Sabine Europe as a model for DHC - How to Heat low-energy buildingS
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#3
issued by Danfoss District Heating
How to heat
#1
low-energy
buildings
Professor
svend Svendsen
District heatingWidespread
by Danfoss for
repairs
Moscow
housing
Russia in a
time of change
Europe as a
model for DHC
Sabine
Froning
26 ACADEMY Professor Svend Svendsen sees district heating as a natural solution for the coming generation of low-energy buildings.
Solutions
Original district heating
systems reconnected in
Natural History Museum
and four other London
landmarks.
CONTENTSFEBRUARY2009
22
06 News 10 Q&A
Tapped for Europe’s largest city Sabine Froning, the managing
expansion project, Danfoss also director of Euroheat & Power,
expands its presence in Lithuania provides an international
and Poland. Big plans for the 2009 perspective on the growth of
United Nations Climate Change DHC and CHP. Interest in these
Conference in Copenhagen. European technologies is gaining ground
Parliament climate directive includes in many countries and Europe
DHC. And more. can serve as a model.
14
Discussion
20 World
According to Robert
Thornton, district energy
has a long past and
a promising future in
Moscow building the United States.
renovations include 30 Online
focus on energy- A handy cyber-guide
efficient heating to help you locate
useful energy-related
systems. Internet sites.
agenda 3
New efficiencies for old systems
Energy-efficient and nature-conscious for major projects, but also in sharing its
energy systems are of global importance. knowledge with external engineers, de-
The concept of simultaneously minimis- signers and decision makers at seminars
ing carbon emissions, managing individ- and other forums.
ual consumption, optimising comfort and
improving the overall efficiency of energy Transforming the operational efficiency
generation, supply and usage is still a rel- of Russian DH systems also requires a
atively new one. The global community is certain amount of active responsibility
very diverse in terms of its commitment to from the end user. In Russia, like many
district heating (DH) as a sustainable so- countries around the world, DH-based
lution that can play a major role in future utilities for multi-dwelling accommoda-
energy systems. For this reason, sharing tion are measured and billed according
knowledge and experience across bor- to occupied space, not individual con-
ders is extremely important. I am happy sumption. Therefore, the consumer has
that this edition of Agenda is committed Danfoss is in a very privileged position in a very low knowledge or appreciation
to making some headway on this front, Russia today, in that the ethics and bene- of their personal energy consumption –
with case studies and contributions from fits at the core of its solutions are totally in thermostats are mainly understood only
around the globe. line with the national government’s strat- as a comfort device and used very sel-
egy to re-inject 360 degree efficiency into dom. It is no secret that potential cost
There are some great learning oppor- the country’s DH systems. Energy loss savings are a major motivator for con-
tunities available in sharing Russian DH in the distribution network is currently sumers, and making it a requirement to
trends and examples. In comparison to as high as 50% in some areas. There is measure and bill energy consumption on
the UK and the United States, Russia has also the potential of up to 30% savings to an individual basis would encourage end
a very large DH supply. Water-based DH be made within many buildings with the users to streamline their usage. Until the
has a significant share of the domestic supply and modernisation of substations, real importance of all the dimensions of
heat supply – as much as 70% – and controls, balancing valves and other com- energy efficiency is fully understood by
most Russian cities were planned and ponents. The latter is low-hanging fruit if everyone, such cost-focused legislation
developed on the understanding that DH Russian DH utilities and authorities can would make a real impact in Russia, and
would provide the most efficient energy appreciate the return-on-investment that in many other markets.
system. However, during political transi- can be achieved through energy savings
tion throughout the nineties, the lack of by such modernisation. Danfoss is com- Mikhail Shapiro
continual investment and maintenance of mitted to endorsing this proposition, not General Manager
these systems has lead to their demise. only in the supply of complete solutions Danfoss District Heating, Russia
#3, 2009. Danfoss A/S: Danfoss District Heating, 6430 Nordborg, Denmark, Tel +45 7488 2222, www.dh.danfoss.com.
#3
issued by Danfoss District Heating
Editor: Thomas Heide Jørgensen, thomas_heide@danfoss.com.
#1
Publisher: Weis & Co. ApS, Middelfartgade 17, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark, Tel +45 33 366 266, info@weis-co.dk
District heating by Danfoss
Art Director: Anna Ax. Copywriters: Jesper With, Rob Holder, Dmitriy Shkolnikov, Paul Barfoot.
Proof-reader: InterText | Mus & Pen, Malene Sejer Larsen. Paper: 100 milligram, CyclusOffset, Dalum Papir, Denmark.
agenda is distributed by Danfoss. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors or persons interviewed, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Danfoss or Weis & Co.
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4 agenda
The Danfoss
headquarter
in Nordborg
agenda 5
News Danfoss highlights
Growth of Danfoss
solutions in Lithuania
The predominance of one-pipe centralised systems and the lack
of new-build system regulations have made it difficult to mobilize
energy efficiency in Lithuania.
Danfoss works closely with local designers, installers and inves-
tors to actively encourage the uptake of more energy-efficient
solutions in this post-soviet territory, and is proud to report mea-
surable success.
In 2005, a pilot scheme in the Gandraliskes district of Klaipeda
installed Danfoss substations, type Akva Lux TDP in 88 domestic
flats. The benefit of a 44% saving in heating tariffs helped make
the advantages of a decentralised system tangible to residents
and stakeholders, and sparked a wave of similar projects across
the country.
Over the last two years, 700 Danfoss substations, type Akva Lux
TDP and Akva Lux TDP-F have been installed in the city of Klaipe-
da, as well as being implemented into all new-builds in the city of
Panevezys. The same solutions will be used for a new multi-family
house project that will provide 1,742 flats for 6,000 Gandraliskes
residents. It has also been confirmed that Danfoss substations,
Termix VMTD types, will be used for a major multi-family house
renovation initiative in the city of Kaunas later this year.
