New heating and cooling solutions using low grade sources of thermal energy

For 2016 only (Research and Innovation Action): Actions are needed to develop, demonstrate, validate and improve the overall efficiencies of:

• technologies that are able to use low valued (low-grade) energy sources (residual and renewable sources of thermal energy) in low-exergy heating and cooling systems.
• technologies that are able to take advantage of very low and low (moderate) temperature resources, e.g. by upgrading them, in order to generate useful heating and cooling and if relevant electricity. (e.g. heat pumps able to harvest low-grade heat, heat driven chillers and heat driven combined heat and power cycles). Necessary attention should be paid to improving system reliability and automated operation.

Proposals are expected to address one or both of the two areas mentioned above, as necessary. The activities are expected to be implemented at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4-6 (please see part G of the General Annexes).

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 3 and 4 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

The scope of this topic might change in 2017 to investigate the applicability of low and very low temperature district heating for buildings with high thermal performance. This will depend on the conclusions of the Heating and Cooling Strategy by the end of 2015 and will be subject of a Work Programme revision in 2016.

For 2017 only (Innovation Action): Actions are needed to demonstrate the applicability of low temperature district networks using large shares of residual and renewable energy sources of low-grade heat to supply space heating and hot water to areas of buildings with high thermal performance standards., which could also include applications in areas with lower building density areas than those typically considered for district heating. Actions could include applications in newly developed district heating networks or could show means through which existing networks could respond to the expected decrease in thermal demand and supply temperatures due to better building performance through conversion to low temperature district heating networks.

As necessary and relevant (e.g. due to climatic conditions) proposals could also integrate the provision of space cooling as part of the overall solution although the focus of this topic should remain in the provision of space heating and hot water. Concerning the provision of hot water projects should give consideration to providing solutions to eliminate the risk of legionella. Proposals may also consider the combination of district heating solutions with solutions at the individual building level as long as the concrete solution respond to the challenges of this topic.

Proposals should pay attention to presenting solutions that are able to offer competitive cost of heat in areas of buildings with high thermal performance which could also include applications in areas with lower building density areas than those typically considered for district heating. Proposals should pay attention to means of reducing heat distribution losses and to achieving reduction in the installation costs of networks whilst retaining reliability and durability of the distribution network. Modern district heating systems also need to meet the challenge of effectively and efficiently addressing large daily and seasonal variations of heat loads for space heating, while ensuring the meeting of the largely constant demand for domestic hot water, though advance control mechanisms, energy storage and the connection of multiple generation sources. Consideration should be therefore given to the optimisation of the system operation via advanced controls and storage, and the use of metering and interfaces that allow the end user to play an active role in the system both as and end user and a supplier.

Proposals should propose technical solutions and business models for successful commercial operation of the district heating applications described in this topic. Therefore the projects should engage and involve as necessary district heating companies and technology providers.

Proposals should aim at moving technologies from TRL 5-6 to TRL 7-8. In all cases TRL-7 or TRL-8 should be achieved at the end of project activities (please see part G of the General Annexes).

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 3 and 4 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

For 2016 only (Research and Innovation):

In their vast majority, heating and cooling demand is supplied using high valued energy sources e.g. electricity and fossil fuel driven appliances. However, there is a wide range of thermal energy sources[[Sources of residual and renewable energy e.g. sewage water, underground resources, solar heat, low grade waste heat, etc.]] which due to their temperature levels are not generally used to deliver useful heating and/or cooling.

On the one hand, the share of low valued energy sources in the supply of useful heat and cooling can be increased if low exergy systems[[In the context of this topic this refers to systems able to deliver useful heating and cooling using low grade energy sources, e.g. sources of heating or cooling at temperature levels close to room temperature for space heating and cooling applications]] are used.

On the other hand, a number of technologies can be used to take advantage of low/moderate temperature resources[[The levels of temperature referred to as low/moderate will depend on the concrete application]], e.g. by upgrading them in order to generate useful heating and cooling and, in some cases, also electricity.

For 2017 only (Innovation Action on applicability of low temperature district heating to the buildings with high energy performance):

District energy systems can use low grade sources, such as residual heat (e.g. waste heat from industry processes, low-grade heat from waste water) and renewable energy available mainly at low temperatures only to supply heating to buildings with high thermal performance and equipped with low-temperature heating systems. The applicability of these highly efficient low temperature district heating systems however faces a number of challenges, such as the transition to technology maturity, the need to use newly dedicated or transform existing district heating distribution networks and building heating systems and the need to change the perception of what district heating can deliver to consumers. The transition to a highly efficient building stock can undermine the technical and economic viability of conventional district heating systems, because it reduces thermal demand while keeps the costs of supply and the network infrastructure the same. This results in higher cost of the heat delivered. The transition to highly efficient low-temperature district heating systems can address these challenges and enlarge the range of modern efficient heating supply options for consumers with low-cost, highly efficient and high-comfort district heating for efficient buildings.

For 2016 only (Research and Innovation Action):

Proposals are expected to demonstrate the impacts listed below, using quantified indicators and targets wherever possible:

• Primary energy savings and GHG emission savings triggered by the proposed solutions (compared to best available solution existing today);
• Increased share of residual and renewable sources of thermal energy in the supply heating and cooling demand;
• Gains in the overall efficiencies of heating and cooling systems using very low and low (moderate) temperature sources of thermal energy.

For 2017 only (Innovation Action):

Proposals are expected to demonstrate the impacts listed below, using quantified indicators and targets wherever possible:

• Primary energy savings and GHG emission savings triggered by the proposed solutions (compared to best available solution existing today);
• Competitiveness of the heat delivered by the proposed solutions (compared to best available solution existing today);
• Increased share of residual and renewable sources of thermal energy in the supply of heating demand;
• Reduction of heat distribution losses of the proposed solutions (compared to best available heat distribution network solutions existing today);
• Viable business model showing the economic and commercial viability of operating the proposed solutions
• Scale of the replicability potential of the proposed solutions