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Long range heat distributor

The remote heat supply building in Höfn. The remote heat supply was built in Höfn because there was a lot of water which was used as coolant for the diesel engines that were used to make electricity. This water was unusable and the power station in Höfn wasn’t powerful enough to heat all the houses and make electricity for everyone.

In 1979 the people that ran the power station decided to build the remote heat supply house which heated water with electricity made by diesel engines. Pipelines were laid all around Höfn to about 2/3 of the houses, but the swimming pool took a lot more water than the regular houses. The pipelines are double, one goes into the house and one goes out. In the 70’s Höfn wasn’t connected to the main power supply in Iceland and this was a good idea. A short while later Höfn was connected to the main power supply but the remote heat supply was still in very good use.

fjarvarmaveita2Now-a-days the water is heated with electricity from the main power supply in Iceland, but it was heated with electricity from the diesel engines. There’s always a chance that the electricity will go out because of bad weather and bad sources of electricity, so the big diesel engines are still capable of producing electricity.

When the water leaves the remote heat supply it goes into the pipeline and from there into the houses at about 77°C – 80°C. When the water has been used in the radiators it goes back to the heat supplier at about 38°C. All the oxygen has to be removed from the water so it doesn’t rust  the pipelines and the radiators in the houses. The same water has been used for many years.

As for now the remote heat supply is owned by RARIK (Electric supplier in Iceland) and they handle everything in the electricity department in Höfn, they take care of the machinery and basic maintenance of the water heaters and engines.

Written by Jón Páll and Pálmi Geir

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