IEA District Heating and Cooling (DHC TCP)

District heating and cooling systems are important elements of the Austrian energy system. Currently above 2,000 heating network exist in Austria. Every fourth apartment is heated with district heating – showing an upward trend, especially in urban centers. Besides the large cities Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, St. Pölten, Klagenfurt, Wels etc., many rural, biomass based heating networks exists.

Currently, the heating sector is facing significant challenges. The increasing effectiveness of retrofitting measures in the building sector are resulting in a decreasing room heating demand. Due to the reducing heat sales and the cost structure of the energy carriers in combination with unsecure energy prices, the historic infrastructures are getting uneconomic. As a result, heating networks needs to be further developed by making them more flexible and intelligent. The challenges to heating networks are related to the integration of energy from various sources at different temperature levels, including surplus heat that is currently not used.

The work programme of the DHC TCP is mostly conducted through cost-shared activities. Here, different project are contracted within the runtime of a muliti-year Annex. Institutions of the participating countries can apply for this projects.

In the working phase 2023-2026 (Annex XIV), following projects are funded:

1. InteGradeDH – Large-scale integration of low-grade sources into district heating networks through geothermal seasonal storage and heat pumps
2. FAST DHC (Feasibility Assessment Tool for District Heating and Cooling)
   Beteiligung Österreichs: AIT (Partner)
3. Financial frameworks' impact on district heating
4. RE-PEAK – How to cover peak heat loads in DH networks with renewables?
   Beteiligung Österreichs: EI Linz (Lead)
5. Flexibility and DH value chain (FlexVal) – advanced analysis & compatible pricing
6. HY2HEAT – Using electrolysis waste heat in district heating networks
   Beteiligung Österreichs: EI Linz (Lead) und AIT (Partner)
7. Can a sustainable district heating business model be decisive for future competitiveness?

In the working phase 2020-2023 (Annex XIII), following projects were funded:

1. Leave 2nd generation behind: cost effective solutions for small-to-large scale DH networks
2. MEMPHIS 2.0: Advanced algorithm for spatial identification, evaluation of temporary availability and economic assessment of waste heat sources and their local representation (participation Austria: AIT)
3. Artificial Intelligence for Forecasting of Heat Production and Heat demand and Fault Detection in District Heating Networks
4. Cost Benefit study on the building secondary network for improving DH performance
5. Optimized transition towards low-temperature and low-carbon DH systems (OPTiTRANS)
6. The district heating business model 2050
7. CASCADE: A comprehensive toolbox for integrating low-temperature sub-networks in existing district heating networks (participation Austria: Energieinstitut an der JKU Linz (lead) and AIT)
8. District heating scheme for carbon neutrality in Asia

Since 2012 task-shared Annexes were initiated, beginning with Annex TS1 ("Low Temperature District Heating for Future Energy Systems"). The Annex TS1 finishes end of 2017. For further annex activities see below.

Ongoing Tasks with participation of Austria

FAST DHC (Feasibility Assessment Tool for District Heating and Cooling)
Beteiligung

RE-PEAK – How to cover peak heat loads in DH networks with renewables?
Beteiligung Österreichs

HY2HEAT – Using electrolysis waste heat in district heating networks

Annex TS5 - Integration of Renewable Energy Sources into existing District Heating and Cooling Systems

• type: task-share
• runtime: 2021 – 2024
• Annex TS5 on the DHC-Website

Annex TS7 -Industry-DHC Symbiosis - A systemic approach for highly integrated industrial and thermal energy systems

• type: task-share
• runtime: 2022 – 2023
• Annex TS7 on the DHC-Website

Annex TS8: Experimental investigations of DHC systems

Annex TS9: Digitalisation of District Heating and Cooling

Completed Tasks with participation of Austria

MEMPHIS 2.0: Advanced algorithm for spatial identification, evaluation of temporary availability and economic assessment of waste heat sources and their local representation

CASCADE - A comprehensive toolbox for integrating low-temperature sub-networks in existing district heating networks

• Type: cost-share
• Runtime: 2020 - 2022
• Annex XIII Project 07 on the IEA DHC/CHP Website

Annex TS4 - Digitalisation of District Heating and Cooling

• Type: task-share
• Runtime: 2020 - 2024
• Annex TS4 on the IEA DHC/CHP Website

Annex TS3 - Hybrid Energy Networks: District heating and cooling networks in an integrated energy system context

• Type: task-share
• Runtime: 2017 - 2023
• Annex TS3 on the IEA DHC/CHP Website

MEMPHIS 2.0 - Advanced algorithm for spatial identification, evaluation of temporal availability and economic assessment of waste heat sources and their local representation

• Type: cost-share
• Runtime: 2021 - 2023
• MEMPHIS on the IEA DHC/CHP Website
• MEMPHIS on the HAWK Website

MEMPHIS - Methodology to evaluate and map the potential of waste heat from industry, service sector and sewage water by using internationally available open data

• Type: cost-share
• Runtime: 2017 - 2019
• MEMPHIS on the IEA DHC/CHP Website
• MEMPHIS on the HAWK Website

Annex TS2 - Implementation of Low Temperature District Heating Systems" (successor of Annex TS1)

• Type: task-share
• Runtime: 2017 - 2020
• Annex TS2 on the IEA DHC/CHP Website

All past publications (Annex I – XI) are available on the IEA DHC-CHP website. A registration is required for downloading the reports.

Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Korea, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom

Exco representative

Michael Hübner
Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology
Abteilung Energie- und Umwelttechnologien
Radetzkystraße 2
A-1030 Wien
Tel.: +43 (1) 71162 / 65 2922
Mobile: +43 (664) 88415899
E-Mail: Michael.Huebner@bmk.gv.at

Exco deputy

Dr. Ralf Roman Schmidt
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
Giefinggasse 2
A-1210 Wien
Tel.: +43 (0) 50550-6695
Mobile: +43 (664) 235 19 01
E-Mail: Ralf-Roman.Schmidt@ait.ac.at