Integration of decarbonizing energy supply solutions to district heating systems
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School of Engineering |
Master's thesis
Authors
Date
2024-09-06
Department
Major/Subject
Energy Conversion Processes
Mcode
Degree programme
Master's Programme in Advanced Energy Solutions
Language
en
Pages
77
Series
Abstract
Decarbonizing the district heating sector has long been neglected but recently new directives and targets have been set, for instance by the European Union, to increase the share of renewable district heating production. This thesis assessed the technical feasibility and costs of five decarbonizing heat production technologies that could be utilized to reduce CO2 emissions from district heating systems globally. The technical review showed that heat pumps and electric boilers have great potential in decarbonizing the sector, provided that electricity prices decrease as the share of renewable power generation increases. Small modular reactors provide large heating capacity and they are easier to construct due to their smaller size and modular nature. The ability to locate them near large district heating networks reduces heat losses during distribution, which makes them a viable option for district heating production. Solar collectors use an abundant energy source, i.e. solar radiation, to generate heat that can be discharged to the district heating networks. High energy source availability and practically non-existent production costs make solar collectors a competitive alternative for district heating production. Green hydrogen could provide long-term power-to-gas storage and be used to cover peak heating demand of district heating, as long as technical development is achieved. A calculation model was developed in the thesis for comparing cost and CO2 emission reductions of replacing district heating production using natural gas boilers with decarbonizing technologies for two case studies. The results revealed that the replacement with electric boilers or heat pumps was economically profitable and created significant CO2 emission reductions. Competitiveness of electric boilers was achieved by charging them during hours when electricity prices are very low and because their investment costs are moderate. The replacement with heat pumps created more cost savings than electric boilers and their costs were mainly dependent on investment costs.Description
Supervisor
Holmberg, HenrikThesis advisor
Holmberg, HenrikKeywords
district heating, heating sector, CO2 emissions, small modular reactor, solar collector, heat pump, electric boiler, calculation model