Smart district heating: Cogeneration and solar systems integration to convert an existing utility substation

Abstract

The new goals towards efficiency increase, pollutant emissions and fossil fuel reduction had led to an increasing diffusion of district heating networks. New generations of district heating had introduced the concept of smart thermal grids, consisting in the bidirectional thermal energy exchange between network and final users and aiming at replicating the concept of electric smart grid in the heat sector. With this purpose, the integration between district heating networks and distributed generation systems becomes essential and the optimization of the utility substations is a key point. This study aims at the elaboration of possible solutions for the conversion of an existing utility substation in order to enable a bidirectional thermal energy exchange. Two different configurations will be proposed and analyzed, considering different distributed generation systems to be installed at the final user. The operation model of these cases will be defined with the purpose of optimizing the thermal exchange. Furthermore, the actions required for the conversion of the existing utility substation will be evaluated through a technical analysis, in order to define the novel substation potentialities. Based on the obtained results, the preliminary technical schematic of the converted utility substations have been designed and discussed.