EUROHEAT & POWER CONGRESS 2023 - 22-24 MAY 2023

Natalie Schnippering, Head of Digital Services, Danfoss Climate Solutions, talks about key takeaways from the first day of the Euroheat & Power Congress. The opening session highlighted how the end-to-end digitalization of the energy grid is key to the energy transition’s success. Danfoss offers solutions that support this digitalization, helping utilities, energy producers and consumers make the most of the energy they produce.  

What are the challenges and opportunities related to district heating? And which business models do we need to put in place to ensure its widespread adoption? These were the questions Andrea Voigt, Global Head of Public Affairs at Danfoss Climate Solutions discussed with Kristina Lygnerud, IVL, Swedish Environment Research Institute and expert in district heating solutions, at the 2023 Euroheat & Power Congress. According to Kristina, the fact that district heating is combustion-free is its biggest advantage. It’s also local, which means it doesn’t need to be transported. And it enables municipalities to have a resilient system, because they derive heating from a combination of sources. However, there are hurdles that need to be crossed. We need to move from the large, centralized systems we use today to decentralization. We also need to interact with new suppliers and implement new technologies, such as heat pumps and heat storage. The good news is that the technologies are available today. Now, we need to focus on stakeholder and business model development.   

Jonas Hamann Loholm, Head of Business Development, District Energy, Danfoss Climate Solutions, was on-hand at the 2023 Euroheat & Power Congress, to talk about how we can decarbonize the district energy industry. In this video, Jonas explains how reusing excess heat from data centers and supermarkets can help us accelerate the energy transition, while dramatically reducing energy costs.  

To optimize district energy networks, digitalization is crucial. In this interview, Milan Jungic, Digital Product Portfolio Manager at Danfoss Climate Solutions explains how Danfoss’ digital solutions enable end-to-end optimization of the district energy network.   

In this video interview with Andrea Voigt, Global Head of Public Affairs, Adrian Vrinceanu, Product Portfolio Manager, explains how Titan substations improve energy efficiency at each point in the district energy network. 

What role does hydronic balancing play in making our buildings more energy efficient? That’s one of the questions Saška Rihtaršič, Vice President, District Energy, Danfoss Climate Solutions, addresses in this interview with Andrea Voigt, Global Head of Public Affairs, filmed during the 2023 Euroheat & Power Congress. 

We spoke with Ettore Filippini, Head of Network Operation Maintenance, A2A Calore & Servizi S.R.L., at the 2023 Euroheat & Power Congress, to get his views on this question. A2A works actively in Italy to develop the circular economy and support the energy transition. In this interview, Ettore talks about the three most important factors for accelerating district heating’s green transformation: financial support and investment; faster authorization of projects; and easier implementation of regulations. He also shares his company’s experiences with increasing the efficiency of district heating throughout Italy, by installing heat pumps and increasing heat storage.  
 

District energy is an area with tremendous potential in Italy. This was the conclusion of a study conducted by the Polytech University in Milan, Italy. We spoke with Lorenzo Spadoni, President, AIRU, at the 2023 Euroheat & Power Congress about the study’s results and the untapped potential of heat recovery and renewable energy sources in Italy. Lorenzo also discusses the changes needed to realize the benefits of district energy in this interview.  

How can digitalization help us make district heating more efficient? We discussed this topic with Matteo Pozzi, CEO, Optit Srl at the 2023 Euroheat & Power Congress. Matteo highlighted how digitalization can help in two key phases: district energy network design and operations. In the design phase, creating a digital twin can help network administrators evaluate the impact of different design options before making decisions. This means they can invest where it matters. In the operations phase, digital twin technology can help administrators to reconstruct conditions across the network at any given time, so they can see how the network behaves, anticipate disruptions and manage and optimize network performance.  

