Tallaght District Heating scheme Transforming urban heat networks

The conversation about heat and power is shifting to district heating, writes Victor

Ferre, Xylem’s Senior Director for building services in Europe.

District heating is a vital source for 60 million Europeans today. This approach involves generating heat in a central location and distributing it through a pipe network to individual properties. It is recognised as a low-carbon, cost-effective solution for providing heat on a large scale.

In Ireland, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) estimates in the National Heat Study that over 50% of building stock would be suitable for connection to a district heating network, while the government has set targets to deliver 2.7 TWh/year of heating through district heating by 2030.

During the tumultuous period of 2022, district heating stood out for its stability and reliability, as other heating methods experienced price spikes. This resilience shields end-users from uncertainties faced by those relying on domestic heat boilers.

Waste heat is considered a largely untapped resource that can be recovered for urban district heating networks – 90% of available waste heat originates from industry. This emphasises the necessity for industry to be close to cities for effective utilisation. The remaining 10% is operate at lower temperatures. Heat pumps are the essential tool that allow the temperature to be raised to the required level. from human activities within cities, with wastewater emerging as a significant heat source waiting to be harnessed for a sustainable energy future.

Dublin’s Tallaght district heating scheme was recently expanded through collaboration between the municipality and a local data centre. A new energy plant room with large-scale heat pumps was built next to the data centre to become a central component in the existing district heating scheme, serving various public buildings and housing units.

Data centres also provide an opportunity to utilise excess heat. The primary focus of data centres is optimising power and water efficiency. Heat, often considered “low quality” or “waste heat”, emerges at around 25°Celsius, a temperature deemed too low for immediate applications.

In exploring the potential to harvest excess heat from data centres, proximity to cities and the feasibility of urban district heating networks become pivotal considerations. The key lies in enhancing the efficiency of existing buildings and optimising district heating networks to

The immediate impact of the innovative district heating network upgrade in Dublin brings a reduction of 1,500 tons of CO2 equivalent per year. This transformative initiative showcases the real potential of waste heat, even if conventionally deemed low quality.

With a diverse water technology portfolio and commitment to collaboration, Xylem stands poised as a key player, ready to amplify the impact of sustainable heating in our communities. Its offerings extend from digital solutions for optimising heating infrastructure, to a comprehensive range of pumps, sensors and heat exchangers.

The emphasis on collaboration, digitalisation and a broad equipment portfolio positions Xylem as a key player in the evolving landscape of decarbonised heating.

For more information visit www.xylem. com/ie