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The Innovative Concept of Cold District Heating Networks: A Literature Review

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  • Marco Pellegrini

    (Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), University of Bologna, Via Fontanelle 40, 47121 Forlì, Italy)

  • Augusto Bianchini

    (Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), University of Bologna, Via Fontanelle 40, 47121 Forlì, Italy)

Abstract

The development of sustainable and innovative solutions for the production and supply of energy at district level is nowadays one of the main technical challenges. In the past, district heating and cooling networks aimed to achieve greater energy efficiency through the centralization of the energy production process but with relevant losses related to heat transport. Moving towards a higher share of renewables and lower demand of primary energy requires redesign of the energy district networks. The novel concept of cold district heating networks aims to combine the advantages of a centralized energy distribution system with low heat losses in energy supply. This combined effect is achieved through the centralized supply of water at relatively low temperatures (in the range 10–25 °C), which is then heated up by decentralized heat pumps. Moreover, cold district heating networks are also very suitable for cooling delivery, since cold water supplying can be directly used for cooling purposes (i.e., free cooling) or to feed decentralized chillers with very high energy efficiency ratio. This paper provides a preliminary literature review of existing cold district heating networks and then qualitatively analyses benefits and drawbacks in comparison with the alternatives currently used to produce heat and cold at district level, including the evaluation of major barriers to its further development.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Pellegrini & Augusto Bianchini, 2018. "The Innovative Concept of Cold District Heating Networks: A Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:11:y:2018:i:1:p:236-:d:127766
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    5. Jordi García-Céspedes & Ignasi Herms & Georgina Arnó & José Juan de Felipe, 2022. "Fifth-Generation District Heating and Cooling Networks Based on Shallow Geothermal Energy: A review and Possible Solutions for Mediterranean Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-31, December.
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    8. Giampieri, A. & Roy, S. & Shivaprasad, K.V. & Smallbone, A.J. & Roskilly, A.P., 2022. "An integrated smart thermo-chemical energy network," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    9. Alessandro Guzzini & Marco Pellegrini & Edoardo Pelliconi & Cesare Saccani, 2020. "Low Temperature District Heating: An Expert Opinion Survey," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-34, February.
    10. Werner, Sven, 2022. "Network configurations for implemented low-temperature district heating," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PB).
    11. Buffa, Simone & Cozzini, Marco & D’Antoni, Matteo & Baratieri, Marco & Fedrizzi, Roberto, 2019. "5th generation district heating and cooling systems: A review of existing cases in Europe," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 504-522.
    12. Yang, Lizhong & Villalobos, Uver & Akhmetov, Bakytzhan & Gil, Antoni & Khor, Jun Onn & Palacios, Anabel & Li, Yongliang & Ding, Yulong & Cabeza, Luisa F. & Tan, Wooi Leong & Romagnoli, Alessandro, 2021. "A comprehensive review on sub-zero temperature cold thermal energy storage materials, technologies, and applications: State of the art and recent developments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    13. Meesenburg, Wiebke & Ommen, Torben & Thorsen, Jan Eric & Elmegaard, Brian, 2020. "Economic feasibility of ultra-low temperature district heating systems in newly built areas supplied by renewable energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    14. Angelidis, O. & Ioannou, A. & Friedrich, D. & Thomson, A. & Falcone, G., 2023. "District heating and cooling networks with decentralised energy substations: Opportunities and barriers for holistic energy system decarbonisation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    15. Till Kugler & Corinna Schittenhelm & Stephan Volkmer & Meinhard Ryba & Christian Moormann & Detlef Kurth & Roland Koenigsdorff, 2022. "Sustainable Heating and Cooling Management of Urban Quarters," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-21, April.
    16. Wirtz, Marco & Kivilip, Lukas & Remmen, Peter & Müller, Dirk, 2020. "5th Generation District Heating: A novel design approach based on mathematical optimization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    17. Maccarini, Alessandro & Sotnikov, Artem & Sommer, Tobias & Wetter, Michael & Sulzer, Matthias & Afshari, Alireza, 2023. "Influence of building heat distribution temperatures on the energy performance and sizing of 5th generation district heating and cooling networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    18. Søren Erbs Poulsen & Theis Raaschou Andersen & Karl Woldum Tordrup, 2022. "Full-Scale Demonstration of Combined Ground Source Heating and Sustainable Urban Drainage in Roadbeds," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-21, June.
    19. Abugabbara, Marwan & Javed, Saqib & Johansson, Dennis, 2022. "A simulation model for the design and analysis of district systems with simultaneous heating and cooling demands," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PA).
    20. Gaudard, Adrien & Wüest, Alfred & Schmid, Martin, 2019. "Using lakes and rivers for extraction and disposal of heat: Estimate of regional potentials," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 330-342.
    21. Ida Franzén & Linnéa Nedar & Maria Andersson, 2019. "Environmental Comparison of Energy Solutions for Heating and Cooling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-17, December.
    22. Valerie Eveloy & Dereje S. Ayou, 2019. "Sustainable District Cooling Systems: Status, Challenges, and Future Opportunities, with Emphasis on Cooling-Dominated Regions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-64, January.
    23. Vivian, Jacopo & Emmi, Giuseppe & Zarrella, Angelo & Jobard, Xavier & Pietruschka, Dirk & De Carli, Michele, 2018. "Evaluating the cost of heat for end users in ultra low temperature district heating networks with booster heat pumps," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 788-800.

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