Waste heat in smart energy systems
Integration of waste (also called excess or surplus) heat flows into the district heating systems has been identified as a significant complementary driver on the road to climate neutrality by delivering primary energy savings. Unused heat flows could partly cover heat demand if suitable technical and organizational conditions have been met. There have been previous studies on waste heat potential assessment and the possibility of heat load coverage. However, the research gap still exists regarding the conditions for broader use of waste heat flows if the elements of the smart energy system are integrated into the energy sector (including smart heat meters, thermal storage systems, heat pumps, and low-temperature heating networks). Furthermore, the necessity to valorize waste heat from industrial objects, energy production facilities, data centres, supermarkets, wastewater treatment plants, and other heat sources at the regional scale has been emphasized in the existing legislative documents of the European Union. Therefore, potential waste heat sources in the Baltic-Nordic region will be valorized within the proposed project through an in-depth national potential assessment, technical simulation, and cost-benefit analysis. The exergy cost method will be applied to valorizing different waste heat flows by assigning an economical cost value, representing the cost of deploying a certain exergy flow through every transformation process. Different added value factors will be considered, including technical parameters of waste heat sources, used transmission and storage technologies, and heat sink requirements. Based on technical and economic modelling results, the project aims to develop a decision-making model for relevant stakeholders and recommendations on suitable conditions for waste heat integration into the future smart energy systems in Nordic and Baltic countries from the legislative organizational and business perspective.
By investigating diverse cultural and geographical contexts in Baltic-Nordic regions, this project will significantly increase the flexibility and resilience of urban energy systems and promote the new local energy market.
Furthermore, this project will strengthen the Baltic-Nordic knowledge in the areas of energy-efficient energy systems. It will promote the best technical and economic solutions and develop strategies for the higher education of next-generation researchers in these regions to tackle future challenges and developments.
PROJECT FUNDED BY:
Baltic-Nordic Energy Research Program for 2022-2023
PROJECT DURATION:
From 1st of February 2022 until 31st of January 2024
PROJECT BUDGET:
RTU: 682 500.00 NOK
Total: 1 837 500.00 NOK
SCIENTIFIC LEADER OF THE PROJECT:
Dagnija Blumberga
PUBLISHED:
04.02.2022.
PROJECT PARTNERS:
On February 16, 2024, the opinion of senior researcher Ieva Pakere was published in the mass media lasi.lv with the topic “Your energy: Taking heat wisely: optimizing opportunities”.
District heating in Latvia has developed significantly over the last twenty years, however, the unsettled laws and meager support for innovation still prevent the widespread use of the advantages of combined heat supply solutions and also alternative fuels.
The article is available here: https://lasi.lv/par-svarigo/projekti/sava-energija-panemt-siltumu-gudri-optimizejot-iespejas.11834
From 24-25 of 2022 In October, senior researcher Ieva Pakere participated and presented the progress of the project at the Joint Baltic-Nordic Energy Research Program Conference in Riga, Latvia.
On April 26, 2022, Professor Dagnija Blumberga discussed the future challenges of the heat supply system in the “Crossroads” program of Latvian Radio 1.
The recording of the program is available here: https://lr1.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/krustpunkta/krustpunkta-diskusija-iespejas-parkartot-siltumapgades-sistemas-.a159569/
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
Grāvelsiņš, A., Blumberga, A., Pakere, I., Blumberga, D. Decarbonization of the electricity sector – barriers and policies. Case in Latvia (2022) Energy Proceedings. Vol.28: Closing Carbon Cycles – A Transformation Process Involving Technology, Economy, and Society: Part 3, 28 (3), p. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.46855/energy-proceedings-10254 (Published: 2022)
PARTICIPATION IN SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES:
2022
8-11th August | International scientific conference The 14th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE2022) | Bochum, Germany/Online | Ieva Pakere | Decarbonization of the electricity sector – barriers and policies. Case in Latvia
