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What can you do in 2021 to make clean heat in city centres a reality by 2030?

If you are involved in energy masterplanning and long-term sustainable energy strategy for your city or district, we would like to hear from you.

We use algorithms and a broad range of variables to allow you to produce a detailed and realistic map. You can then test multiple scenarios, in collaboration with your stakeholders. The visualisation of the heat network provides an intuitive framework for discussion. As a group you can discuss and challenges the implications of any given approach, in a way that is easy for all participants.

Webinar 3. What can we do in 2021 to achieve clean heat in city centres by 2030?

Webinar 3. Our panel of heat network experts reflect on how we move low carbon heat network deployment forward in 2021.

Heat networks should deliver 18% of heat in the UK by 2050, currently that is between 1% and 2%. In the past year even more cities have declared climate emergencies and the ambition to become truly low carbon by 2030. Meanwhile, the UK government has challenged cities to permanently remove 70% of their carbon emissions by 2030.

So how can city-centre heat networks help? What can we do? What can't we do? Who needs to do it?

74km of pipework, 49MWth of river-source heat pump, 140GWh of heat sales and up to 30,000 tCO2e abated. What's not to like?

Webinar 2. What are the barriers to a city centre heat network?

In our second webinar we got into the costings to get a feel for the scale of the economics involved. We then produced a first effort of a financial model. This allowed to flag up how policy must impact on the project.

How did we do? What's wrong? What's right? What is just plain crazy... we want to hear from you. Together, we can make this happen.

Recorded webinar with presentation, panel discussion and attendee Q&A.

Webinar 1. Is it possible to deploy a city centre heat network?

In our first webinar we wanted to visualise what a city centre heat network would look like and get a feel for the scale and deployment.

We present the software and collaborative methodology we have adopted to leverage the power of the Comsof Heat software. In this webinar we explore the first level challenges- we need better costing and a financial model that will attract investors and reassure policy makers.

Timeline

August 2019

The question is raised, why not have a city centre heat network for Glasgow?

Ben of Minibems and Dave of Star Renewable Energy start discussing the potential for the heat network. Having met Kurt of Comsof Heat, it is agreed that this software provides the perfect platform to begin exploring the questions and challenges that such an endeavour raises.

First Pass

4 heat districts, each served by a heat pump

The first iteration is based on one heat pump with multiple booster heat pumps throughour the city. However, we settle on 4 heat pumps providing the heat supply for much of Glasgow City Centre. We realise that we need much better costing information and the semblance of a financial model.

March to May 2020

July to September 2020

New model. More questions

Vital Energi provide more granular costings and we utilise the financial modelling function of the Comsof Heat software.

In the interim we have also made contact with two other projects that relate to heat networks within Glasgow city centre: (Y)Our City Centre Project and Carbon Neutral Glasgow City Innovation District. In conversation with the former, we realise that there is an opprtunity to model the same district as they are looking at, in terms of regenerating the Avenues. We are then selected to provide modelling for the Glasgow City Innovation District, which is also an area within our mapped model. We begin to glimpse the potential to join forces, collaborate and help add credibility and detail to our vision.

We present the big wins.

But we identify further challenges: what are the future heat loads? ; what is in the ground? ; can we access cheap, local and sustainable electricity?; can we cooperate and collaborate?

September 8th, 2020

23 November 2020

Poll shows overwhelming support for strong policies to decarbonise city centres

Strong support for policies to drive zero carbon emissions for cities

In our third webinar from Heat Vision 2030 we asked a panel of experts from the heat network sector to reflect on how we move low carbon heat network deployment forward in 2021. What can we do? What can't we do? Who needs to do it?

Heat Vision 2030 encourages the widespread adoption of low carbon heat networks across UK towns and cities to meet our heat decarbonisation challenges.