Lanterna Rally

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Published: 2023

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789268003008

Heating and cooling consume half of the EU's energy. Today, the majority of heating and cooling is still generated from fossil fuels and almost all of the waste heat produced in the EU is currently not used. The IEA finds in its 2020 report on heating that the decarbonisation of the sector is not on track (https://www.iea.org/reports/heating). In order to fulfil the EU's climate and energy goals, the heating and cooling sector must not only urgently become more efficient, but carbon-neutral by using 100% renewable sources and waste heat. District Heating and Cooling (DHC) is a proven solution for delivering heating, hot water and cooling services through a network of insulated pipes, from a central point of generation to the end user. They are suited to feed in locally available, renewable and low-carbon energy sources, such as solar thermal and geothermal heat, waste heat from industry and commercial buildings, heat from combined heat and power plants. The ability to integrate diverse energy sources means customers are not dependent upon a single source of supply. District energy networks are inherently diverse and variable in terms of size and load; while employing similar operating principles, each network develops according to specific local circumstances and adapts to continuous innovation. Heat networks are based on economies of scale, as the generation of heat in one large plant can often be more efficient than production in multiple smaller ones.