Stakeholder interfaces for excess heat-based urban heat supply— Input from Swedish cases

Abstract

Excess heat is generated from different industrial processes and from urban infrastructure (sewage water, transport, datacentres and buildings). Thirty-five percent of the European energy demand for heating and cooling could be met by excess heat. Today, however, this energy reserve is barely exploited. There are known barriers to excess heat recovery but limited information on stakeholder interactions in the early stages of excess heat collaborations and on successful collaborations. Sweden is world champion in terms of excess heat recovery into district heating systems, and the country has a long tradition in this field (dating back to the 1970 s). By studying two cases, we shed light on success factors in the early stages and in successful collaborations. We identify that the main success factors for excess heat recovery are (i) trust between the collaborating partners, (ii) the involvement of as many stakeholders across the DH (District Heating) value chain as possible (in the decision-making process), (iii) the establishment of joint goals, and (iv) the identification of a business model allowing for a win-win solution that prioritizes excess heat recovery and secures funding for the necessary investments. Excess heat recovery investments have features similar to those of other investments in climate change mitigation, making the success factors relevant to applications beyond the case of excess heat recovery.