27 April 2020

Heat Pumps in District Heating and Cooling Systems – Final Report

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District heating in general and heat pumps connected to the grids in particular are predicted to play a key role in the energy grid and supply for the future. With the implementation of district heating, it is possible to cover up to 50% of the heating demand in Europe, and heat pumps can deliver around 25 % of the energy to the district heating grid. The Heat Roadmap Europe 4 scenarios with a larger share of district heating in the energy system show that the CO2 emissions can be reduced with more than 70 % compared to today’s situation.
Heat pumps can be a key technology in the future district heating grid in different ways:
1: Heat pumps can act as a balancing technology when the electrical production fluctuates.
2: Heat pumps phase out fossil fuels from the energy system.
3: Heat pumps make it possible to use very low (below 60 °C) and ultra-low (below 45°C) temperatures in the district heating grid.
4: Heat pumps make it possible to minimize grid losses in the district heating grid.