Implementing prosumers into heating networks

Abstract

This article investigates possibilities for including prosumer structures in heating networks. Therefore, the performance of three different heating system scenarios for a new housing district is investigated. Low (60 °C) and ultra-low (20 °C) network temperatures are investigated. The case study includes about 100 different single-family and multi-family houses. Two scenarios contain networks with temperatures of 20 and 60 °C. The third scenario is extended with solar collectors and a supermarket as decentralised prosumers who supply heat to the network in times of surplus. The network can simulate bidirectional flows. Based on the principles of graph theory, a combined hydraulic and thermal model is developed and used for this study. The results show a heat loss reduction in ultra-low temperature networks due to lower network working temperatures (20 °C) of about 80% compared to a low-temperature network. The implementation of prosumers considerably reduces the demand from a central heat source. In this study, 20% of the total heating demand can be covered by excess heat of the prosumer supply.