Search

Smart local energy systems (SLES) that integrate heat, power and mobility vectors are part of the UK strategy to reach net zero carbon by 2050. This paper investigates the opportunities and challenges for implementing SLES in cities and towns through case studies in two very different locations in the UK: London and the West Midlands. The blueprint for the GreenSCIES SLES was developed in Islington, London, and consists of a 5 th generation ambient loop district heat network with electric vehicles, storage and solar PV. This network allows for heat sharing between buildings and applications for heat recovery from local sources. A second case study explored the opportunities and challenges for improving a previously proposed conventional 3rd generation district heat network, which connects new developments and existing local authority high-rise apartments in the West Midlands, using the GreenSCIES blueprint. The initial design was expanded to include more existing domestic and non-domestic properties. The study evaluated heat recovery from industrial processes, interseasonal thermal storage in the aquifer and considered the opportunity for adding electric vehicle charging points along the network route. The results show a way to decarbonise heat across the whole area and provide a path to enable the electrification of transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat networks are a key technology proposed in the UK Government's Clean Growth Strategy for delivering low carbon and low-cost energy to urban communities in the UK. Currently, around 2% of all heat in the UK is provided by heat networks compared to other countries such as Sweden/Denmark, where they have more than 30% delivered in this way. Most of the Scandinavian systems use high temperature 3rd or 4th generation heat networks (>50-80°C) [>122-176°F] and these are often driven by fossil fuel powered Combined Heat and Power (CHP), which are carbon intensive and also impact on local pollution/particulates. In the UK there is a drive towards 5th generation heat networks involving ambient temperature loops (13 - 25°C) [55-77°F]. These systems deliver additional benefits and savings as they are able to share heat/coolth across the network and capture waste heat from secondary heat sources like the heat from London Underground ventilation shafts and local data centres. They utilise heat pumps to deliver heat or cold from the loop to individual applications or buildings and they avoid emissions of particulates associated with CHP. This paper investigates how existing 3rd and 4th generation networks can be connected into 5th generation systems. It uses the 3rd generation Bunhill CHP installation in the London borough of Islington as a case study to investigate the relative performance when converting a system. The paper describes the techno-economic models developed to show how the Bunhill installation might perform when connected to 5th generation, including CAPEX and engineering connection approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to pass laws to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Meeting this ambitious target not only requires a shift in energy supply from fossil fuels to low carbon energy sources, but also a reduction in energy demand through the roll-out of energy efficiency improvements to existing buildings. The UK has some of the oldest and most inefficient housing stock in Western Europe and the building sector is responsible for approximately half of energy consumption. The present work has a strong focus on exploring low carbon heat supply tehcnologies could be applied to existing housing stock, using the London Borough of Islington (LBI) as a case study. The applicability of low carbon energy efficiency measures to a range of different building archetype prominent within LBI is discussed and evaluated. The methodology implemented includes both qualitative and quantitative assessment of the opportunities and benefits, with a focus on applicability, cost, and carbon savings associated with two low carbon heat supply options. The overall evaluation approach presented in the paper is applicable to other urban areas in the UK and elsewhere. Key conclusion from the study and planned next steps are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates the opportunity for UK local authorities to utilise waste heat from local industry to accelerate their success with meeting net zero emissions targets. It presents the results of a feasibility study for an urban area in Yorkshire, UK aimed at driving clean growth and decarbonisation in local industry together with investment in low carbon energy systems. This is an ambient loop district heating network design with sharing of heating between buildings and heat recovery from a local industry source, including mine water. This adapts the GreenSCIES concept developed initially for Islington, London, tailored to local council demands and local industry energy sources. The scheme would be based on a low temperature heat network with large, decentralised heat pumps to raise temperatures to that required in the connected buildings/dwellings. The heat source is low-grade waste-heat from a local glassworks which is readily accessible with minimal disruption to 24/7 operations. The scheme considered thermal storage and the integration of a 20MW solar PV farm and a 10MW windfarm. The results show that that it is possible to decarbonise large parts of the borough including their social housing stock. In addition, using old mine workings as a means of storing and