Periodic Reporting for period 3 - REWARDHeat (Renewable and Waste Heat Recovery for Competitive District Heating and Cooling Networks)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-04-01 do 2024-09-30
Low-temperature district heating and cooling (DHC) networks offer transformative benefits by utilizing low-grade renewable and waste heat sources readily available in urban environments. These sources include seawater and underground water, industrial cooling processes, and building space cooling systems. REWARDHeat has redefined the concept of thermal energy, transitioning it from a traditional commodity to a comprehensive service that delivers customers efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable energy solutions.
The REWARDHeat project successfully met its core objectives, driving innovation and impact across several key areas. By integrating urban renewable and waste energy, the project developed methodologies and tools to evaluate and design networks that incorporate diverse energy sources. These demonstrated the potential for large-scale sustainable energy reuse, significantly reducing environmental impact.
REWARDHeat also spearheaded the development of cutting-edge technologies to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of DHC networks. These advancements optimized energy use, ensuring adaptability to varying demands.
Furthermore, the project embraced digitalization, showcasing innovative solutions for real-time network monitoring and advanced model-based controls. This digital approach will revolutionise DHC network management, improving system performance and reliability.
In parallel, the project addressed economic sustainability by creating robust business models and financial strategies to attract investments. These frameworks have the potential to pave the way for widespread adoption and deployment of DHC networks, fostering public and private sector collaboration.
The REWARDHeat project successfully met its core objectives, driving innovation and impact across several key areas. By integrating urban renewable and waste energy, the project developed methodologies and tools to evaluate and design networks that incorporate diverse energy sources. These demonstrated the potential for large-scale sustainable energy reuse, significantly reducing environmental impact.
REWARDHeat also spearheaded the development of cutting-edge technologies to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of DHC networks. These advancements optimized energy use, ensuring adaptability to varying demands.
Furthermore, the project embraced digitalization, showcasing innovative solutions for real-time network monitoring and advanced model-based controls. This digital approach will revolutionise DHC network management, improving system performance and reliability.
In parallel, the project addressed economic sustainability by creating robust business models and financial strategies to attract investments. These frameworks have the potential to pave the way for widespread adoption and deployment of DHC networks, fostering public and private sector collaboration.
One major accomplishment was the spatial and energy analysis of urban heat sources across the EU and neighboring countries, culminating in a comprehensive mapping of renewable and waste heat potentials. This effort resulted in the REWARDHeat Planning Schemes Handbook and the development of the REWARDHeat Predesign Tool. This tool enables stakeholders to design efficient networks tailored to specific urban contexts, marking a significant milestone for the project.
Innovative technologies were another highlight of the project. These included prefabricated, heat pump-driven substations and easy-to-install, durable pipelines designed specifically for low-temperature DHC networks. Seasonal storage solutions were explored, with successful implementations such as borehole fields and a mine-well. These developments were supported by robust analyses of design, operation, and management criteria, ensuring optimized performance in various contexts.
Digitalization played a critical role, with the creation of a data mining tool featuring advanced graphical interfaces, KPI calculations, and load prediction algorithms. Model-predictive control algorithms and digital twins were also developed to optimize network operations. Additionally, fault detection models were validated through laboratory testing, showcasing their potential for real-world applications.
Demonstration activities were pivotal, with the setup and monitoring of eight demonstration sites. Detailed reports on installations, monitoring data, and lessons learned were published, highlighting the practical applications and benefits of the developed technologies.
The project also addressed the challenge of scaling up low- and neutral-temperature networks. Business models were developed to analyze green value, servicification, and contracting strategies, facilitating a circularity assessment of project demonstrators. Investor engagement was actively pursued through dedicated workshops, leading to scientific publications that detail the findings and financing mechanisms needed to support widespread adoption.
To ensure the project's long-term impact, a comprehensive roadmap was created to promote the tested solutions, supported by replication plans and strategies for property definition and exploitation. Feasibility studies explored hybrid low- and high-temperature networks, while impact assessments evaluated the scalability and environmental benefits of the technologies. A revised Position Paper provided actionable recommendations for policymakers, emphasizing the transformative potential of these innovations.
The project also prioritized dissemination and communication, engaging stakeholders through a dedicated website, newsletters, and participation in international conferences. Peer-reviewed publications and the launch of the REWARDHeat Serious Game and educational kit further extended the project's outreach, enabling interactive exploration of DHC solutions.