Record tender success in Poland
Danfoss LPM is proud to report a tender victory of 312 substa- tion know-how, they have helped transform the efficiency and
tions to support the modernisation of 130 km of district heat- comfort of the energy supply to many of the city’s residents and
ing network in the large Polish city of Krakow. It is part of an workforce.
ongoing €75.4 million project, for which Krakow District Heating
Company received €54.4 million in EU funding. However, the recent 312-unit substation order represents the
company’s biggest to date, and strengthens Danfoss’ presence
Danfoss LPM is not a stranger to the project. Following suc- in the region. So far, 188 units have been delivered out of the
cessful realisation of two previous tenders in 2006 and 2007, it Danfoss LPM factory in Tuchom, Poland. The remaining 124
has already delivered 127 substations, automatic controls and substations are scheduled for production, assembly and delivery
heat exchangers. Together with significant exchange of applica- in the first half of 2009.
6 agenda
Danfoss highlights News
DHC breakthrough
in the European Parliament
The joint DHC industry, including the national and European DHC
associations plus leading industry companies, have worked inten-
sively during 2008 to influence the contents of the EU Directive for
the promotion of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). It is a pleasure to
report that the collaborative efforts to ensure that district heating and
cooling (DHC), combined heat and power (CHP) and efficient heat
pump technology be featured as key RES in the EU climate agreement
have paid dividends.
A key paragraph in the approved Directive states: “Member States
shall recommend to all actors, in particular local and regional adminis-
trative bodies, to ensure equipment and systems are installed for the
use of heating, cooling and electricity from renewable sources and for
district heating and cooling when planning, designing, building and
refurbishing industrial or residential areas.”
This represents a milestone in elevating the status of DHC to that of
wind and solar energy options, and highlights it as an important ele-
ment of combined sustainable energy solutions. The endorsement is
also key to realizing the ambitious targets set for 2020, which include a
20% reduction of CO2 compared to 1990 and 20% improved energy
efficiency, of which 20% should be covered by RES.
Danfoss prepares
for COP 15
The Danish capital will host the United Nations Climate Change
Conference in December 2009, and Danfoss preparations are
underway to be an active supporter and presence.
Firstly, Danfoss is a main sponsor of the Danish Climate Consor-
tium, a joint venture between the national Ministry of Economic
and Business Affairs and leading business organisations that will
have a major voice at the event. The Danish Climate Consortium
is involved in a series of events and exhibition arrangements
around COP 15 that will provide opportunities to interact with
Danish technologies that are having a positive impact on climate
change, including solutions provided by the Danfoss Group.
ration initiated by the 2007 District Heating/Cooling White Paper,
Danfoss District Heating and White Paper partners (Grundfos, available to download from www.dh.danfoss.com/agenda.
LOGSTOR and COWI) have also entered arrangements for a
joint exhibition booth at the Bright Green EXPO in Parken, 12th- In the coming months, Danfoss will continue to explore further
13th December (www.brightgreen.dk). It is an event organised opportunities to provide support for COP 15, and looks forward
by the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) to bridge the two to meeting industry colleagues and stakeholders at events and
weeks of COP 15. The joint booth is an extension of the collabo- forums leading to this important world event in Copenhagen.
agenda 7
News Danfoss highlights
Luxury
comfort
for Turkish
towers
The Selenium Twins are two
luxurious 34-storey residential
blocks located in Fulya, Istanbul.
They reside on a 29,000 m2 area
of land owned by Besiktas JK
football club that includes a
ten-storey hospital building,
21-storey office building and
16,000 m2 supermarket.
Asçıoglu Construction Company
had high demands for the
Selenium Twins’ energy system.
It selected Danfoss to equip the
facility with a solution that boasts
low operational and investment
costs, and delivers consistent
high comfort. A total of 222
Danfoss substations – type
Termix VMTD-F with heatmeters,
motorized valves, balancing
valves and pressure reducers –
power the supply of heat and hot
water to the domestic towers.
The buildings are installed with
perfect remote meter reading
technology, and use M-bus
data transmission protocol to
obtain data from Danfoss heat-
meters and watermeters in order
to generate a combined utility
bill for residents. Based on the
success of the Selenium Twins
project, Asçıoglu Construction
Company has committed to
replicate the same solution for
two other projects – Selenium
Panorama and Selenium City. This
will equate to an additional sup-
ply of approximately 500 Danfoss
Termix VMTD-F substations.
8 agenda
Danfoss highlights News
Flat substations and
decentralized systems
made easy
In collaboration with Zagreb district heating company, the heat-
ing team from Danfoss Croatia announce the launch of a new
practical handbook on flat stations and decentralized heating
systems.
The publication is part of an ongoing commitment to provide
quality information, documentation and knowledge to encour-
age best practice standards for residential heating systems in
the district heating sector.
The handbook is to be an essential reference for consultants
recommending, planning and installing new heating systems, or
modernizing existing installations. Content includes comprehen-
sive answers to FAQs, a series of tables to simplify dimensioning
and tips to guide easier installation.
The handbook is currently available in Croatian. For further
information, please contact the Danfoss office in Zagreb (email:
danfoss.hr@danfoss.com).
Danfoss equips
Europe’s largest city
expansion project
Danfoss has been selected to supply substations, water heat-
ers and domestic hot water systems to equip the majority of
the central heating connections in Hamburg’s new quarter –
HafenCity.
Situated in the heart of Hamburg, HafenCity will transform a
historic harbour area into a new live-and-work vicinity that will
grow the city centre by a massive 40%.
The two million m2 project includes commercial new-builds
that will provide 40,000 work places, and 5,500 new domestic
premises that will house up to 12,000 citizens.
The energy policy for HafenCity is driven by sustainable prin-
ciples, and a combination of district heating, decentralized
block heating plants, solar power and fuel cells will service
the area.
