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Cost and Benefits of Shifting Towards Low Temperature District Heating Networks – Energy Planning Approach

Decarbonisation of energy systems became main goal in recent years. One of solutions to reduce fuel consumption and thus reduce CO2 emissions is shift from high temperature district heating networks (HTDHN) to low and ultra-low temperature district heating networks (LTDHN ; ULTDHN). Low operating temperatures, low temperature energy sources and low heat losses are main characteristics of these networks. These low temperatures allow utilization of excess heat, solar energy, water etc. The purpose of this paper is to analyse all network improvements that need to be done in order to shift HTDHN to LTDHN or ULTDHN. Implementation of heat pumps, new network layouts and improved consumer substation are one of them. Also, heated object needs to be more energy efficient to allow use of low temperatures sources. This means that space heating has lower temperatures, around 40 °C, while domestic hot water has temperatures higher than 60 °C in order to avoid Legionella (if no new technologies for avoiding Legionella are implemented). Furthermore, all changes of heat demand, heat losses and utilization of CHP plants are evaluated. Results have shown that by lowering network temperatures heat losses and heat demand are also lowered. All these changes results in desirable network characteristics. Only high investment costs, required for this transformation, can postpone further implementation of these networks, but new discoveries in this field will lower them in near future.

energy planning ; low temperature district heating ; heat loss ; heat demand ; heat pumps

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