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.
The ENNSHAFEN port, located in Enns, is the newest and most modern public port in Austria. Several local stakeholders are committed to invest in various types of energy cooperation: PV modules on (large) company roofs or other areas at the Ennshafen site, utilization of waste heat flux at Ennshafen between relevant companies, cooperation of companies regarding electricity (supply and demand) and gas (supply and demand), and electrification of the power supply of anchored
ships.
An interesting energy cooperation solution can be found in Tuscany, where one can find an industrial area mainly composed of several tanneries and a shared
wastewater treatment plant, managed by Cuoiodepur. Several local stakeholders agreed on the following principles:
1.) Energy cooperation is considered as a chance to highlight the efforts of industrial park towards a low carbon economy.
2.) Reduction of energy costs.
3.) Energy autonomy in order to avoid the risks associated with the volatility of energy prices and enhance the use of potential energy.
4.) A more economic and environmentally sustainable management of solid and liquid waste.
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.
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 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.
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.
Municipality of Miskolc City and PannErgy Plc. decided to decrease the natural gas consumption and hazardous material emission of the city’s central heating plant with renewable energy from a geothermal source, which would ultimately ensure a cleaner and more livable city for the inhabitants of Miskolc.
The DH is located in the city of Alessandria in North-West Italy. The existing built environment is
made prevalently by apartment blocks aging from years 60-70 of 1900. A recent project aimed to increase the share of renewable and
cogenerated heat and reducing the local pollution by cleaner
plants. Two levels of temperature are created to exploit
heating in optimal way by different sources. The project has
been validated by a dynamic optimization procedure
integrated with the design.
Abandoned coal mines contain large volumes of water at constant temperatures (increasing with depth by 1-3 °C per 100 m), thanks to their networks of flooded galleries and shafts lying at depths of up to several hundred metres below the surface. Heat pumps can take this geothermal energy and uplift it to a more useful temperature.