Economic benefits of fourth generation district heating

Averfalk, Helge; Werner, Sven

doi:10.1016/j.energy.2019.116727

Cited by 88 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Moreover, other important aspects are the integration of district heating technology to smart energy systems and the provision of suitable planning, cost, and management functions associated with its transformation into a future sustainable energy system. The 4th generation DH concept provides the development of CHP systems with the utilization of renewable energy sources such as biomass, solar thermal energy, geothermal sources, and more [49,50]. Fourth-generation district heating is able to provide low-temperature systems with supply temperatures below 50-60 • C along with significantly smaller pipe dimensions and improved insulation.…”

Section: District Heating Generationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smart Asset Management for District Heating Systems in the Baltic Sea Region

et al. 2021

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The purpose of this review is to provide insight and a comparison of the current status of district heating (DH) systems for selected Baltic Sea countries (Denmark, Germany, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden), especially from viewpoints of application and solutions of novel smart asset management (SAM) approaches. Furthermore, this paper considers European projects ongoing from 2016, involving participants from the Baltic Sea Region, concerning various aspects of DH systems. The review presents the energy sources with particular attention to renewable energy sources (RES), district heating generations, and the exploitation problems of DH systems. The essential point is a comparison of traditional maintenance systems versus SAM solutions for optimal design, operating conditions, and controlling of the DH networks. The main conclusions regarding DH systems in Baltic Sea countries are commitment towards a transition to 4th generation DH, raising the quality and efficiency of heat supply systems, and simultaneously minimizing the costs. The overall trends show that applied technologies aim to increase the share of renewable energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, examples presented in this review underline the importance of the implementation of a smart asset management concept to modern DH systems.

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Section: District Heating Generationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smart Asset Management for District Heating Systems in the Baltic Sea Region

et al. 2021

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“…Another argument to support this approach is that a lower heat distribution loss constitutes a minor component of the total cost reductions, while the highest cost benefits are related to lower energy supply costs from geothermal heat, surplus industrial heat and heat pumps. [152]. The ability of a system to use reduced flow temperature has an impact on the efficiency of the heat source and, by consequence, on energy decarbonisation targets.…”

Section: Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges for the Transition to Low-Temperature Heat in the UK: A Review

2021

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To reach net-zero emissions by 2050, buildings in the UK need to replace natural gas boilers with heat pumps and district heating. These technologies are efficient at reduced flow/return temperatures, typically 55/25 °C, while traditional heating systems are designed for 82/71 °C, and an oversized heating system can help this temperature transition. This paper reviews how heating systems have been sized over time in the UK and the degree of oversizing in existing buildings. It also reviews if lessons from other countries can be applied to the UK’s building stock. The results show that methods to size a heating system have not changed over time, but the modern level of comfort, the retrofit history of buildings and the use of margin lead to the heating system being generally oversized. It is not possible to identify a specific trend by age, use or archetype. Buildings in Scandinavia have a nascent readiness for low-temperature heat as they can use it for most of the year without retrofit. Limitations come primarily from the faults and malfunctions of such systems. In the UK, it is estimated that 10% of domestic buildings would be ready for a supply temperature of 55 °C during extreme external conditions and more buildings at part-load operation. Lessons from Scandinavia should be considered with caution. The building stock in the UK generally underperforms compared to other EU buildings, with heating systems in the UK operating at higher temperatures and with night set-back; the importance of providing a low-return temperature does not exist in the UK despite being beneficial for condensing boiler operation. Sweden and Denmark started to develop district heating technologies with limitations to supply temperatures some 40 years ago whereas the UK is only just starting to consider similar measures in 2021. Recommendations for policy makers in this context have been drawn from this review in the conclusions.

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“…The 4GDH concept has addressed this question [3,8]. The technical solution is to lower distribution temperatures with forward/return temperatures reduced to around 55/40 • C. Lower distribution temperatures allows access to larger amounts of waste heat from industries, increases the efficiencies of renewable heat sources, and increases the coefficient of performance (COP) of large-scale heat pumps when converting renewable-based electricity to heat [9,40,41]. The third element makes it possible for the district heating sector to balance the fluctuations from wind and solar electricity generation and provide access to large-scale heat storage units [42,43].…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

District Heating Tariffs, Economic Optimisation and Local Strategies during Radical Technological Change

et al. 2020

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This paper addresses economic aspects of heat savings in the context of strategic heat planning. The analysis uses the city of Aalborg, Denmark, as a case where municipalisation through a recent acquisition of a coal-fired cogeneration of heat and power (CHP) plant has made an update of a municipal strategic energy plan necessary. Combining datasets on buildings and insulation techniques with economic methods, we investigate how the local district heating tariff can be adapted to improve the conditions for heat savings and support the transition to lower supply temperatures in line with the requirements of future fourth generation district heating systems. The paper concludes that implementing a fully variable heat tariff scheme improves the financial incentive for heat savings, while also making the system development less vulnerable to fluctuations and shortages in capital markets. The paper supplements existing literature on heat savings with novelty in its approach and in its systematic investigation of the interplay between tariff policies and interest rates.

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Economic benefits of fourth generation district heating

Cited by 88 publications

References 27 publications

Smart Asset Management for District Heating Systems in the Baltic Sea Region

Smart Asset Management for District Heating Systems in the Baltic Sea Region

Challenges for the Transition to Low-Temperature Heat in the UK: A Review

District Heating Tariffs, Economic Optimisation and Local Strategies during Radical Technological Change

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