News Archive

District heating part of energy strategy

The Danish municipality of Ringkøbing-Skjern plans to become self-sufficient on a renewable energy supply by 2020. A part of this plan is the transformation of the district heating from natural gas to renewable sources. The goal is to go from 40% to 60% renewable energy sources in the local district heating grid – and with current 50 % the municipality is already halfway. The focus is mainly on integrating wind energy.

Analyses by Aalborg University also show that the share of buildings with district heating connection can be increased from the current 50% to 70% by connecting all homes that are in the district heating area to the grid, and the goal in the municipality’s Energy2020 Strategy is that in 2020 all homes in district heating areas will be connected.

As a part of the plan, the local district heating company Ringkøbing Fjernvarme is installing a gas driven heat pump which will supply 30,000 MWh a year to the heating consumers, about 25% of the total supply, supplementing the current 30,000 m2 solar heating plant and 12 MW electric boiler.

Another part of the plan is to increase energy efficiency in the buildings and reduce the heating demand with 10%.

Potential for heat savings

During a collaboration with Ringkøbing-Skjern, 4DH PhD Fellow Stefan Petrovic from Aalborg University has analysed the potential for heat savings in the muncipality through a highly detailed GIS-based energy atlas and concluded that a reduction of heating demand by 25% can be achieved for less than 1.7 DKK/kWh.

The biggest part of the potential is found around the biggest towns, and heat savings should be done in buildings supplied from oil and natural gas boilers.

The Energy2020 Strategy

Self-sufficiency in renewable energy was approxi¬mately 56.2% in 2015.

The following nine initiatives will increase the current level of renewable energy by approximately 44.2%, bringing Energy2020 to its full objective of 100% in 2020:

Missing redemption of one area will result in higher ambition level
of another.
Follow the heat production here: www.emd.dk/plants/rfvv

Two new projects to support heat planning in the EU

Two new EU supported projects are going to develop tools for planning of heating and cooling. Aalborg University, who is leading both the 4DH Research Centre and the Heat Roadmap Europe project, is involved in both projects.

Read more ...

Electricity, Heat, and Transport to be Merged into a Single Energy System

Europe and Denmark is facing major investments in our energy system. The long-term challenge is to switch to 100 percent renewable energy in a way that society can afford. 17 key energy players are now joining forces to redesign the energy system in a more sustainable direction. Innovation Fund Denmark is investing 2.28 million euro in the project called RE-Invest.

Read more ...

Lowering the heat loss with state-of-the-art pipes

The insulation value is the core focus of 4DH partner LOGSTOR's development of pipe systems for district and community heating. In co-operation with suppliers, the 4DH Research Centre, technological institutes and not least motivated by the customers’ needs, the pre-insulated pipe systems are subject to constant development.

Read more ...

Detailed GIS analyses shows possibilities for heat savings and DH expansion

The heat saving potential in the existing Danish building stock is between 70% and 80% of the existing heating demand. And to achieve a 100% renewable energy system in 2050, this heating demand should be reduced by 25% as a result of heat saving measures, demolition of existing and construction of new buildings, concludes a PhD dissertation by 4DH PhD Fellow Stefan Petrovic at DTU.

District heating and heat savings are especially important for the current as well as for the future Danish energy system, he concluded in the thesis, which he defended in October 2016.

Read more ...