Bergamo Green
An agreement between A2A Calore & Servizi and REA DALMINE (waste to energy plant), owned by Greenthesis Group, will lead to a 50% increase in the heat available in the district heating network of the City of Bergamo.
Residential
The establishment of an open district heating network
Warmtenetwerk Zaanstad B.V. has created the first open district heating network in the Netherlands in Zaanstad-Oost. This organization is a partnership between the municipality of Zaanstad, Firan, and the provincial authority of Noord-Holland. Thanks to the open structure, all suppliers and customers will ultimately be able to use the heating infrastructure under the same conditions. The district heating network, which has supplied heat to an existing residential district since 2019, is powered by a local small-scale biomass plant in this early phase. In the future, we will also be able to connect newly constructed homes and create links for new products, suppliers and users.
A master plan for creating a hydrogen valley in Spain
In 2003, a hydrogen strategy was developed by the Government of Aragon. Its main objective is the development of new hydrogen technologies integrated with renewable energies and the promotion of Aragon’s incorporation to economic activities related to the use of hydrogen as an energy vector. To that end, the organisation, management, and execution of a wide range of actions in order to generate, store and transport hydrogen for its use in fuel cells, in transport applications or for the generation of distributed energy is carried out. The Government of Aragon aims to encourage research, technological development, cogeneration and industrial adaptation, contributing to industrial modernisation and the improvement of competitiveness. The implantation of projects based on sustainable energies that provide technological innovation and promote the energetic and environmental sustainability are favoured. Nowadays there are 73 members of the hydrogen strategy which are part of its Board and they belong to different sectors of interest.
Hydrogen valley in the Northern Netherlands
Over the past several years, the Northern Netherlands has accelerated its hydrogen project pipeline together with its ambitions of becoming the leading European hydrogen ecosystem. The Northern Netherlands has received recognition as the leading European Hydrogen Valley developing a full-fledged green hydrogen value chain. Furthermore, multinationals have increasingly committed to the Northern Netherlands as their hydrogen ecosystem of choice, and regional governments have increased their commitments to realize the Northern Netherlands hydrogen ecosystem.
Green hydrogen as heat source for houses
The Municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee aims to be energy-neutral in 2020 through the use of wind energy. They want to proactively move away from natural gas and to be a model location for sustainable energy solutions. Stad aan ‘t Haringvliet has been designated as a pilot location. After research, it became clear that all-electricity is difficult and inefficient and that connecting households at natural moments gives the best result in terms of sustainability. Stedin has also indicated that the natural gas grid is suitable for hydrogen and that the estimated costs of this solution are lower than an all-electric solution that involves reinforcing the electricity grid. So why not switch to hydrogen straight away?
Geothermal energy as the solution for small villages in Italy
The Brescia Province (Italy) is an area with major superficial aquifers and geological irregularity. This allows the exploitation of a geothermal source. Analysis of the results achieved by Cogeme SpA in the research of deep geothermal fluids and in the prototyping of “cold district heating” network systems allowing a rational use of groundwater for energy purposes.
Using coal mine water as source for district heating
Mijnwater BV stands for building a grid that is affordable for its customers, allowing them maximum opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of their own buildings, and resulting in a collective infrastructure that will further reduce energy needs. This should form a solid foundation for being sustainably financed in the long term.
Communal heating in Aberdeen
In 1999 Aberdeen City Council, which has some 26,500 properties, adopted a comprehensive Affordable Warmth Strategy. Since then Aberdeen has upgraded a large proportion of their housing stock. The improvements were mainly in heating systems, building fabric and levels of insulation. They have made a positive contribution to achieving local key objectives of affordability, sustainability, ensuring tenants’ safety and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
A biomass district heating system serving 543 homes
A housing co-operative in one of Scotland’s poorest regions is investing £6.5 million in a scheme to boost almost 550 households out of fuel poverty. West Whitlawburn Housing Co-operative – run by a volunteer board of 14 unpaid tenants – will connect 543 homes to a renewable biomass boiler through a district heating system. The project, part-funded with £1.5 million of Warm Homes Fund loan cash, will bring annual heat and hot water savings of around 20% to tenants.
Small scale communal heating in Edingbrough
To test new approaches that could improve the sustainability of housing in Scotland, a new heating system was developed for Slateford Green, an area consisting of 120 flats in the heart of Edinburgh. The project was developed by Dunedin Canmore Housing Association with Hackland-Dore Architects. Although the plans were very ambitious, there were various obstacles that prevented the utilization of sustainable solutions.