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Dear Reader,
For the 46th issue of our heatbeat Research Newsletter, we take a broader look at the European energy market with a focus on district heating. We present two new articles on this topic. The energy market within European countries can differ a lot in terms of their carbon footprint of the energy mix and thus also impact the carbon footprint of the district heating networks within the countries. Our first paper analyzes the different decarbonization strategies for different European countries. Nevertheless, the energy market in Europe is not restricted to their country boundaries and therefore, a look on the European energy market as one is recommended for future scenarios. The second paper focuses on the integration of district heating networks in energy modelling of the whole European energy market.
The paper, "Strategies for Decarbonizing European District Heating: Evaluation of Their Effectiveness in Sweden, France, Germany, and Poland" by Malcher et. al. explores the challenges and potential strategies for reducing carbon emissions in district heating systems across four European countries. District heating systems, which supply heat from a central source to residential and commercial buildings, are crucial for energy efficiency but face challenges due to their reliance on fossil fuels, high operating temperatures, and significant distribution losses. The study aims to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of various decarbonization strategies to help these systems align with Europe's climate goals.
The research identifies several key strategies for decarbonizing district heating systems:
The study finds that the effectiveness of these strategies varies significantly by country, depending largely on the existing energy mix and the carbon intensity of the power and heating sectors. In Germany for example, where the power generation relies heavily on the fossil fuel, the most beneficial strategies focus in reducing the distribution losses and decreasing the heat demand.
The findings suggest that policy measures should be tailored to the specific conditions of each country. In Germany, the focus should be on reducing heat demand and distribution losses, rather than heavily investing in technologies like electric boilers, which may not yield significant emission reductions given the current energy mix.
The study underscores the importance of context-specific strategies for decarbonizing district heating systems. In Germany, where the carbon intensity of power generation is relatively high, focusing on reducing distribution losses and heat demand is now more effective than simply expanding the use of technologies like heat pumps. These insights are crucial for policymakers and industry stakeholders to prioritize investments and policy measures that align with both national circumstances and broader climate objectives.
The second research paper "Integrating District Heating Potentials into European Energy System Modelling : An assessment of cost advantages of renewable and excess heat" by Billerbeck et. al. examines the potential role of district heating technologies in achieving a climate-neutral European energy system by 2050. It introduces a novel approach using the ENERTILE model, which optimizes investments and dispatch for district heating, electricity, and hydrogen by considering the diverse resource availability across Europe.
The study evaluates ten scenarios, focusing on either high-temperature (HT) or low-temperature (LT) district heating networks. This distinction allows for a more accurate representation of regional resource availability and technological feasibility. A major finding is the significant role heat pumps are expected to play in the future district heating generation mix. In all scenarios, heat pumps, especially those utilizing air, river, lake, and wastewater sources, dominate the generation mix due to their low costs and flexibility in supporting the power sector.
Low-temperature district heating networks offer several advantages, such as increased generation potentials and improved efficiencies for heat pumps. However, transitioning to lower grid temperatures may require substantial investments in infrastructure and building modifications. The paper underscores the need to optimize grid temperatures to balance efficiency gains against infrastructure costs
While the technology mix for district heating has a limited impact on total European energy system costs, scenarios with higher shares of heat pumps, geothermal energy, and industrial excess heat are found to be more cost-effective. Geothermal energy, in particular, offers significant cost benefits within district heating, despite its minimal impact on overall system costs.
The study suggests further research to refine district heating modeling in integrated energy systems, focusing on optimal grid temperature levels and exploring diverse technology options. This work provides essential insights into the regional potential and economic viability of various district heating technologies, contributing to the development of sustainable energy systems.
As always, we recommend reading the articles in full. From both articles it can be deduced that decarbonization strategies needs to be individual for different European countries and we need to look at a whole scope of all countries with all district heating networks to analyze future paths for our decarbonization strategies.
The next issue of our newsletter will be published on September 4, 2024.