HafenCity is a world-class example of carbon-conscious
urban growth, and Danfoss is delighted that its solutions will
play an integral part in this seminal city expansion project.
agenda 9
Sabine Froning Q&A
Spreading
the word
about district heating and cooling
Sabine Froning is the managing director of Euroheat & Power (EHP),
the international association for district heating and cooling, Brussels.
Although her organization’s main focus is promoting district
heating/cooling (DHC) and combined heat and power (CHP) within
the EU, interest in these technologies is gaining ground in many countries.
She discusses how Europe can serve as a model for implementing
technologies worldwide that can both benefit local economies and provide
answers to energy use and climate change questions that affect us all.
Text Rob Holder, PhotoS CHRISTIAN ALSING
Since we’re focusing today on how past. Beyond simple lack of awareness, controlled by individuals or households.
Europe might help drive development there’s even active prejudice against the The technology was not up to date, and
of district heating in other regions of idea of district heating in many areas. I’m the infrastructure was in bad shape. An
the world, let’s start with a somewhat thinking now particularly of eastern Euro- International Energy Agency (IEA) study
provocative question: If district heat- pean countries where district heating ac- shows that refurbishing the Russian dis-
ing is such a good idea, why isn’t it tually is widespread. In these countries, as trict heating system could save 60 billion
more widespread? in Russia, district heating was an integral cubic meters of natural gas a year, which
Well, as a colleague of mine likes to say, part of the old Soviet infrastructure. But basically corresponds to the total gas
one of the reasons district heating isn’t people have memories of very inefficient consumption of Germany. In the new EU
more widespread is that it has been sort application of district heating. They re- member states, a lot of progress has al-
of a well-kept secret. Even in countries member a kind of “all on” or “all off” heat- ready been made over the past decade,
like Denmark, where district heating is ing, in which the only way to regulate heat but there’s still a huge need for further
well established, not everyone is aware of in a room was to open or close a window. investments. So even in areas where
its benefits, as the sector hasn’t really ad- They don’t have an idea of modern district district heating already exists, there’s
vertised its advantages very much in the heating as we know it, which can be easily plenty of work to be done.
agenda 11Q&A Sabine Froning
“It’s becoming widely understood that we can’t afford to
continue using more and more fossil fuels, both for environmental
reasons and simply because there are limited resources.
District heating and cooling must inevitably be part of the solution
worldwide because it brings efficiency to the whole energy system.”
What is the level of interest in other have taken the lead in these areas is that The most basic obstacle to develop-
regions of the world -– outside the the tradition of collective thinking and ment is that district heating is a long-
EU – and what drives that interest? decision-making – which district heating term investment, and free markets can
We find there’s tremendous interest in demands – is rooted in the thinking here. encourage short-term focus. The cur-
district heating in other countries – not District heating used to be not so wide- rent financial crisis might also make it
just on this continent but also in coun- spread in the UK, for example, where more difficult to obtain loans for larger
tries such as China, South Korea and everything is more individualized. But projects. Nevertheless, it would be
Japan, where growth rates have been today there is a growing awareness that short-sighted to slow down investment
very good over the past ten years. energy use needs to be more efficient in energy efficiency, even in countries
Interest is driven in large part by concern in all parts of the world. It’s becoming suffering the tightest financial pinch. In
over security of gas supplies and climate widely understood that we can’t afford the long run, it’s a fact that replacing pri-
change. We recently hosted a large de- to continue using more and more fos- mary fuel purchases with domestic dis-
legation from representatives of dis- sil fuels, both for environmental reasons trict heating and cooling and CHP infra-
trict heating companies in Japan, and and simply because there are limited structure leads to a stronger domestic
they were chiefly interested in how we resources. District heating must inevi- economy and lower fuel imports. Of
handle the environmental question. tably be part of the solution worldwide course, from country to country there
These two issues – environmental because it brings efficiency to the whole are various other obstacles to district
concerns and fuel suply security – are energy system. heating growth. For example in countries
the main drivers behind the growth of where the government has a stake in oil
district heating in most countries. Are you optimistic about progress in the and gas companies, there can be an un-
The fundamental idea behind modern near future, and what are some of the balanced subsidisation of oil and gas.
district heating is to make use of heat obstacles that district heating faces?
that would otherwise be wasted, for In fact I am quite optimistic – not least The biggest universal political barrier I see
example when electricity is generated because the IEA has launched an inter- is fragmentation of energy policy. Policies
or waste is burned – which are funda- national initiative on DHC as well as tend to be focused narrowly on a single
mental urban functions everywhere. All combined heat and power (CHP). Even segment of the energy landscape, target-
kind of renewable sources like biomass, more positive, is the fact that the IEA was ing demand pressures, for example, but
geothermal, solar thermal and others acting in response to a mandate from the ignoring the supply sector, or on renew-
can also contribute. I think that one G8 to make recommendations on how to ables but not on energy efficiency. This
reason the northern European countries integrate these energy measures. also often makes it hard to find someone
12 agendaSabine Froning Q&A
help shape their own decision-making
and lobbying work. I should also point
out that the EU has a strong interest in
DHC and CHP growth in other areas
because of our ability to export these
technologies – if the EU wants to be
seen as a leader in energy technology,
DH has to be part of the mix.
