SESAC - City of Växjö

Växjö, with Grenoble and Delft, is involved in SESAC as a main community.

The city of Växjö, in Southern Sweden, aims at becoming free from the use of fossil fuels and has since 1993 reduced its fossil CO2 emissions by 25% down to a level of 3.5 tonnes per capita. The project connects the university to the city with new developments comprising of energy efficient dwellings and commercial buildings supplied by district heating from forestry waste material.

Energy efficient wooden houses, © Arkitektbolaget

RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The existing biomass co-generation plant supplies the city with hot water and electricity.

Heat from the district heating system will also be used to produce cooling at the hospital and the university via a new technique for absorption chilling. Electricity can now be produced by the power plant all year round instead of only in winter, and the electricity demand for cooling is decreased.

At the cities sewage treats, tri-generation (heating, electricity and vehicle fuel) from anaerobic digestion of sludge and food waste will be built. The system will be optimised for maximal energy efficiency and demand.

In Växjö new buildings are erected with an energy performance level that goes well beyond the existing Swedish regulation, demonstrating a reduction of 1/3 in space heating energy demands and a similar reduction in the other energy demands. The building material, wood, is a favourable construction material considering lifetime energy performance, use of finite resources, CO2 emissions and waste. The waste from forestry and forest industries is used for energy production. This energy efficient way of building is included in the quality programmes as standard for future new developments.

Växjö wants to encourage its citizens to improve their quality of living and their energy saving habits. Thus, by individual measuring systems in 600 apartments, data from heat, electricity and water, will be transferred to the consumers to influence them to be more energy efficient.

See more pictures from Vaxjo

VAXJO FACTS AND FIGURES:

	Estimated population involved:	affected 2,500
	Approximate geographical area coverage:	200 hectar
	Approximate energy saving:	31% (in ecobuildings)
	Approximate energy from RES:	95% (heating)

Contact Ms. Sarah NILSSON, contact person in Växjö, Sweden. at sarah.nilsson@kommun.vaxjo.se