Underground parking lot at Turku market square - Zero energy parking hall and the biggest solar energy storage in the world

Anna Slobodenyuk,Rauli Lautkankare,Birgitta Martinkauppi,T. Kalamees,Nikolas Salomaa,J. Kurnitski

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202017216008

Anna Slobodenyuk, Rauli Lautkankare + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202017216008

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Abstract

This paper opens the case Turku market square underground parking lot from the energy perspective. Also constructional and historical aspects are presented. Heavily populated city center has faced several challenges, such as intense traffic. Uncomfortable local tailpipe emissions and lack of parking spaces have decreased living conditions for the citizens and visitors. Therefore, total renovation of main market square of Turku was started in autumn 2018. Together with that, municipality should respond not only to primary needs, but also to national and global environmental targets. One of the new strategy objectives for Turku is being carbon-neutral city by 2029. Hence, project was based on large-scale renewable resources utilization for urban underground spaces. Research and analysis of possible technical solutions was made. Modern time is characterized by climate change and strong measures that need to be taken to stop the global warming. The heat, cold and electricity should be produced in a carbon neutral manner. This doesn’t exclude heated multilevel car parking facilities either. As the parking capacity grows and finding a free place is easier, a positive environmental effect is expected to be reached. The described underground parking lot in Turku is first of its kind in many ways: 1) Never before underground parking lot has dug up and constructed into clay-based soils in Finland, 2) it is probably the first zero carbon energy parking hall in Europe and 3) it has the biggest solar thermal energy storage in the world.

Highlights

Zero-energy buildings are modern trend in construction industry worldwide
In Turku, the heating of underground parking (UUP) is planned with solar energy storage which has been constructed with energy piles
Turun Toriparkki is a facility that can be categorized as an urban underground parking

Summary

Introduction

Zero-energy buildings are modern trend in construction industry worldwide. Energy supply of such buildings are fully based on renewable sources. Urban land areas are in some places minimal or not available at all This has caused increase in construction of urban underground spaces (UUS) which urban underground parking (UUP). Limited underground space can cause a conflict between different usages like geothermal use and transport use [11] This is not the case with Turku Parking lot ( called as Toriparkki referring to its Finnish name). The parking lot is constructed under Turku town square and it uses geothermal energy combined with solar storage to provide its heating. Underground car parks need naturally ventilation, which increase need of energy. In Turku, the heating of UUP is planned with solar energy storage which has been constructed with energy piles. According to authors’ knowledge, Turku has the first zero energy UUP

Project task description

Borehole Thermal energy storages

Climate and soil properties in-situ

Soils for storage purposes

Solutions and results

The solar thermal system built inside the market square

The seasonal thermal energy storage and peak energies optimization

Conclusions

Findings

Progress tracking