district heating network

A Slovenian research group has proposed using a heat pump booster instead of vapor compression technologies in low-temperature district-heating substations and has found that this combination may raise the supply-water temperature from around 32 C to 42 C. In the proposed system configuration ten single-stage Peltier modules were used, each with a maximum cooling power of 165 W and a maximum electric power of 289.2 W.

Researchers in Finland say that decentralized heat pumps could provide significant cost savings when selling surplus heat into district networks. However, they warned that capital expenditure remains high.

The system will provide district heating to the city of Kankaanpää in western Finland. It has 100 kW of heating power and 8 MWh of energy capacity.

A group of scientists and companies in the Netherlands has tested a PVT heating concept in a green district and has found that the proposed design, which is also based on underground storage and the use of heat pumps, is technically and economically feasible.