{"id":1693,"date":"2021-01-26T13:24:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T11:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ibs.ee\/?p=1693"},"modified":"2022-02-07T15:42:34","modified_gmt":"2022-02-07T13:42:34","slug":"the-related-project-a-holistic-approach-to-district-heating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibs.ee\/en\/the-related-project-a-holistic-approach-to-district-heating\/","title":{"rendered":"The RELaTED project \u2013 A Holistic Approach to District Heating"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I think of district heating, I can\u2019t help but think of the natural world \u2013 specifically ant colonies. Besides the obvious similarities between ant colonies and cities (busy little insects going about their daily lives), ant colonies also have their own infrastructure to regulate heat; much like district heating (DH) systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
We don\u2019t have the rights to a picture of Sir David Attenborough, so here is his brother, the Right Honourable Lord Richard Attenborough<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

*READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPGH AND IMAGINE SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH IS NARRATING THE TEXT IN HIS REGAL VOICE* Formica rufa <\/em>ants, which are common to Europe, live in giant earth mounds built from foliage, dirt, pine needles, etc. To regulate the internal temperature, the ants will construct ventilation shafts that allow heat to escape on warm days or close the shafts during the winter to prevent heat from escaping. Ants themselves can act as a heat source, where sunbathing ants will collect heat energy and re-enter the nest providing heat to the colony. In short, ants have developed a perfectly efficient heating system; unfortunately, this is not the case for human district heating systems. *END OF SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH NARRATION*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

District heating networks in cities are organized in a hierarchical way, with a central heat production plant supplying heat to the buildings \u2013 residential and non-residential \u2013 within the network. The efficiency of district heating networks derives from the proximity of the heat production plant to the customers. In this context, the customers are referred to as \u201ccentres of high heat demand density\u201d, so where there is a high heat demand density \u2013 i.e., a dense urban area \u2013 the heat plant can maximize the number of customers served from a single heat plant[1]<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several challenges exist which boils down to; (1) a need for more renewable energy sources in DH networks; (2) DH should be cheaper than competing technologies to make it economically feasible; (3) DH needs to be more efficient. Addressing these needs, the RELaTED project<\/a> \u2013 a consortium of partners from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Spain, and Sweden \u2013 provides an innovative concept of decentralized Ultra-Low Temperature<\/strong> district heating (ULTDH) networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point, the reader may be wondering how LOWERING the temperature for a HEATING network is going to solve our problems. But ULTDH has the potential to achieve ant colony level efficiency, here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increased efficiency: <\/strong>Lowering the supply temperature in DH networks to an operational temperature of 45o <\/sup>C or below will reduce the heat loss from distribution (If the supply temperature is closer to ground\/air temperature, it will lose less heat).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost savings: <\/strong>Making the heating system more efficient means that heat plants are meeting the demand for heat with less energy, which saves on fuel costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Integration of other low-temperature heat sources: <\/strong>By lowering the heat supply temperature, low temperature (and low cost) heat sources can be integrated into the DH network. So instead of one heating plant providing all the heat, other heat sources, like solar thermal and waste heat, can be added to the DH network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low-temperature district heating is not enough to achieve a cheaper and more efficient heating system, technological innovations are also needed to reap the benefits of lower supply temperatures. To do this, RELaTED will adapt several market-available technologies for better integration into the ULTDH concept to maximize its operational potential. These technologies include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In Tartu, the RELaTED concept is being tested on the TARKON-TUGLASE DH network which includes 54 customers. A summary of the main activities for Tartu is included below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n