As for specific initiatives, just ahead
of the 2009 United Nations Climate
Change Conference in Copenhagen
we’re organizing a district heating
summit “The Road to Copenhagen”. It
will take place on 3 November and will
include policy makers from all levels,
national to municipal, from all around
the world. We in EHP are also involved
in a similar congress next May in Ven-
ice, which will also attract worldwide
participants, and which will include
awards for the most innovative district
heating projects submitted by munici-
palities. Both inside and outside the
EU, we’re making an effort to empha-
size the big message: that in the long
term district heating – and cooling –
who is politically responsible for secur- Especially now, the enormous accel- offers the prospect of zero-carbon
ing coherence and system optimisa- eration of energy policy focus in Brus- heat supply. District heating already
tion from a primary energy perspective. sels requires all our attention. But we provides low-carbon heat supply, but
Ideally countries should have a more do see the value of wider international in view of the huge amount of waste
horizontal, integrated political structure collaboration. In fact, as I mentioned heat now available we should ask our-
for dealing with energy questions. With a earlier, we have active contact with our selves why it’s necessary to burn any
more comprehensive political approach, non-EU associate members – typically fuel specifically for heating and cool-
district heating and cooling will emerge representatives of district heating com- ing. A strong proactive district heating
as obvious solutions. panies – in Russia, South Korea and policy – together with further techno-
Japan. We’re able to help them answer logical advances and in combination
Are there particular initiatives questions such as how Europe struc- with renewable energy policies for
your organization is taking to spread tures a balance between energy and areas where district heating can’t be
the idea of district heat to regions environmental quality and how district made available – holds the very real
beyond the EU countries? heating is treated under the emissions possibility of phasing out oil and gas
We have only five people on staff in our trading scheme. They can use what’s heating. When you raise this possibi-
office, so our focus is largely on the EU. happening in the EU as a model to lity, people listen.
agenda 13DISCUSSION Konstantin Gennadievich Belchatov
Moscow in a
time of change A move to assign the property rights of
residential heating units to their inhabitants
is spurring huge changes in the Russian
housing market. This in turn is providing
new impetus to the development of the
Russian heating supply market. Moscow,
the capital city, is one of the largest national
“building sites”. Konstantin Gennadievich
Belchatov, deputy director of the
Office of Capital Repairs and Construction
of the Department of Housing and
Community Services of Moscow (UKRiS),
answers our questions about the
programme and its prospects.
Text Dmitriy Shkolnikov, rob holder
Photos MASHKOV YURI,
courtesy of GUP UKRiS
and danfoss russia
14 agendaDISCUSSION Konstantin Gennadievich Belchatov
“In the Central Administrative District
of Moscow only 5-6 buildings a year –
and sometimes fewer – were repaired.
The same kind of work is being
conducted today, but, as I mentioned
earlier, its volume is quite different,
as is the management system required
for effective coordination.“
The current programme of complex capital repairs in I mentioned earlier, its volume is quite different, as is the
Moscow is unprecedented in its size. How do these management system required for effective coordination.
measures compare with previous efforts, undertaken In fact, an entirely new administrative system was estab-
before 2008, in both type and volume of work? lished under the direction of Petr Biryukov, the first deputy
We have a good saying: “Moscow wasn’t built in a day”. mayor. Since the beginning of 2008, there have already
Actually, in such a big city there are always structures in been repairs to 63 residential buildings with a total area
need of repair. But now a complex modernization plan has of 508.9 sq. meters. Repairs were also made to 92 blocks
been passed that affects all housing stock up to 2014. It is of flats, including facades with outer wall insulation, re-
connected primarily to the reform of housing and commu- placement of window and balcony pulleys and glazing of
nity dwellings being undertaken throughout the country. balconies. On the whole, capital repairs were conducted in
Before being signed over to their owners, buildings have 1,697 residential buildings in the city.
to be put in good condition. Of course, capital repairs of
residential buildings were also conducted before 2008. The What are the factors influencing the progress of the
Moscow Government programme of scheduled preventive repair work? Are there specific difficulties?
maintenance was carried out within the city and included The most important factors are the experience of the con-
the replacement of heating systems, hot and cold water tractors and the level of their staff qualifications. I mean
supply, and other repairs. Both the scale and financing of not only technical background but also teamwork and ex-
that work was several times smaller than what’s being un- perience. In any one building, success depends mostly on
dertaken today. For example, in the Central Administrative the contractor’s skill in finding a common language with
District of Moscow only 5-6 buildings a year – and some- the building’s inhabitants. If they understand and agree
times fewer – were repaired. with each other, the work will go smoothly. As the city con-
The same kind of work is being conducted today, but, as sists of many individual addresses, this is the keystone
16 agendaKonstantin Gennadievich Belchatov DISCUSSION
Konstantin
Gennadievich Belchatov
A 1991 graduate of Kaliningrad Technical College,
Konstantin Gennadievich Belchatov lives in Pushkino,
Moscow Region. In 1994, after having served in the army,
he entered Moscow State Forest University and obtained an
engineering degree. In 2004 Mr. Belchatov was appointed
to the post of lead engineer for support of the municipal
infrastructure in the Central Administrative District of
Moscow. In 2005 he was transferred to the Moscow Board
of Capital Repairs and Construction (GUP UKRiS), taking the
position of deputy chief manager in the Engineering Super-
vision Department. In March 2008, he was appointed to the
post of acting director of GUP UKRiS, and later in 2008 he
was appointed as a director of GUP UKRiS. Mr. Belchatov
has a wife and two children.
of success. As for difficulties, they are inseparably associ-
ated with the communication issue I just mentioned. The
only real obstacle that can be a barrier to the success of
the programme is antagonism between owners and con-
tractors, since you can’t get admission to a flat if its in-
habitants hinder it. If this happens, it’s not possible to do
certain repairs, which leads to breakdown of repair efforts.
It is all interrelated. Currently, I don’t find other problems
deriving directly from our work. To settle conflicts that do
arise, we’ve created an executive staff for checking capital
repair fulfillment in every district. If difficulties occur, they
are solved in real time.
Are contractors generally conscientious in
completing projects as specified? How is their
performance monitored?
Of course they’re conscientious – otherwise they don’t re-
ceive payment! Material incentives clearly work. Contractors
are paid only if everything is completed within the frame-
work of the project specifications and quality requirements.