Innovative technologies were another highlight of the project. These included prefabricated, heat pump-driven substations and easy-to-install, durable pipelines designed specifically for low-temperature DHC networks. Seasonal storage solutions were explored, with successful implementations such as borehole fields and a mine-well. These developments were supported by robust analyses of design, operation, and management criteria, ensuring optimized performance in various contexts.
Digitalization played a critical role, with the creation of a data mining tool featuring advanced graphical interfaces, KPI calculations, and load prediction algorithms. Model-predictive control algorithms and digital twins were also developed to optimize network operations. Additionally, fault detection models were validated through laboratory testing, showcasing their potential for real-world applications.
Demonstration activities were pivotal, with the setup and monitoring of eight demonstration sites. Detailed reports on installations, monitoring data, and lessons learned were published, highlighting the practical applications and benefits of the developed technologies.
The project also addressed the challenge of scaling up low- and neutral-temperature networks. Business models were developed to analyze green value, servicification, and contracting strategies, facilitating a circularity assessment of project demonstrators. Investor engagement was actively pursued through dedicated workshops, leading to scientific publications that detail the findings and financing mechanisms needed to support widespread adoption.
To ensure the project's long-term impact, a comprehensive roadmap was created to promote the tested solutions, supported by replication plans and strategies for property definition and exploitation. Feasibility studies explored hybrid low- and high-temperature networks, while impact assessments evaluated the scalability and environmental benefits of the technologies. A revised Position Paper provided actionable recommendations for policymakers, emphasizing the transformative potential of these innovations.
The project also prioritized dissemination and communication, engaging stakeholders through a dedicated website, newsletters, and participation in international conferences. Peer-reviewed publications and the launch of the REWARDHeat Serious Game and educational kit further extended the project's outreach, enabling interactive exploration of DHC solutions.
The REWARDHeat project achieved significant milestones in advancing the district heating and cooling sector.
By harvesting locally sourced renewable and waste energy and supplementing it with imports from decarbonized grids, the project achieved an annual delivery of approximately 29 GWh of renewable energy for heating and cooling, leading to the avoidance of nearly 23 GWh of non-renewable primary energy consumption and reducing CO2 emissions by about 6,300 tons annually. This represents reductions of 55% to 70% in primary energy use and 60% to 98% in CO2 emissions across the sites compared to conventional systems. Additional contributions to urban air quality included yearly reductions of 5,200 kg of NOx, 38 kg of SOx, and 54 kg each of PM10 and PM2.5.
The project also delivered substantial socio-economic impact, including mapping urban renewable and waste heat sources, developing a predesign tool, crafting business models and financing schemes that emphasize green value and economic viability to reduce technical and investment risks. REWARDHeat further validated innovative technologies, enhancing the competitiveness and innovation capacity of SMEs and industries involved.
To overcome non-technical barriers, the project engaged stakeholders through workshops, conferences, and direct dialogues, and published a policy position paper with actionable recommendations for advancing low-temperature DHC systems.
In its commitment to fostering expertise, REWARDHeat involved nearly 100 individuals, including 26 newly employed researchers and professionals.
By harvesting locally sourced renewable and waste energy and supplementing it with imports from decarbonized grids, the project achieved an annual delivery of approximately 29 GWh of renewable energy for heating and cooling, leading to the avoidance of nearly 23 GWh of non-renewable primary energy consumption and reducing CO2 emissions by about 6,300 tons annually. This represents reductions of 55% to 70% in primary energy use and 60% to 98% in CO2 emissions across the sites compared to conventional systems. Additional contributions to urban air quality included yearly reductions of 5,200 kg of NOx, 38 kg of SOx, and 54 kg each of PM10 and PM2.5.
The project also delivered substantial socio-economic impact, including mapping urban renewable and waste heat sources, developing a predesign tool, crafting business models and financing schemes that emphasize green value and economic viability to reduce technical and investment risks. REWARDHeat further validated innovative technologies, enhancing the competitiveness and innovation capacity of SMEs and industries involved.
To overcome non-technical barriers, the project engaged stakeholders through workshops, conferences, and direct dialogues, and published a policy position paper with actionable recommendations for advancing low-temperature DHC systems.
In its commitment to fostering expertise, REWARDHeat involved nearly 100 individuals, including 26 newly employed researchers and professionals.