recovering heat, allows seasonal storage of heat to act both as back-up and top-up to the heat available from the glassworks. This novel approach uses natural resources and builds on local industry to accelerate economic regeneration paving the way to net zero carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the investigation of heat pumps for GreenSCIES, a 5th Generation heat network in Islington, London. The paper describes the GreenSCIES concept integrating Mobility, Power and Heat into a local energy system. At the heart of the system is a 5th generation heat network, which utilises an ambient heat network to capture secondary heat and share heat between different applications. The GreenSCIES network, technology utilised and buildings connected are described. Heat pumps are used to amplify the temperature of the ambient loop to deliver heat at the required temperature in connected buildings. A number of different heat pumps using different refrigerants and configurations were appraised in this study. This considered the performance, safety, environmental impact, operational and capital expenditure point of view. The study shows the importance of heat pump COP on the economics of operating the system and suggests innovative series arrangements in order to improve performance and economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on three recent case studies which have shown encouraging economic results in meeting net-zero carbon emissions targets through Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES) in different localities across England, based on the GreenSCIES model. The blueprint for the GreenSCIES SLES was developed in Islington, London, and consists of a 5th generation ambient loop district heat network using heat from a large data centre, also including electric vehicle charging, storage and solar PV. This allows for heat sharing between buildings and applications for heat recovery from local sources. In Sandwell, Birmingham, where the heating demand is nearly ten times higher than the cooling demand the design is based on a 4th generation heat network with waste heat from a local metal foundry and some cooling supply and heat storage in the aquifer. The design for a study in Barnsley, Sheffield, explored waste heat from a local glass factory and considered old mine workings as a means of storing and recovering heat, providing seasonal storage of heat for resilience to a single source industry. With additional work, the Barnsley scheme could be further expanded, increasing the available carbon emissions savings. These examples provide practical, feasible and economic SLES projects which demonstrate the importance of collaboration between researchers, local government and industry. They also illustrate how the original GreenSCIES concept can be adapted successfully to provide a pathway towards netzero carbon for a diverse range of urban locations with different housing density and waste heat sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of a systematic approach for the performance optimisation of smart local energy systems (SLES) using central London, UK as a case study. Key components of the SLES are linked in decentralised energy centres, which are connected through an ultra-low temperature (also called ambient loop) 5th generation heating & cooling (5DHC) network. The 5DHC approach requires a means of balancing the heat and coolth in the ambient loop. This work has identified that the introduction of Aquifer thermal energy stores (ATES) system could be a novel way of achieving that balancing mechanism as well as to provide heat and coolth store interseasonally. This paper describes a comprehensive study, which investigated the potential of using the London aquifer system for supplying and balancing the thermal loads of a 5DHC network in Central London. The paper first introduces a currently ongoing detailed design project called GreenSCIES - Green Smart Community Integrated Energy Systems. Then it presents the methodology applied for evaluating the opportunity for implementing and optimising the scheme making use of an ATES system. Results of novel and comprehensive numerical groundwater modelling of the ATES system behaviour at the proposed location are presented and discussed in detail. Furthermore, the results are discussed in relation to optimal location, design and operational regime of the boreholes in order to achieve maximum performance of the proposed 5DHC scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces a concept design for the UK's first large-scale fifth generation (5G) smart energy network using an area in central London as a case study. The proposed system will incorporate a range of different renewables and secondary energy sources that will supply a large proportion of the energy demand of the overall district network capacity. The network will operate at close to ambient temperature, approximately 15-25°C (59-77°F) as a single loop system, with individual heat pumps for each end user or building connected to the network. The system also integrates thermal and electrical storage to create additional flexibility for the network and smart control for demand-side management. The paper describes the proposed 5G network concept and details the selected components of the system, in particular urban location. Key outcomes of the study presented in this paper provide understanding of the relative performance of individual technologies in a complex system using a techno-economic modelling approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]