Just comfort: district heating and cooling as a sustainable energy solution

Keith Baker, Ronald Mould

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

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Abstract

In this chapter, we consider the potential for district heating and district heating and cooling systems (DHS/DHC) to decarbonise our built environments by supplying affordable low-/zero-carbon heat generated from sustainable, renewable or low-carbon energy sources. We also highlight the potential of these systems for addressing fuel/energy poverty and delivering environmental, social and economic co-benefits and address the question of how we might define and assess a ‘successful’ DHS/DHC system. We present a brief history of district heating, followed by a consideration of the technological and fuel supply options for modern DHS/DHC systems, and discuss how Denmark came to be the world leader in fourth-generation DHS networks and how the lessons learned from the Danish experience can be applied elsewhere, particularly in our home country of Scotland. We conclude by presenting our own assessment criteria, which have been developed in collaboration with experts from Denmark and Scotland, with the intention of supporting a new revolution in the deployment of district heating and cooling.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSmart Cities, Energy and Climate: Governing Cities for a Low-Carbon Future
EditorsOleg Golubchikov, Komali Yenneti
PublisherWiley
Chapter18
Pages305-326
Number of pages22
ISBN (Electronic)9781118641156
ISBN (Print)9781118640661
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Jun 2024

Keywords

  • District cooling
  • District heating
  • Energy poverty
  • Fuel poverty
  • Heat

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences
  • General Environmental Science

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