WEMO24-Compiled Report-Interactive compressed (002) 4154-7882-8116 v.1 - Flipbook - Page 136
Don’t underestimate residential and
civic demand
Demand for the heating of residential and civic buildings is
almost the same as industrial demand for heat. This observation
is less surprising when you realize that district heating is mainly
used by buildings and not industry. In fact, according to the
International Energy Agency5, industrial processes account for
53% of demand, buildings account for 44%, and agriculture the
remaining 3%.
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Overcoming complexity
District heating, also known as a heat
network, is a system for distributing
heat generated in a centralized location
through a system of insulated pipes.
It satis昀椀es residential and commercial
heating requirements, such as space
heating and water heating as well as low
temperature industrial process heating.
Various challenges need to be overcome to accelerate the
scale and speed of the decarbonization of industrial, civic, and
residential heating and cooling.
We must consider variations in technological and supply
chain maturity. The establishment of appropriate financial,
investment, incentive, subsidy and regulatory models. The role
of partnerships and collaborative innovation in overcoming
technical hurdles. The identification of new and cost-effective
ways of replacing key components within traditional industrial
processes. And, of course, the huge role of digital and AI.
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However, the shift away from gas to green technologies, such
as heat pumps, is accelerating in civic and residential buildings.
Likewise, district heating and cooling systems are increasingly
viable and attractive. Especially in urban, multiple occupation
locations providing shared access to low-cost, low-carbon heat
and cooling.
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Industrial heat is in the blind
spot of energy transition
5 International Energy Agency, Renewables 2022 https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2022/
renewable-heat
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