New plant manufactures solar collectors that produce hot water – NRK Norway – News overview from different parts of the country

“Come here, and I’ll show you something,” says Attlee Prinstad.

The entrepreneur owns the farm in Jevnaker and Inaventa Solar. It operates the plant that will now produce self-developed solar collectors in large numbers.

A solar collector captures radiant energy from the sun and converts it into heat, often in the form of hot water. So do not produce Streamas do solar cells.

Glupharmet

Brynestad takes us to a barn technical room at Kvelsrud, the farm he owns in Jevnaker in Hadeland.

“Come and feel your hand here, but don’t hold it too hard or for too long,” says Attlee Prinstad.

– Oh, it’s hot!

The copper tube that carries water from the rooftop solar collector to the tank inside the building is heated. That’s as long as I can keep my hand on it for a little while.

70 degrees warmer than outside air

Outside, less than ten degrees. However, we’re producing 80-degree heat at twelve o’clock a day, just with the help of sunlight, a solar collector and clean water, says Brainstad.

A solar collector that is installed in the roof of the working building of 140 square meters. According to Prinstad, it can produce 50,000 kWh of heat during the year.

Inside, the former barn has been converted into a factory filled with high-end machinery. Inside, they can produce 600,000 square meters of solar panels annually if the factory is running at full capacity.

– This is the extruder, says General Manager John Reykstad at Inaventa Solar. Great and modern machine reviews.

It forms and compresses liquid plastic in solar panels.

The 78-year-old retired physics professor has been experimenting for decades to find the perfect plastic that can withstand heat and is durable enough to make solar panels. He thinks he found it.

Rekstad was previously involved in several unsuccessful solar heating companies.

– We experienced a high percentage of debris on the panels that were produced in France. He adds that it was difficult to raise capital.

But now he has Attlee Prinstad on the team. Brynestad also owns, among others, Christiania Glassmagasin, Hadeland Glassverk and Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik.

The European Union, Innovation Norway, the Research Council and Enova also supported the development of the new solar collector. Production will take place at Jevnaker, but the market is in both Norway and Europe.

– In May, we went to Germany to launch our solar collectors, says John Reichstad.

– The perfect time

The timing of the investment is perfect, says Nordea energy analyst Thena Saltvedt.

– In Norway, we went through a winter with very high electricity prices. There is a great deal of uncertainty about how electricity prices will be in the future, not least because of the war in Ukraine.

– How does the European country affect?

The European Union wants to get rid of gas supplies from Russia as quickly as possible. It’s not easy, because there are quite a few other countries that can provide enough. That is why the EU is also looking for climate-friendly solutions that can do so replace It’s gas that is used a lot, says Saltvedt, such as heating, cooking, industry, and electricity production.

Maximum effect from March to October

Using the sun to heat water is not a new invention. Solar collectors are still of little use in Norway, in part because we have traditionally had good access to cheap electricity. Solar heat can still contribute to energy without the need for controversial encroachments on nature, such as hydroelectricity and wind power.

The benefit is, of course, greater if you have a large consumption of hot water or heating all year round. Such as in nursing homes, hospitals, hotels, swimming pools, or in a barn with dairy cows, says Rechstad.

– The effect is likely to be greater in the summer when the need for heat is less?

– Yes, says Reykstad, but solar panels save heat everyone year, although the effect is clearly greatest from March to October.

– But hot water is also necessary in summer. It’s for showering, washing dishes and cleaning, Prinstad adds.

Integrated in the building

Inaventa Solar focuses on solar collectors that are integrated into the roof or wall.

It will be the prettiest and will also save building materials that you would otherwise need, says Rijkstad.

According to Rekstad and Brynestad, the additional costs for a solar collector system for a 150-square-meter detached house will be about 70,000 kroner. They then included Enova’s grants and building materials saved in the account.

– Prinstad says the plant paid off in less than ten years and will continue to provide heat for at least another 20 years.

Around 12 noon, the temperature of the hot water from the surface of Jaffnakar was 80 degrees. The temperature rose shortly before two o’clock in the afternoon to 95 degrees. Water is automatically drained from the accumulator into the tank before it begins to boil.