A GIS-based Assessment of the District Heating Potential in Europe

Kurzfassung

The scarcity of fossil fuels and the climate impact of their combustion are increasingly pressuring problems. The fundamental approach to both of them is the usage of renewable energy sources, accompanied by higher energy efficiency. Cogeneration in district heating (DH) plants allows for more efficient use of primary energy resources and can thus contribute to the solution. This paper presents an assessment of the possible role of DH in Europe until the year 2030. It is based on a newly developed method that allows for the quantification of country-specific DH potentials for different heat demand levels. It relies on a GIS-based analysis of the heat demand in high spatial resolution, which enables the identification of areas suitable for DH. The results suggest that a doubling of today’s heat deliveries could be achieved, making DH a feasible option for increased energy efficiency in the heating sector. The discussion of the results includes an assessment of potential limitations to DH such as the lack of central heating installations and the high capital costs of the distribution network.