This is determined through an acceptance report from the
State Committee. Approval evaluations are performed in
agenda 17DISCUSSION Konstantin Gennadievich Belchatov
“Of course rooms
should be ventilated,
but unlike the old
days there’ll be
strong economic
reasons against
senseless heating
of the street.”
compliance with the existing regulatory system, including a capital repair process, because it’s much easier to service
formal report based on tests – in particular a pressure test the new equipment. In addition, new energy application tech-
of the heating system. Also various other project solutions nologies – such as communication solutions for heating sy-
are checked. Moreover, warranty work is the responsibility stems that enable remote monitoring and control – make their
of the contractors. If violations are detected, they have to jobs easier. In my opinion, benefits for residents are obvious.
come back and do the work again. Energy saving is important for them because the final target
of the housing and community building reform programme
In your opinion, how much do Moscow citizens know is the full assignment of property ownership to residents.
about the 2008-2014 capital repair programme? Once they assume ownership, residents will be responsible
This varies from person to person. Socially active citizens for water, heating and electricity payments. That’s why the
interested in the capital repair process are well informed energy-saving measures carried out within this programme
about the programme. Experience shows that there are a will become a very important economic factor.
lot of people who are interested in our initiatives. Many ap-
ply with requests about including their houses in the work Equipment choice has to be carefully considered, from
plan. In this regard, there is an active interaction between water and electricity meters to heating automation – in-
city residents and municipal organizations. Of course, cluding Danfoss thermostats, which are installed in heat-
some people who don’t read newspapers or watch TV be- ing systems within the framework of the programme. After
come aware of the programme only at the moment when the modernization process is finished, building residents
the contractors ring the doorbell. will be able to control the microclimate in their own flats.
When people pay for heating according to actual energy
What about energy-saving equipment and its benefits consumption, they’ll consider whether it’s better to set the
for both energy companies and building residents? radiator thermostat to a lower temperature or to open a
There is no doubt that energy providers are interested in the window. Of course rooms should be ventilated, but unlike
18 agendaKonstantin Gennadievich Belchatov DISCUSSION
A system of pipes distributes
heating to individual apartments.
Since the beginning of the 2008,
there have repairs to residential
buildings and blocks of flats
throughout Moscow. Next year
the plan is to conduct capital
repairs in 534 buildings.
the old days there’ll be strong economic reasons against lation of substations for heating and domestic hot water,
senseless heating of the street. automatic balancing valves and heat meters, as well as
radiator thermostats for room heating in flats. Within indivi-
But this system is not yet widespread – dual buildings we’re seeing to the insulation of facades and
are citizens beginning to understand and accept it? walls, installation of modern triple-pane windows with PVC
I think that gradually there will be acceptance of solutions frames and glassed-in balconies, along with additional in-
that allow individual heat billing. Especially as all residents sulation of the roof and basement floor. All these mea-
come to understand how much heating energy they con- sures reduce heat loss and increase energy-savings. Other
sume and how much is necessary to pay for it. government departments, such as the Department for Fuel
and Energy Economy and the Department for Housing
What is the projected energy gain of the capital and Community Services, are also involved in producing
repair programme? energy-saving solutions.
According to project calculations, average household heat-
ing efficiency should increase by 30%. Currently, the pro- What is the outlook for the capital repair
gramme is in its initial stages. When this year’s heating sea- programme in 2009?
son ends, we will be able to evaluate real heat consumption Next year we’re planning to conduct capital repairs in 534
and compare it with the preceding year. Only then we can buildings, including work on facade insulation, window
speak about the results. But undoubtedly there is potential. cases and engineering services replacement.
Can you explain a bit more about system-wide Finally, what is the impact of the financial crisis on
energy-saving measures included in the capital the progress of the capital repair programme?
repair programme? At the moment, the financial crisis has had no effect on
Plans for heating system modernization include the instal- either current work or future planning.
agenda 19WORLD The United States
Back to the future
Robert Thornton, US, is president Robert Thornton, US, is president of the Interna-
tional District Energy Association (IDEA), a nonprofit
of the International District Energy industry association founded in 1909. Its vision is to
Association (IDEA), a nonprofit promote energy efficiency and environmental quality
through the advancement of district heating, district
industry association founded in cooling and cogeneration. In the following article, Mr.
Thornton provides wide-ranging observations about
1909. Its vision is to promote district energy/heating – its history and potential for
future growth – in the United States.
energy efficiency and environmental
quality through the advancement When Robert Thornton was introduced recently
to a prominent energy expert from Massachusetts
of district heating, district cooling Institute of Technology (MIT), the man’s opening re-
mark was: “Ah, district energy – back to the future.”
and cogeneration. In the following His meaning quickly becomes clear when you
consider that next year IDEA celebrates its 100th
article, Mr. Thornton provides anniversary. In fact, district heating/cooling (DHC)
wide-ranging observations about and cogeneration in the United States are simul-
taneously ideas whose time has come and proven
district energy/heating – its history concepts with a long history all across the nation.
The first commercially successful district heating
and potential for future growth – system was launched in Lockport, New York, in
in the United States. 1877 by American hydraulic engineer Birdsill Holly,
considered the founder of district heating. Much
Text ROB HOLDER, Photos Courtesy of IDEA farther west, Denver, Colorado, boasts a district
heating system that dates back to 1880. Between
20 agendaThe United States WORLD
and beyond these two locations, the country is dotted with IDEA in early 2009 is to lobby for the appropriation of these
district energy facilities in all 50 states. Hundreds were built on funds as part of an economic stimulus bill.
