Author: atene KOM GmbH
In the frame of an online meeting from 24 to 26 March, the LowTEMP partnership live-tested learning material on innovative strategies and tools to plan, finance and manage low-temperature district heating (LTDH) systems.
Efficient district heating (DH) systems are an important component to achieve sustainable energy supply and thus contribute to reduced energy waste and greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions. To reach this goal, LowTEMP raises know-how among the responsible public and private stakeholders on the necessity to deploy smart and sustainable energy supply systems. These systems allow the use of renewable or unused surplus heat and low temperature heat distribution.
Now, after two and a half years of project implementation and joined exchange and increase of knowledge, the LowTEMP consortium is testing a first set of teaching material for a two to three-days seminar targeted towards municipal representatives responsible for energy issues, heat suppliers and energy utilities, energy agencies, planners and engineers in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). This learning material presents innovative strategies and tools to plan, finance and manage LTDH systems.
The project now is at a point, where the training modules and seminars need to be tested. To successfully implement this first trial despite the current COVID-19 pandemic and restricted travel, almost 30 participants from ten partner countries joined in an online meeting, which was split into several training sessions from 24 to 26 March 2020. The partners who developed modules presented them in a 30 to 45 minutes PowerPoint presentation including practical examples and short assignments to the partnership, thus including interactive elements. The partners then had the opportunity to provide constructive feedback so that the modules can now be further improved and optimised.
Currently, the “LowTEMP Training Package” contains the following modules:
Introduction into Climate Protection Policy and Goals (developed by ZEBAU GmbH)
- Provides background information on European and national levels
Introduction into Energy Supply Systems and LTDH (developed by ZEBAU GmbH)
- Outlines different concepts and generations of DH
Energy Supply Systems in the BSR (developed by Thermopolis)
- Overview on different heat supply systems in the BSR countries
Development of Energy Strategies (developed by Riga Technical University and Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus – Senftenberg)
- Strategic approach and tools for the development of energy strategies including best practices from “Pilot Energy Strategies”
Economic efficiency and funding gaps in (LT)DH systems (developed by Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus – Senftenberg)
- Introduction and application of a method to calculate economic efficiency and funding gaps
Business models and innovative funding structures for LTDH (developed by Sustainable Business Hub and Gate 21)
- Illustration of different business models and a toolbox to find (innovative) funding structures
Requirements of low temperature building equipment (developed by ZEBAU GmbH)
- Technical functions, types and status of implementation in DH
Technical infrastructure, heat production and storage possibilities (developed by AGFW-Project-GmbH)
- Installation methods, maintenance options, possible upgrades
Within the remaining project time until September 2020, the “LowTEMP Training Package” will be completed with more modules and made available on the LowTEMP website. After finalisation, it will be transferred to other BSR municipalities, energy agencies, planners and DH suppliers via a “train- the-trainer” approach, thus increasing the durability of the project know-how and outcomes.