Session 7District heating and cooling

District heating and cooling systems involve the distribution of heat and cooling from a central source to multiple buildings via a network of underground pipes.These pipe systems are connected to one source of heating or cooling, which reduces emissions and efficiency, as only one heat or cooling source needs to run effectively to heat multiple homes (rather than each home having their own).

In some parts of Europe district heating and cooling systems have remained a key part of the local energy infrastructure, in other places, district heating and cooling is being explored afresh.

The International Energy Agency considers district heating and cooling systems to be an integral part of decarbonising the way we heat or cool our homes. It can also be a way to solve energy storage issues, which you can find out more about by listening to the presentation from Professor Victoria Martin below. Such systems are a cost-effective way to reduce carbon emissions and enable local authorities to play a more active role in the delivery of local energy, enabling decarbonising solutions to not fall on the shoulders of individual households.

When infrastructure is shared, it can also be much easier (and cheaper) to transition to renewable energy sources. For example, in some countries, homes have individual gas boilers - which means moving to a renewable heat source, such as a ground or air heat pump, will cost the household a huge amount of money. In comparison, an area that has district heating powered by a coal incinerator, can easily move to a new form of heat generation, impacting many homes rather than one at a time.

With regards to who can take part in creating new district heating infrastructure, a local authority is best placed, as they have access to municipal building assets and council run properties. Nevertheless, local citizens can group together to form an energy community to create local district heating and/or cooling projects.

In this section, we’re going to consider innovations that enable low energy use, such as reusing industrial and household heat outputs for district heating.