An Analysis of Problems and Trends Relating to the Development of Heat-Supply Systems for Russian Cities

Abstract

Problems associated with the development of heat-supply systems for large- and medium-size cities in Russia are analyzed. To this end, the approved heat-supply schemes of almost forty cities are reviewed and briefly analyzed taking into account their key territorial features. The main features of heat-supply systems for cities are analyzed, including the state of heat networks, excess capacities of sources, parameters of combined heat and power plants operating in the forced generation mode, and also the possibilities of using secondary and renewable energy sources for heat generation. The specific indicators characterizing heat consumption are calculated with taking into account, among other factors, the heating season degree days. The dependences of specific fuel consumption and energy generation efficiency on the climatic parameters, population density, and other factors are considered. For estimating the potential efficiency improvement reserves, consolidated data on the total installed capacity and heat-supply modes in cities are given. The aim of the study was to reveal the key problems and main trends associated with the development of heat-supply systems for cities. Large- and medium-size cities of Russia were distributed into a few typological groups, and their analysis has shown similarity of the problems occurring in them along with possible sets of typical measures and methods for solving them. The effectiveness of heat-supply systems as a whole for some cities depending on the population density and number and in different climatic zones is estimated. It is found that the obtained indicators characterizing the resulting efficiency of heat-supply systems are not directly linked with the fraction of industrial load, population density, and climate. In elaborating the heat-supply schemes, it is proposed to use the energy and environmental effectiveness indicators for revealing the key reserves for sustainable development of the most important life-support infrastructures of cities in Russia’s different climatic zones.