These heat-storing floating islands will be home to tropical forests and ecosystems from around the world

 

Hot Heart was developed as part of the Helsinki Energy Challenge organized by the municipality of Helsinki to accelerate the city’s transition towards carbon-neutrality in heating by 2030. The project is also highly adaptable and could be replicated by other cities with similar climatic characteristics pursuing sustainable heating solutions.

Hot Heart is planned to enter the master planning phase this year and projected to be fully implemented in 2028.

A trans-disciplinary team, coordinated by international design and innovation office CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, has
developed the winning proposal for the Helsinki Energy Challenge. Titled Hot Heart, the project is based on an
archipelago of heat-storing basins with the dual function of storing thermal energy and serving as a hub for recreational activities. The “islands” will also be home to tropical forests and ecosystems from around the world, giving the Finnish capital additional public space and a new educational attraction.

“Production of renewable energy is getting cheaper, but storage is still extremely expensive. Our idea is to use the giant ‘thermal batteries’ to store energy when prices are at low or even negative levels, and extract it when required by the district heating system when demand is high. This model would also be applicable to many coastal cities with similar climates,” says Carlo Ratti, founding partner of CRA. “In addition, Hot Heart offers a unique experience, bringing the natural and artificial worlds together. It is inspired by the Finnish concept of Jokamiehen Oikeudet, which could be translated as ‘every person’s right’: the right to reflect and unwind while peacefully enjoying nature.”

Located off the coast of Helsinki, Hot Heart will be the largest infrastructural facility of its kind. The project consists of a set of 10 cylindrical basins, each measuring 225 meters in diameter. They collectively can hold up to 10 million cubic meters of water. The system functions like a giant thermal battery: low- or negative-cost renewable energy is converted into heat, stored in the tanks and withdrawn into the city’s heat distribution channels during the winter.

In addition to its thermal storage properties, Hot Heart doubles as an accessible recreational venue. Four of the 10 hot water reservoirs are enclosed in transparent domes containing the “Floating Forests” – tropical ecosystems from the world’s key rainforest zones naturally heated by the basins underneath. The “Floating Forests” provide visitors with a place to socialize and enjoy the sunlight, even in the harsh Nordic winter, thanks to the use of powerful Sun-like LED Technology. They create a unique public space for local residents and provide an attraction to international travelers.

Hot Heart project is using seawater heat pumps to convert wind, solar and other forms of power into heat, which is stored in Hot Heart’s reservoirs. The system, operated by artificial intelligence, synchronizes the production and consumption of thermal energy, which helps stabilize the national energy grid in relation to fluctuating supply. The whole system is expected to cover the entire heating needs of Helsinki, estimated at 6,000 GWh, by the end of the decade, all without any carbon emissions and at an estimated cost 10% lower than today.

Hot Heart is the latest project to highlight CRA’s vision to improve the urban environment through innovative climate remediation strategies. Similar projects by the studio include Living Nature, a pavilion at the Milan Design Week 2018 that created climate-controlled gardens corresponding to each of the four seasons. Developed in conjunction with the Museum of the Future in Dubai, the 2017 installation Sun&Shade was equipped with a set of sunlight-tracking mirrors that reflected excessive light and heat. The Cloud Cast, presented at the UAE Government Summit 2015, employed motion tracking technology to emit clouds of mists above people to achieve a localized cooling effect.