Schneider Electric and Lidl Finland to build Finland's largest distribution centre
The distribution centre will cover a surface of 60,000 sq m, the largest in Finland and equivalent to 10 football fields in size
The distribution centre will cover a surface of 60,000 sq m, the largest in Finland and equivalent to 10 football fields in size.
The distribution centre will serve Southern Finland's grocery stores from its location in Järvenpää and will fully start operations at the beginning of 2019.
The warehouse will have an integrated Schneider Electric EcoStruxure™ Microgrid and EcoStruxure Building Operation solution that runs on 100% renewable energy. This system consists of a solar power plant, energy storage, bi-directional district heating and EcoStruxure™ Microgrid Advisor control system.
The microgrid will include a 1600-panel solar power plant on the building's roof, enabling solar-generated electricity to be utilized in the co-generation of heating and cooling. The heat recovered from the distribution centre's refrigeration equipment and systems will be used for the building's energy needs and supplied to Järvenpää's residents, heating water for approximately 500 private homes.
The distribution centre's microgrid will work with a battery energy storage system. The storage will play an important role in equalizing consumption spikes and ensuring continuous power distribution. Should the national power grid become temporarily overburdened, the amount of grid electricity consumed by Lidl's distribution centre can be reduced by putting the battery storage to use.
"During periods of very cold weather, Finland's grid can experience peak loads," explained Simo Siitonen, Energy Management Manager at Lidl Finland. "The battery energy storage system implemented at Lidl will enable us to react quickly to these consumption spikes, help reduce the load on the grid, and ensure there is sufficient electricity for everyone in Finland."
"Our goal is to build the Nordic countries' most environmentally-friendly grocery distribution centre," added Simo Siitonen. "Strict energy technical targets have been set for the building's entire lifecycle. The building is carbon neutral and the energy cost savings goal is over 50%. The project has been executed according to the standards corresponding to the prestigious BREEAM environmental certification's Excellent rating level. When choosing a partner, it was important that we chose a partner that can provide an energy-efficient, integrated, comprehensive solution combining several different building and energy management systems for the duration of the building's entire lifecycle."
"Lidl Finland's decision to build a carbon-neutral and at times net-positive building shows determination and foresight to find the best possible integrated solution that not only allows them to operate the facility more efficiently than their existing ones, but also sets an example for how to build and operate in a sustainable way for the good of the environment. This is significant both nationally and internationally", says Tuomas Qvick, Vice President of EcoBuilding & Field Services Finland at Schneider Electric.