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Solar water heating for aquaculture applications in cold climates: A case study of Finland

Abstract:

The technical and economic challenges associated with using solar thermal systems for heating water in large-scale aquaculture applications in a cold climate country are addressed in this paper. Policies of using solar thermal heating for large aquaculture farms and corresponding reduction of CO2 emissions are presented for a case study in Finland. The design characteristics of the farm are based on the Danish recirculation aquaculture system (RAS). The characteristics of the original system are reconstructed to adopt an arrangement of glazed solar collectors to supply a fraction of the heating demand. The optimum mix of solar fraction and electric energy fraction is chosen based on the economic feasibility, with corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions. National policies, such as increasing grants on capital costs and reducing the interest rate for solar thermal projects, are proposed to provide a more attractive return and lower risk to private fish farm investors in Finland.