university and college campuses, which originally constructed
their own powerhouses to provide heat and power at a time These transitions aren’t easy,” says Thornton. “There’s a keen
before investor-owned electric utilities were available to interest in prudent energy decisions, but we need to have the
supply power from an electricity grid. political will to capitalize on that interest. We see IDEA’s 100th
anniversary conference in Washington, D.C., in June 2009
A tipping point as an educational opportunity to show near-term solutions
“In this country, district energy and combined heat and power and how we can deliver higher fuel efficiency and emissions
(CHP) are not new ideas at all,” says Thornton. “What is new reductions immediately.” As more and more people see that
is the increasingly widespread recognition that it’s vitally im- it’s not an either-or decision between the environment and
portant to get all the value we can out of our fuel by harvesting economics – that clean energy and DHC can provide a sub-
heat efficiently and effectively, which also lets us reduce emis- stantial return on investment – there are new funds appearing
sions. I think there’s been a tipping point within the last 18 in search of reasonable-risk energy investment.
months or so – especially as people have been whipsawed
by unpredictable oil prices – and a growing awareness that The power of a good idea
greener energy is in everyone’s best interest. Al Gore de- “After all,” he points out, “development of downtown district
serves much of credit, but many voices are echoing the need energy in the U.S. has largely been driven by the private sector.
for change.” The U.S. has a solid historical foundation to build Since 1990 we’ve seen more than 40 new district cooling sys-
on. District energy has successfully delivered real benefits in tems in North America – mainly through private sector capital
terms of capital efficiency, space efficiency and – especially – investment – and there’s opportunity for more private-public
reliability. District energy systems are often hidden assets, but partnership for new community-based systems.” He also notes
they deliver value around the clock, not just when the wind that real market gains will also require some structural changes
blows or when the sun shines. in regulations, such as district energy/CHP qualifying in state
energy efficiency portfolio standards and thermal energy gain-
“We’re working hard to build recognition and visibility,” Thorn- ing equal standing with electricity technologies.
ton says. “I’ve briefed Senators, Representatives, Cabinet
members and President Bush – and when you have just a “We don’t have the influence of the coal, oil and electric indus-
few minutes to explain how it all works, they invariably say, tries,” Thornton says, “but there’s nothing like the power of a
‘Wow – that makes a lot of sense.’ I believe that ours is an good idea to focus people’s attention. We have the benefits of
industry whose time has come around again. We face a com- solid arguments and a proven track record. And IDEA is work-
bination of challenges – both energy costs and the threat of ing together with the International Energy Agency, Euroheat and
climate change – and DHC/CHP can deliver on both. Many Power and other associations around the world. We’re learn-
economists and policy leaders in the U.S. are looking to the ing much from the EU and Northern European experience and
clean energy industry to help drive new job growth and lead bringing that information forward to our own policy makers. In
the economic turnaround as well as cut our dependency on the near term we may see the current financial crisis impact
fossil fuels and improve our negative trade balance. President this market. In the long term, we need a robust cap-and-trade
Obama has cited investment in clean energy as his top prior- system, and I believe it’s coming in the U.S.”
ity to spur the economy.”
Ready to deliver
DHC/CHP has a great advantage in being a proven techno-
logy, not an R&D activity. “We can deliver tomorrow,” Thorn- IDEA has begun working on improving
ton says, “and within the new President’s first term achieve recognition of district energy benefits to end-users such as
significant benefits in terms of new green jobs, and emissions commercial office buildings and other urban consumers. Cur-
and cost reductions.” The time is right to press for more col- rently, “agency” arrangements like fee-based property management
laborative solutions. Especially as in December 2007 IDEA or complicated modelling guidelines, such as LEED®, seem to either
advocated for legislation within the Sustainable Energy overlook or pinch off some of the value delivered by highly reliable
Infrastructure Act, which was signed by the President and steam, hot-water and chilled-water services. IDEA has opened a
allocated 3.5 billion dollars over five years to support design, dialogue with the U.S. Green Buildings Council and the Environmental
construction and development of clean district energy and Protection Agency (EPA) to address procedural changes, but must
combined heat and power. The funding, although authorized, engage with multiple process stakeholders to more fully understand
has not yet been appropriated. One of the principal goals of market dynamics and offer input to solutions.
agenda 2122 agenda
Micro network SOLUTIONS
How to bring back
Queen Victoria’s
buildings
to low carbon emissions
The reinstalling of district heating at five energy-gorging old public
institutions in central London means a return to the original effective
way of heating.
Text Jesper With, Photos anna kari
A huge dinosaur in its original size is facing us as we enter the
impressive main hall of the Natural History Museum (NHM)
in central London. Here you will find one of the world’s larg-
est and most important collections of natural history. Built in
1881 in the reign of Queen Victoria, the main building is one
of the finest examples of 19th-century architecture. It is full of
phenomenal details like handmade terracotta tiles and was
constructed in such a way that the ventilation functioned natu-
rally for much of the time. The necessary heating came from
a local district steam heating system, which was installed at
NHM – as it was in four other public buildings, situated close
to each other in “Albertopolis” in the South Kensington area.
District Heating for 100 years
“Later the natural ventilation system was destroyed by bombs
in the 2nd World War, by the installation of gas fired boilers
and by the installation of air conditioning, which didn’t fit
the construction of the building. That was not well thought The total CO2 emissions of the Natural History
through, since it destroyed the effectiveness of the natural Museum and its four partner institutions are
ventilation systems,” Simon Tilleard explains. He works for 58,000 tons per year. The project team believe
the London Climate Change Agency (LCCA), but before that this can be cut by half within a few years if the
he was chief engineer for several years here at NHM, so he master plan is implemented.
agenda 23SOLUTIONS Micro network
has deep insight into the building’s construction. care of the daily heat supply. NHM uses 3 MW of electricity
In the 1950’s a large-scale 42 MW district heating system during the day, 1.5 MW at night. The CHP covers the needs
was installed in the five institutions to replace all the smaller of NHM in the summertime, and the surplus heat from pro-
DH systems, and this operated until 2000 when two of the ducing electricity is used for the cooling system. This makes
institutions withdrew. “Since there was district heating here things much more efficient.
