SAMSØ
The Energy Academy opened in 2007 and is built by local craftsmen. The house is a demonstration and meeting place for local citizens, guests and visitors with an interest in sustainable energy, community power and sustainable development. The Academy is also an organization working on many different projects related to the continuous development of Samsø and on Samsø becoming a fossil free island by 2030.
Samsø and the sea around the island invite you to a wonderful mix of deep relaxation in quiet surroundings and wonderful holiday activities. The beaches range from wide child-friendly beaches with shallow water to the slightly deeper, and other places more rocky beaches where, in turn, there are good fishing opportunities. Everywhere the water is crystal clear and the long stretch of coast means the beaches are never crowded.
Samsø has a size of 114 square kilometers, and in this area there is an indescribably beautiful and very varied nature, which offers many experiences and opportunities for activities. The landscape and the short distances make Samsø ideal for cycling holidays.
In 1997, Samsø was named Denmark’s Renewable Energy Island
At the appointment, the goal was to make Samsø self-sufficient with renewable energy and create a demonstration window for the approved technologies of the time.
Samsø is full of old, idyllic farmhouses. However, the Energy Academy’s modern long houses show that time has not stopped. The island is in vogue with new heat pumps, flax insulation and energy solutions that lurk in the bank account.
“At Samsø, we say we need to squeeze the cold so that the heat stays in for as long as possible!”, Jan Jantzen from the Energy Academy says.
The exterior aesthetic of the Academy of Energy may seem cool in its overall expression. The long zinc roofs are joined by four gables, which lift up like smart chimneys. It is a low-tech solution for natural ventilation because the heat always rises upwards.
The buildings do not have stoves or oil stoves, but are connected to the locally owned, straw-fired district heating plant, located just outside Ballen town. In addition, the buildings have a beautiful, lead-gray surface, which has two photovoltaic systems that supply the site with electricity.