Heat grids
Tomorrow's heat networks will no longer be just about individual buildings. In urban areas and around available heat sources, smart coupling and coordination of providers and consumers is increasingly being sought. Ingenium has been building expertise on (large-scale) heat networks for many years. We do this at campus, district, municipal and city level.
In a heat grid, a renewable heat source provides the heat demand, which can be spread over a wide area. We look for a match between a heat supply (for example, waste heat from industrial processes or waste incineration, cogeneration or heat pumps) and a heat demand on a local scale or on a city or regional scale. In doing so, we take into account the available, necessary and desired temperature levels, and we look at technical-financial feasibility.
Analyses range from a quick scan on a strategic vision or master plan study to a robust cost-benefit analysis. A business model with a division of roles is then drawn up, balancing the benefits for the heat producer, the investor and the end user. Route studies then determine the most economical way to link heat supply and demand according to a logical phasing. Our expertise in dealing with above-ground and underground infrastructure comes in handy here. The heat network is then detailed and dimensioned, and finally we supervise the installation. Throughout the process, we also provide advice on regulations, including the very specific epb standards as an important factor.
Source energy systems bring together the worlds of heat and electricity. This involves connecting a number of heat pumps and chillers to a very low-temperature grid. The advantage here is that ambient energy can also be utilized at a very low temperature, such as heat from the ground, waste heat from data centers, rivers and even wastewater. The heat grid then becomes a "source grid" that combines various heat sources.
For large-scale energy systems to succeed, non-technical aspects such as bringing the necessary stakeholders together in a local heat coalition and convincing potential heat users play a particularly important role. We are therefore very happy to share our expertise in this regard.
By working with partners from the international First Q Network, we remain permanently on the pulse of the rapid evolutions in district heating and smart grids engineering in Europe, both technically and in terms of regulations that are becoming increasingly complex.
Also bitten by
smart technology?
Join us to push boundaries and help make a difference in our industry-leading projects.