delivering the energy transition: what role for district energy?

Delivering the Energy Transition: What Role for District Energy?

Carsten Petersdorff

11/10/2016

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The Energy System of 2050

The Energy system of 2050 will be the one that:

• emits low/no carbon in 2050

• fits to increasing urbanisation

• is an integrated energy system, fully utilizing flexibilities & storage

capacities

• provides minimal dependencies on fuel imports

• is affordable and supports economic prosperity of the EU.

11/10/2016 Carsten Petersdorff2

© fotolia/anasirkhani © fotolia/vege© fotolia/kwest

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Energy efficiency and low carbon sources are both

needed to meet requirements of the energy system 2050

Strategy

• Strong energy efficiency

measures lead to substantial

energy savings

• Remaining demand will be

still significant

• Increasing share of low-

carbon sources in the supply

mix needed


Space heating in the EU-EE scenario from the Energy

Roadmap 2050 report, the Deep Renovation scenario from

Ecofys in Eurima Renovation Tracks study, and the new

space heating demand assumed in the Heat Road Map

Europe Energy Efficiency (HRE-EE) scenario.

Source: Heat Road Map Europe (2013)

© foto

lia/d

alm

atin.o

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What will the future role of district heating look like?

• How will DH&C develop

together with strong

reduction of demands in the

buildings?

• What is the role of DH&C in

delivering the RES solutions

for high density city areas

and villages?

• How would DH&C contribute

as an integral part of energy

system?

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Installation of transmission pipelines in Copenhagen

Source: http://dbdh.dk/district-heating-history/

4

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Diverse DH&C markets in the current situation


• Northern Europe: e.g. Denmark,

Sweden; front runner, more than

50% of the citizens of the Northern

countries in the EU are served by DH

• Central & Eastern Europe: long

tradition, fossil-fuel based, change

needed to become low carbon

• Western Europe: e.g. UK, France,

Netherlands, quite low market

penetration, detailed plans to start

extending existing grids and

constructing new networks

• In general change to low carbon

systems is needed

European Cities with DH&C systems

Source: Heat Roadmap Europe Study (2013)

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Learnings from Case Studies: coupling energy efficient

buildings with modern DH&C networks


Source: IREN Group (2014)

https://setis.ec.europa.eu/system/files/Heat%20stora

ge%20and%20hydroelectric%20storage%20-

%20CLARA.pdf

Case study – Torino, Italy

• Continued connection of renovated

buildings into the existing DH network

as it is the most convenient solution

from end user perspective.

• DH provider adjusts to the changing

market (decrease in heat demand) by

shifting focus to providing additional

services to customers.

• DH is seen as the only option to bring

in renewables into the dense city

landscape.

© ECOFYS | |

Source: http://www.pyblik.brussels/

New developmentSynergiesHeat NetworkCHP

Learnings from Case Studies: coupling energy efficient

buildings with modern DH&C networks (continued)


Case study – Nieuw Zuid, Antwerp, Belgium

• Successful integration of very low energy

buildings to a newly developed DH network.

• DH provided by its versatility in the supply

mix which can be designed and changed

according to long term plans of the region.

• Strong involvement of city authorities,

driven by its ambitions with respect to DH.

City executed feasibility studies, took the

decision about the energy standards and

about the heating technology (DHC instead

of a gas network).

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District Cooling


Source: http://www.euroheat.org

Case study – Copenhagen, Denmark

• An example of well-established district

cooling network with existing and new

energy efficient building.

• Often district cooling is the only

method that can support requirements

within building regulations.

District Cooling

• Currently, cooling is mainly produced by electricity-driven compression chillers-

costs are hidden in the electricity bill.

• Space cooling demands are expected to rise towards 2050.

• District cooling has high potential in combination with efficient buildings as lower

individual loads balance the higher flow rate and allow for the connection of more

buildings.

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DH&C networks have high potential to scale and thus

utilize renewable and recoverable energy sources

> Renewable sources

• Geothermal

• Solar thermal

• Biomass

> Recoverable sources

• Industry surplus heat

• Low temperature surplus

heat

• Thermal processing of

waste

> Changing role of fossil fuels

• Fossil fuel boilers

• Cogeneration


Marstal solar thermal

district heating network

Source: euroheat.org

Source: http://geothermalcommunities.eu/

Leeds incinerator plant

feeding into district heating network

Source: euroheat.org

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DH&C offers a great potential to link electricity market

with heat (and fuel) markets


Increasing need for integration of energy networks:

● Thermal storages required to optimise the performance of heat networks;

● Flexibility can be increased via utilising resource diversity for heat sources;

● Flexibility via integration of heat networks with electricity grids

Source: International Energy Agency (IEA) (2014) Linking Heat and Electricity Systems

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Conclusions


• EU Energy & Climate goals require deep and cost effective emission

reductions towards 2050

• Transformation of building stock with substantially decreased demand is a

key requirement. However, there will be substantial heat demand in future.

• The heat delivery services need to be adopted to enable greater share of

renewable and recoverable heat energy sources into an integrated urban

energy system. DH&C networks proves to be promising solution

• DH&C serve as flexible tools to bridge electrical and thermal energy systems,

which will play an increasingly important role in achieving integrated,

sustainable energy networks in the future

• The development of modern district heating systems in urban areas has a

significant potential to contribute to integrated energy solutions

© ECOFYS | |

Thank you

For more information, please contact:

> Carsten Petersdorff

Managing Partner

Urban Energy

Ecofys

E: [email protected]

I: ecofys.com


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.ecofys.com/en/experts/petersdorff/

delivering the energy transition: what role for district energy?

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