As Europe’s business leaders and policymakers gather to discuss how to scale district heating and cooling to accelerate decarbonization, Danfoss representatives will highlight the importance of optimizing energy production, distribution, and consumption within a district energy network. “When it comes to implementing and scaling district energy networks, it’s essential that we think holistically,” explains Saška Rihtaršič, Vice President District Energy Danfoss. “If you take district heating, for example, the priority is ensuring that the network can produce enough heat to meet end-user demand. Secondly, it’s important to optimize the running of the network and predict and forecast accurately. An end-to-end approach helps to optimize the overall network and integrate renewable energy while keeping a stable and affordable energy supply. District energy plays an important role in the entire energy system, as an example with the demand response market.”
District energy is mostly talked about in large scale in the bigger cities, but there is a huge potential in establishing smaller scale networks in rural areas. These microgrids are small district heating networks that can serve between 200 and 10,000 buildings. “Microgrids are a great way of connecting producers and consumers at the local level, which is essential for meeting the energy challenges facing our communities,” Jonas Loholm, Director Business Development Danfoss District Energy, says. “And since they rely on decentralized, renewable heating sources, microgrids give us the benefit of a secure energy supply that can satisfy increasing energy demand while lowering CO2 emissions.”
On June 4, Anton Koller, Divisional President Hydronics at Danfoss Climate Solutions, will participate in the opening session, “Scale-up, CO2 down!”. This session will examine the recently adopted Fitfor55 legislative package and the paradigm shift needed to scale up the deployment of efficient district energy networks across Europe. “To meet the targets set out in Fitfor55, we need to reduce CO2 emissions by 90% by 2040,” Anton Koller says. “Yet our buildings still account for 42% of the EU’s final energy consumption, and 80% of that energy is used for heating and cooling. So, it’s important to consider the full hydronics system from the secondary side to the primary side - a true end-to-end approach. This will make our energy system more efficient and optimize the use of renewable energy.”
On June 5, Saška Rihtaršič will participate in the session, “(Heat) Pump your network up!”, which will focus on the impact of the European Heat Pump action plan and the role large heat pumps will play in decarbonizing district energy networks. “Excess heat as the world’s largest untapped energy source, and that is the case. By implementing the technologies needed to tap into synergies between sectors and fully utilize excess heat, we could potentially save EUR 67.4 bn a year by 2050,” she says. “Heat pumps play an essential role in this process and help us decarbonize district energy.” Session attendees will hear from leading experts about state-of-the-art technologies and business models that can help them integrate large heat pumps to decarbonize and optimize district energy networks.
Also on June 4, Andrea Voigt, Vice President and Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability, Danfoss Climate Solutions, will conduct a session, “Navigating through transformation”. The panel discussion will focus on ESG and digitalization and feature essential stakeholders from across the value chain, including Danfoss Head of Digital Services, Natalie Schnippering. Panel participants will talk about the importance of ESG reporting and the key role digital solutions play in creating transparency around the impact of decarbonization. They will also explore the ongoing transformation from combustion-based models to alternative energy sources and digital innovation. “There are so many factors impacting district energy networks: regulatory shifts, investor demands, market pressures and climate and energy policy dynamics,” explains Andrea Voigt. “I look forward to exploring the impact of these trends and driving forces on district energy network development, together with the panelists, and spotlighting real-world examples of how we can create future-proof heating and cooling systems.”