for more than 100 years, it is actually nothing new for us to
reconnect these five old buildings – three of them from Victorian “In 2006 it was then refurbished with the CHP and we estab-
times – into one micro DH network system,” Simon Tilleard lished an absorption refrigeration machine as well to turn
says. The project, supported by the LCCA, once again in- surplus heat into cooling during summer. The knowledge
volves the five institutions - the Natural History Museum, the of Danish experts was used in this process,” Simon Tilleard
Science Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A), the says. The V&A, one of the world’s greatest museums of art
Royal Albert Hall and the Imperial College (a university). Work and design, is just next to NHM at Exhibition Road and is
is going on in each organisation to implement an energy sy- connected to the same boiler house.
stem model, which will demonstrate the leadership of the in-
stitutions and the city administration and give an overview of A common master plan
energy use. Implementing an energy system model for the five public
buildings was financed by a 3 million pound grant from the
A blue whale Treasury, and the project has resulted in a partnership of the
We pass a blue whale, which is so huge that it fills out al- institutions that is determined to reduce the carbon emis-
most one whole gallery alone. The 69 million specimen at the sions from the estate.
museum demand the strict control of heating and cooling
in order to ensure their preservation for the future. Simon To cover electricity and heat the NHM alone would need a
Tilleard takes us from the main building to the boiler house, 9 MW CHP. This hasn’t been possible, according to Tilleard
where a new 1.8 MW CHP was installed last summer. It is because it wouldn’t be possible to sell surplus electricity for
placed next to two 9 MW gas-fired boilers, which are taking a reasonable price on the market. “So it could have been
better, but still, as a result of this project of NHM and V&A
Simon alone we save 2,000 tons of CO2 per year. It is quite a big
Tilleard of the step,” Simon Tilleard says. The overall idea is to develop a
London Climate master plan for the five institutions, which can be used at
Change Agency other places. Estimates indicate that 50% of the energy used
and former can be saved, where 7 % alone comes from metering meas-
chief engineer ures. 4 % should come from behavioural changes from staff,
at the Natural including the daily energy-system management.
History
Where do we loose it?
Museum.
Down in the boiler house Simon Tilleard shows us the pipe-
line, which leads to the Imperial College. Or to be specific:
the end of the pipeline, since the connection to the college
is simply cut off. Instead Imperial College uses its own boil-
ers. The university is spread over 300,000 square meters and
is a huge energy user. Its leadership doesn’t know where
exactly the energy is being used, since there are no energy
meters in the different buildings. The same problem exists in
the Victorian buildings, and this has lead to a new project to
install an extensive network of energy meters in all necessary
places. The data gathered by these meters will make an im-
portant contribution to the overall energy-system model and
the plans to reconnect all five buildings into one micro DH
network system connected to a CHP and other renewable
technologies. This will be a most effective way to save the
city of London huge amounts of CO2 emissions every year.
24 agendaMicro network SOLUTIONS
The de-carbonization
of a metropolis
The 34 mt CO2 that London is using every year is
way too much. A Climate Change Action Plan was
therefore introduced by the mayor of London to
tackle CO2 emissions. Paul Yiannouzis, director of
the London ESCO, is working to implement parts
of the big plan.
Text Jesper With, Photos Anna Kari
What is the purpose of London ESCO? Can you give some examples?
The ESCO is a joint venture between London Climate Change The 2012 Olympics taking place in London has led to several
Agency and EDF Energy, a French energy utility with more projects. A huge development area built for the Olympics will
than 5 million customers in the UK. The LCCA is owned by be supplied by two energy centres housing CHP systems to
the London Development Agency (LDA) and was set up in supply heating and electricity, and in selected areas cooling,
2006 to introduce measures to reduce CO2 emissions. The to the new facilities to be used for the Games. They will mainly
London ESCO designs, builds, finances and operates CO2 be gas fired, but renewable fuel will be used as well. In Bar-
schemes that deliver sustainable solutions. kantine the London ESCO has designed, financed, built and
is now operating a decentralised system providing heat and
How will London reduce its CO2 emissions? electricity to a large number of local residents.
The new mayor, Boris Johnson, puts a lot of effort into bring-
ing down CO2 emissions in London. The city currently uses Do you need to change regulations
4 GW of electricity per year, which leads to 34 million tons of to promote DH systems?
carbon emissions. The Climate Change Action Plan promotes Yes, and that is a challenge. Mr. Smith on the 9th floor can-
de-carbonization of London’s electricity supply by moving not say no to centralized heating, if the rest of the building
move 25% of it away from the grid by 2025 and proposes will be connected to a DH system. Otherwise it doesn’t
instead to produce it locally, utilising CHP facilities in order make sense. The attention to climate changes must be
to improve energy efficiency. That initiative alone will save us prioritized to individual choice. Luckily district heating
approximately 2.5 million tons of CO2 per year. is mostly cheaper and more stable for the customer. At
present the UK doesn’t have legislation supporting the use
Why do you focus on decentralized energy supply? of decentralised DH systems. In London legislation is in
Decentralized Energy is a central point in achieving reductions place requiring the use of DH for new building develop-
in CO2 emissions. London’s existing building stock is respon- ments. But in the existing building stock comprising either
sible for a large part of these emissions and we actually know blocks of flats or individual single occupancy houses the
how to reduce emissions by supplying energy to buildings implementation of DH systems is extremely difficult. Pro-
efficiently. CHP systems supply heating as well as electricity perty owners are reluctant to adopt changes, since financial
to its customers, and when required they also provide cooling incentives are limited, and DH systems limit choice of sup-
(CCHP systems) – thus improving substantially the genera- plier. Financially the viability of DH systems is dependent
tion and delivery of energy and also reducing CO2 emissions. on a number of issues including tariffs, customer retention,
District heating in combination with CHP is an effective way take-up of cooling as well as heating and hot water. The
of reducing emissions. It is not the only method, but an im- London ESCO is working closely with the LCCA and other
portant one, and therefore a lot of effort is directed toward organisations to support the UK Government in developing
delivering decentralised energy schemes. a DH directive.
agenda 2526 agenda
Low-energy buildings ACADEMY
needs
The future
low-energy society
district heating
District heating is more alive than ever. Also, district heating
is a clever choice for the new generation of low-energy
buildings, according to Professor Svend Svendsen from the
Technical University of Denmark.
