Consulting on District Heating and Cooling Networks
A district heating and cooling network offers municipalities many advantages. It facilitates the efficient and environmentally friendly use of energy, which in turn serves to reduce carbon emissions. When designing such networks, the focus lies on ensuring the optimal hydraulic and thermodynamic interaction of all the components involved.
To achieve this goal, we have developed a dynamic simulation tool that links together all thermo-hydraulic processes involved. This tool is used in dimensioning all the components and their interaction with the heating network.
A district heating and cooling network offers a cost and energy-efficient means of supplying buildings in the municipality with heating and cooling generated from local resources such as geothermal energy, groundwater, industrial or commercial waste heat, or solar thermal power. The heat or cold generated is transported to the individual buildings via a pipe network.
Heating and cooling networks typically have the following characteristics:
- Low network temperatures (4-30°C) for supplying heat pumps and providing cooling where the temperature level is appropriate
- Seasonal geothermal storage, where heat is stored throughout the year and used as required to ensure a balanced annual thermal load
- Use of local heat sources with low exergy content such as waste heat, solar heat, geothermal resources, and heat from wastewater
- Low carbon emissions and a smaller ecological footprint
All in all, the use of renewables in a district heating and cooling network allows municipalities to supply more sustainable energy and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Furthermore, overall energy demand is reduced as a network operates more efficiently than a series of individual units.
Our service
The NEFI team guides you through the systematic implementation of heating and cooling networks in your municipality:
Step 1: Analysis of the data and framework conditions
In a first step, we determine the available data and framework conditions by means of on-site inspections.
Step 2: Customized plan
Based on our findings, our team works with you to develop a customized plan for a heating and cooling network. This plan is tailored to the specific characteristics of your municipality.
Step 3: Techno-economic evaluation
In this step, we conduct a techno-economic evaluation. We consider the technical options, costs of installation and running costs, and draw up an economic comparison of the various alternatives.
Our aim is to ensure that your heating and cooling network is built on solid foundations. We work closely with you to develop a sustainable and efficient solution for your municipality.