05 December 2023

The Agony of the Choice in District Heating: The Impact of Heat Source for Heat Pumps

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Decarbonizing the heating sector requires the increased use of large-scale heat pumps in district heating. In Germany, these are still very rare due to high investments and operating costs. To reduce the operating costs, a high plant efficiency is required. Science efficiency strongly depends on the temperature lift between the heat source and sink; selecting the right source epending on the application is essential for the penetration of large-scale heat pumps in district heating networks. In this article, the most important factors influencing
the selection of a heat source are discussed based on potential studies with typical types of heat sources for large-scale heat pumps.