Condat stationery solar power plant

Reception /renewable energy /solar /solar thermal energy /solar thermal power plants /

Condat Lecta stationery is one of the most important in France.To dry the paper during the manufacturing process, the factory needs a large amount of energy.Regarding heat, the stationery uses gas boilers generating an annual energy of 540,000 MWh!

The solar thermal power station (right) generates part of the heat necessary for Condat stationery - © Newheat

Specializing in the production of thermal heat that meets large scales, the Newheat company has carried out a solar thermal power station to reduce this consumption by 4,000 MWh/year of gas.

A field of 15,000m² has been set up for this purpose near the industry.The solar collectors that rest there are equipped with solar trackers technology on an axis to increase heat production.

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Mai 2021Hugues DefrévillePrésident et co-fondateur de NewHeat

Interview with Hugues Defréville, co-founder and president of the Newheat company

Ecosources: What is Newheat's main activity?

Hugues Defréville: Newheat specializes in the production of solar renewable heat.Heat represents more than 50% of primary energy needs in Europe, while electricity represents only 25%, as much as the field of transport.Heat is the main energy use but it is the one we speak the least while it is more than 85% carbon (whose production rejects carbon) in Europe.The goal is to reduce these emissions to the best.

Ecosources: What are the technologies you use to reduce these emissions?

Hugues Defréville: We first developed solar thermal soil but we also work on solutions that combine solar thermal and heat recovery (heat produced but unused by industry) as well as on thermal energy storage solutions,capable of providing heat over several months.Finally we develop solutions that combine solar thermal with heat pumps.

Ecosources: In which area is the company specializing?

Hugues Defréville: We provide heat to major heat consumers.That is to say that we focus on industries which require a large amount of heat as well as on the heat used to heat housing thanks to urban heat networks (heat distribution on a district scaleor a city).

Ecosources: Is the solar tracker more complex to set up on thermal solar than on photovoltaics?

Hugues Defréville: no it is not more complicated to set up.The center of gravity of the solar panel being well positioned, the efforts necessary to move the panel remain low.We no longer use trackers technology on two axes for two reasons.They are much more expensive and require more maintenance for a yield too slightly higher than trackers on an axis.The second reason is that it is no longer possible to align them in rows.

Another advantage of solar thermal panels on trackers is that it is now possible to orient the parallel panels to the sun's rays to limit the production of hot water when the factory does not work because of a breakdown, ofMaintenance or other.Overheating problems are avoided.

Ecosources: You mentioned an energy storage system, what is it?

Hugues Defréville: Each project is different and meets different needs. Par exemple, pour la Centrale de Condat, nous utilisons une cuve de 500m³.Storing hot water is not so simple because it is important not to mix the cold layers with the hot layers.The hot water is less dense and is found at the top of the tank while the cold water is heavier and is found at the bottom.If at one point we mix these, we will have lukewarm water which no longer corresponds to the factory needs.We thus design equipment in the tanks which avoid this mixture by "slowing down" the movements of the water: diffusion rake, stratification column...

Ecosources: What do you think of other sources of renewable energy?

Hugues Defréville : Aujourd'hui, à mon sens, le coeur du problème se situe dans la réduction des émissions de CO₂ générées par l'activité humaine. Dans notre pays, et plus généralement en Europe, l'utilisation d'énergie sous forme de chaleur est le principal poste de consommation d'énergie fossile et donc d'émission de CO₂.However, the renewable heat sector is very little supported by the public authorities. Nous appelons donc de nos voeux une refonte complète du système de soutien, par exemple en instaurant une rémunération pour chaque tonne de CO₂évitée.