Text jesper with, photos christian alsing
Some people have claimed that district heating is not use- for low-energy houses are competitive with heat pumps
ful for supplying the growing number of low-energy build- and with other heat sources from a socio-economic point
ings, which are expected to be built in the coming years. of view.
Instead they suggest the use of heat pumps or other
alternative solutions, since though low-energy houses do “If we want to reach the goals of bringing down CO2
need heat supply, they need a much smaller amount than emissions in the world, I see no other way out. We have
traditionally built houses. But professor Svend Svendsen to use district heating from burning of waste and central
and his team disagree. District heating systems have been solar heating plants – and use it more than we do today.
technically upgraded – for instance, they use twin pipes In Denmark 60 percent of all homes are heated by district
in smaller dimensions – and are ready to supply the new heating, and this proves that district heating works very
generation of low-energy houses. Optimized DH systems well. Most countries don’t have this size of district heating
agenda 27ACADEMY Low-energy buildings
network, but I think there will be many more of them in the Svend Svendsen is a professor at the Technical
future. The EU, for instance, is recommending it as one University of Denmark. He is a specialist in
of the most important options in order to reach the 2020 low-energy district heating systems and is working on the
goals,” Svend Svendsen says. challenge of making society independent from fossil fuels.
His vision is that low-energy buildings heated by renewable
Lower temperature in the system energy from a low-energy district heating system is the
In co-operation with several Danish companies Svend cheapest way to achieve the future low-energy society.
Svendsen has proved in a recent scientific project that the
new low-temperature district heating system can live up
to the demands of low-energy buildings. The solution is
a low-temperature system consisting of small and well- low as 15 % of the heat delivery from the heat plants. You
insulated twin pipes. The challenge has been to design a just need to use well-insulated twin pipes in small dimen-
cost-effective system with a very low heat loss, which can sions,” Svend Svendsen explains. Already now you can
supply sufficient DH temperatures all the year around in an find examples of low-energy houses supplied by the new
urban area of houses with low energy demand for space low-temperature DH system in Denmark. And in Austria
heating. For this reason the traditional DH system has to be there are so-called Passive Houses, which get their small
gradually developed, since low-energy houses don’t need requirement of heat supply from the public DH network.
the high temperature (around 70ºC), which today is sent
out in the network from Danish heat plants. It is possible to Away from fossil fuels
base a DH system for low-energy single-family houses on Developing DH systems for modern low-energy buildings
flow temperature just a little higher than 50ºC and obtain a is only a part of the answer, however, in order to reach a
return temperature below 20ºC as an average, according to point where Europe is totally or partly free from its depend-
the analyses of the Copenhagen scientists. ence on fossil fuels – which must be the final goal, accor-
“40ºC for domestic water and 25ºC for room temperature is ding to Svend Svendsen.
what you need in your house, and this means that you can “Burning of fossil fuels is not the answer of the future.
keep a very low supply temperature (in the DH network) and We have got to leave that road. Instead we need to use
very small water flows inside the buildings. In this way you sustainable energy solutions and mass burn incineration,
can achieve a heat loss in the underground DH network as which is a bi-product of society anyway. Waste manage-
28 agendaLow-energy buildings ACADEMY
How many names does a
single good idea need? In Europe, the
concept of low-energy housing seems
to attract names like a magnet: Passiv Haus,
Low-Energy House Class 1, Null Energie
Haus, OIB 2010, Minergie, Nordic Swan,
Code Level 3, Zero Carbon Home, Effiner-
gie. But they all describe a single positive
tendency: National building regulations are
constantly getting stricter, and as a result
houses will use much less energy in the
future than they do today. This also means
that architects, engineers, contractors and
energy system suppliers are forced to work
much more closely together than formerly to
meet the more stringent standards.
ment in CHPs has a big potential internationally,” he says.
It is not used very much in Europe today, but according to
Svend Svendsen it is an environmentally very good solution
– so long as gas treatment takes place. Lots of countries
are still using open-air waste disposal sites from where the
trace gas methane is contributing to the greenhouse effect.
“That is bad. I recommend much more waste manage-
ment and much more solar energy connected to the heat
plants. In this way we will get rid of a big part of our fossil
fuels dependency, save lots of money and bring down CO2
emissions dramatically,” Svend Svendsen says.
The revolution has started
The DH expert is well aware that district heating is rather
undeveloped in many countries. However, this doesn’t
mean there is no future for this system in these countries.
On the contrary, he recommends to city authorities that di-
strict heating in combination with combined heat and power
should be part of the plan when they are developing new
city areas. And a look around Europe shows us that it is
already being done in cities like London, Berlin and Milan as
well as in New York. In old city centres, it is more difficult.
“But without political plans this will not be reality. In Den-
mark it seems to go slowly forward, but the revolution has
already started concerning the buildings. The new Danish
Building Regulations of 2008 put up strict demands, and
already in 2010 all new buildings have to live up to low-
energy Class 2 regulations. This also goes for modernization
of existing buildings. I’m always saying: Insulate the houses
properly and modernize or build out the district heating sy-
stems. Then we are on the right track. If we don’t do that, it
will be extremely difficult to bring down CO2 emissions and
get rid of fossil fuels - which I think is necessary in the long
run,” professor Svend Svendsen concludes.
agenda 29You can also read
