In a growing number of countries more and more electricity is produced from wind and solar. This means more and more variation - both short and long term - in the electricity production and more difficult conditions for the traditional CHP units. Smart district heating can assist in solving the problems connected to these two issues. Main features of a smart district heating system are long term storage, solar collectors, heat pumps and combined heat and power units.


Example of Smart district heating system in Dronninglund, Denmark.
Source: PlanEnergi.

Smart district heating is combining renewable energy technologies and thermal storages in such way that the district heating system is linked in a very flexible and constructive way with the liberal electricity market.

In Denmark the market for large solar district heating systems still has epidemic growth. It is now known that more collector surface is underway than already totally installed. The most important reason behind this development is the competitiveness of solar heat; heat production cost for solar heat is typically between 30 and 40 €/MWh - which corresponds to the actual price of natural gas. Heat from solar is therefore very attractive for the heating companies, moreover because the solar heat price is fixed for the next 20 years, whereas the gas price is not.

2011’s prestigious Energy Globe Award was awarded to a solar heating and cooling project in Alberta, Canada. The Drake Landing Solar Community achieves to cover 80% of the heat demand with solar thermal energy. Former IEA SHC chairman Doug McClenahan was personally involved in the project development and proudly accepted the award at a gala ceremony in Wels, Austria. DLSC is en route to achieving its target of 90 percent in the year 2012 and a reduction of five tons of greenhouse gas emissions per home per year.