrial buildings, which is why solar air heating can generate such significant overall energy reductions. The SolarWall® technology is ideally suited for a facility such as the Elipse BLC complex because it offers a building-integrated solution to displacing traditional energy usage while improving indoor ventilation.
Speaking on the huge energy savings that have already been observed since the SolarWall installation in the fall of 2008, Andris Vladimirovs, from Sia ABACO says: "...we have been unlucky with sunny days, but it looks like the SolarWall system has given great performance. For a comparison of the savings; the office building [next door to the warehouse] is 3,000m2 with a 3m ceiling and an indoor set point of 22°C. The SolarWall heated warehouse is 24,000m2, with a 12m ceiling and an indoor temperature set point of 21°C [previous month]. Despite the fact that the warehouse is eight times larger than the office, it is only costing two times more to heat! This month with the warehouse temperature set at 12°C it is costing two times LESS then the office!”
For more information about Solarwall® contact Conserval Engineering at (416) 661-7057, Conserval Systems at (716) 835-4903, or visit www.solarwall.com.