While Europe focuses on optimizing energy efficiency in district heating networks, the Asia Pacific region is working to unlock the potential of district cooling. Andrea Voigt, Global Head of Public Affairs, caught up with Peter Lundberg, Executive Director, Asia Pacific Urban Energy Association, at the 2023 Euroheat & Power Congress, to discuss the progress the region is making in implementing district cooling solutions. In this interview, Peter talks about how district cooling can help countries in the region to meet their net zero targets, while combatting climate change and supporting economic growth.   

How can district heating help accelerate the energy transition? Andrea Voigt, Global Head of Public Affairs, spoke with Sam Oxenaar, Associate with the Regulatory Assistance Project, at the 2023 Euroheat & Power Congress, about the potential district heating networks have for providing clean heat. In this interview, Sam highlights the benefits district heating networks offer for energy storage, flexibility and incorporating more green electricity into the grid. He also explains the importance of creating smart district heating networks that use digitalization and data to improve efficiency.  

Are heat pumps and district energy competitors or friends? In this interview from the 2023 Euroheat & Power Congress, Jozefein Vanbecelaere, Head of EU Affairs at the European Heat Pump Association, speaks with Global Head of Public Affairs, Andrea Voigt, about the interplay between heat pumps and district energy. 

What are the biggest hurdles to widespread adoption of district heating solutions in Eastern Europe? Andrea Voigt, Global Head of Public Affairs, put this question to Morgan Henley, Campaigner on Renewable District Heating, CEE Bankwatch, at the 2023 Euroheat & Power Congress. CEE Bankwatch is an NGO working to convert existing power systems to renewable energy. The organization shows industries and municipalities how existing technology and solutions can help them decarbonize their energy systems. In this video, Morgan talks about the need to increase awareness regarding district energy solutions, make sure funds are allocated in the most effective manner possible and implement EU legislation in a way that achieves the maximum impact. Get Morgan’s insights in this video.  

Fifteen years ago, the Danish city of Sønderborg set an ambitious climate target: carbon neutrality by 2029. Thanks to the city’s well-established district heating system, they’re able to reuse excess heat from supermarkets, data centers and industries. In this video interview with Andrea Voigt, Global Head of Public Affairs, Brian Seeburg, CEO at ProjectZero, talks about the lessons they’ve learned during their decarbonization journey, and how other cities can make climate action happen. 

What is the future of district energy? Andrea Voigt, Global Head of Public Affairs, discussed this question with Aurelie Beauvais, Managing Director, EuroHeat & Power, at the 2023 EuroHeat & Power Congress. Aurelie’s view was optimistic, as most European countries are experiencing a marked increase in their district energy networks. Given the immense challenges facing the European energy sector, Aurelie believes we need to look beyond electricity and consider all types of energy sources, such as excess heat and renewable energy sources. And therein lies the beauty of district energy; it can tap into all these sources and incorporate them into the energy grid.  

“Reusing excess heat is a win-win-win.” Graeme Maidment, Professor of Heating and Cooling, London South Bank University 

At the 2023 EuroHeat & Power Congress, Andrea Voigt, Global Head of Public Affairs, spoke with Graeme Maidment about the progress the UK is making towards meeting its net zero targets and what can be done to decarbonize heating. Graeme highlights the vast untapped potential of reusing excess heat in urban areas via a district heating network. By capturing and reusing excess heat, you reduce emissions from the excess heat source, such as a data center, while also reducing emissions at the places where the excess heat is consumed. It’s a win-win-win.  

“We need to look at energy as a local product,” Bob D’haeseleer, City Advisor, Net Zero Cities, ICLEI 

During the 2023 EuroHeat & Power Congress, Andrea Voigt, Global Head of Public Affairs, spoke with Bob D’haeseleer about his work with the Net Zero Cities project and which solutions will be instrumental in fueling the energy transition. The largest European Commission-funded project, the Net Zero Project works with 112 European cities to help them reach the goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. Bob’s role is to identify the structural barriers cities need to overcome to reach this goal. One of the key elements of success, according to Bob, is for cities and municipalities to start viewing energy as a local product. This will help make energy transition discussions more tangible on the local level.