District Energy in Iceland

| Geothermal Resources in Iceland |

| Call for Papers:
6th International Symposium on District Heating and Cooling Simulation
August 28-30, 1996 Reykjavík, Iceland |

Iceland has the largest percentage of district heated buildings in the world, with more than 85% of houses connected to one of the 32 systems in the country. Geothermal energy is the source for most of the district heat in Iceland, although some comes from cogeneration plants and from electric boilers.

Most electricity in Iceland is generated by hydroelectric plants.

District energy statistics (1993)

District energy systems

Data from: Sverrir Thorhallsson, "Experience in Developing and Utilizing Geothermal Resources in Iceland" Geothermics 17 (1988) 205-223.
Geothermal District Heating Systems
System Established Consumers Capacity Energy sold
Reykjavík 1930 145,000 565 MW 3,200 GWh
Seltjarnarnes 1972 3,700 30 MW 40 GWh
Bessastaðahreppur 1980 700 11 GWh
Mosfellsshreppur 1943 3,600 43 GWh
Kjalarnes 1984 8 GWh
Suðurnes 1975 13,000 125 MW 470 GWh
Akranes og Borg. 1980 6,600 38 MW 86 GWh
Reykhólar 1974 100 1 MW 1 GWh
Hvammstangi 1973 600 19 GWh
Suðeyri 1977 500 7 GWh
Blönduós 1978 1,100 6 MW 20 GWh
Sauðárkrókur 1953 2,400 13 MW 54 GWh
Siglufjörður 1975 1,900 7 MW 23 GWh
Ólafsfjörður 1944 1,200 7 MW 21 GWh
Dalvík 1969 1,400 8 MW 34 GWh
Hrísey 1973 300 6 GWh
Akureyri 1977 12,500 12 MW 218 GWh
Húsavík 1970 2,500 42 GWh
Reykjahlíð 1969 300 1 MW 6 GWh
Egilsstaðir 1979 1,400 23 GWh
Vestmannaeyjar 1976 4,100 14 MW 55 GWh
Rangá 1982 1,100 4 MW 22 GWh
Brautarholt 1979 100 1 GWh
Flúðir (*) 1967 200 19 GWh
Laugarás (*) 100 10 MW 34 MW
Selfoss 1948 3,500 21 MW 60 GWh
Eyrar 1981 1,000 14 GWh
Hvaragerði (*) 1952 1,400 33 GWh
Þorlákshöfn 1979 1,000 21 GWh
Geothermal subtotal 187,400 954 MW 3,586 GWh
Other District Heating Systems
Orkubú Vestfjarða 1979 3,200 32 MW 42 GWh
Seyðisfjörður 1981 800 8 MW 11 GWh
Höfn Hornafirði 1981 1,000 10 MW 15 GWh
Total 191,900 1004 MW 3,654 GWh
(*) Village with greenhouse-farming

District Energy Association

Samorka - Federation of Icelandic Energy and Water Works Sudurlandbraut 48
IS-108 Reykjavík
Iceland

Tel +354 588 4430
Fax +354 588 4431
E-mail: maria@skima.is

Member of:

Nordvärme

Euroheat & Power - unichal

World Wide Web Virtual Library for District Energy

My thanks to Sveinn Thordarson and Pall Bjornnson for contributing materials for this page.

Send corrections, additions, comments to Morris A. Pierce

Last updated 30 October 1996